Forbes to Panthers fans: You Suck

by Donny Rivette on Dec 20, 2009 12:58 PM EST Comment 9 comments

Our society tends to place a high priority - or at the very least an engineered interest - in lists. Ten Best Songs, 100 Most Shocking Hollywood Crimes, 50 Funniest Movies, and so forth. I first noticed the trend's genesis around the turn of the century, when everyone from your local newspaper (remember those?) to VH1 and their horrid, shameful transformation into a televised version of Us Magazine teased our curiosity, making couch-bound voyeurs out of anyone with a remote control and a little free time.

The "list" craze continues full-force - just turn on the flatscreen at any given hour - with no sign of abating. They're admittedly fun, they poke at our past, and tend to keep our attention while forcing your brain into no further action than simply ticking over.

Forbes, "Home Page for the World's Business Leaders", has compiled what they are referring to as The NHL's Best (and worst) Fans. It's not stated which of the world's business leaders might be interested in such an exercise, but nevertheless...Sir Richard Branson will sleep more soundly after having been informed of the Minnesota Wild's fifth-"ranked" fanbase.

The Florida Panthers, perennial home of questionable trades, a history of lousy draft picks, and stuck in a market featuring endless entertainment options, have shockingly been proclaimed as possessing the NHL's worst fans.

The evidence for such a scolding?

Despite finishing last season with their second best record ever (41-30-11), the Panthers failed to qualify for the playoffs for the fourth straight year since the lockout. Fans didn't settle for mediocrity. The team had the worst TV ratings and second worst attendance in the league last year.

- Forbes' Christina Settimi

Quite obviously, this wasn't utilized in our defense.

Numbers can't be argued with, so a childish he said-she said cannot be employed, but as a Panthers fan, do these silly lists even bother you any longer?

To be a fan of this club is to proudly sport chainmail and moon boots: the armor protecting your fleshy areas from ignorant ridicule, the footwear for traversing endless miles of BS laid in our collective path.

Year after playoffless year, the dedicated base of several thousand continue to show up, tune in, and care. What more can be asked?

By the way: followers of the Penguins were judged to be the "best" in hockey. Wonder how they might have fared in the same list about five years ago...

Thanks to GW at Puck Daddy for the heads-up...

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It’s kind of hard being a Panthers fan and not knowing the way the rest of the league\world looks at us. That said, great point about the Penguins being the top team this year considering they were bankrupt and on the way out just a few short years ago (amazing what a few #1 draft picks panning out will do…) Obviously this is a 1-year poll in a business mag, so money and whatnot are what’s considered. All in all, what else is new?

by Karl Selvig on Dec 20, 2009 2:13 PM EST reply actions

Not much, we have a young team once again, some of our long term projects are panning out finally – Horton, Weiss, etc. Fans in South Florida are very fickle, need to crank up the bandwagon at least once before it’ll start growing again.

Remember, after our Cup run all those years ago the bandwagon created a solid fanbase that lasted several years. Any team that suffers a 9 year playoff drought with inconsistent performance, heartbreak, bad management, bad trades, etc is going to have huge fan problems.

Of course Forbes failed to mention much of that. So they FAIL at reporting. (To borrow an Internet meme).

by coasterg on Dec 20, 2009 5:14 PM EST reply actions

Hell, the Marlins can’t even draw when they’re winning. The Devils either, to get back to hockey. This year there are some seriously empty arenas in Atlanta and Raleigh (and Phoenix, but we won’t involve them here, they have enough problems). The crowd for the last Panthers game in Atlanta looked like an AHL crowd. The arena wasn’t even half full. Our turnout when they were here wasn’t so hot, but it was better.

And what’s wrong with not accepting mediocrity? And what the f*&^ does Forbes know about sports anyway? They’re a business magazine. They should understand that when you piss off your customers that said customers don’t want to patronize your business.

Florida Panthers: Giving the league a punching bag since 2000.

by Johnny B on Dec 21, 2009 8:25 AM EST up reply actions

yeah, but this fan could have been used in your defense

Barry Melrose Rocks: Hockey and mullets. What else is there?

by wuffy on Dec 20, 2009 7:14 PM EST reply actions

As a Panthers fan

I’m pretty used to being crapped on…so this doesn’t phase me. As long as the team stays put in South Florida then I could care less what outsiders say. I love the Panthers, and obviously no amount of the team sucking is going to change that. I think we have an amazing core of fans, and when this team completes their climb out of the under belly of the NHL, those fans are going to enjoy it more then any fan in Pittsburgh or Minnesota could.

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by David Dwork on Dec 21, 2009 3:32 AM EST reply actions

Its not a hockey town

Everyone loves the Fins and Canes, Heat are second, Marlins take the Bronze.

Current Phinsider Feud Points: 23

T.Lex doesn't want to be fed, he wants to hunt. Can't just suppress sixty five million years of gut instinct.

by Patssuck456 on Dec 21, 2009 8:52 AM EST reply actions

and if you noticed I didnt mention Celtics. Mets, Jets or Bills fans

Because transplants arent people, the more you know…..

Current Phinsider Feud Points: 23

T.Lex doesn't want to be fed, he wants to hunt. Can't just suppress sixty five million years of gut instinct.

by Patssuck456 on Dec 21, 2009 8:53 AM EST reply actions

By the way: followers of the Penguins were judged to be the “best” in hockey.

lol

Pension Plan Puppets*
* Blog contains less than 2% puppet content by weight.

by Chemmy on Dec 21, 2009 12:52 PM EST reply actions

I’m a pens fan who was around pre-crosby and i wouldnt say that our fans are any better, just that there’s a similar group of die-hards who continued to support the team while dick tarnstrom was the leading scorer.

Only reason they would name us number 1 is because local tv ratings are so good and theres a 2+ season sellout streak, but the game crowds are pretty terrible compared to 2-3 years ago when it was all student rush.

by dave_says on Dec 21, 2009 11:04 PM EST reply actions

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