Sports are an important cornerstone of American entertainment, and everyone has their own opinion on sports themselves and the teams that play them. In the U.S.A, many major cities have their own teams for their respective sports leagues. Let’s have a look at some of Charlotte’s sports teams to see how they hold up.
Carolina Panthers
American football is the most popular sport in the United States, no questions asked. As such, most major cities in the U.S have their own team playing in the National Football League, fighting for a shot at winning the Super Bowl. Charlotte has its own team in the fray, the Carolina Panthers. The Panthers are, unfortunately, one of the NFL teams who have never won a Super Bowl, though they have reached it twice, once in 2003 where they lost to the Denver Broncos, and once in 2015 where they lost to the New England Patriots. They are an all around slightly above average football team, performing about as well as the Atlanta Falcons during the 2018 season. North Carolina fans continue to pine for their victory, and seeing as they’ve made it to the Super Bowl before, it’s not outside the realm of possibility.
Charlotte Hornets
Basketball is another popular Sport in the U.S.A for many from coast to coast. Not only does it allow for a change up from the same football media you see all the time, but it also lets you see different cities and teams go up against one another. Charlotte’s answer to the NBA are the Charlotte Hornets, who visually stand out among other teams with their bright blue uniforms. However, the Hornet’s history of winning are more dire than the Panthers, having never made it to the NBA championships during their thirty year run. This doesn’t mean their completely hopeless, but in the meantime, it may be wise to look elsewhere for basketball stories of success. One day the Hornets may surprise us all and come back with a championship title out of nowhere.
Charlotte Checkers
Ice hockey is another popular sport Charlotte has a team for. Even though it doesn’t receive as much attention in the U.S.A due to the monolith that is American Football, ice hockey is still a widely celebrated sport across the country, Charlotte has a part in American Ice Hockey League with the Charlotte Checkers, and unlike their basketball and football counterparts, they have won an official championship! The Calder Cup, the American Hockey League’s award for their best team each year, was taken by the Checkers during the 2018-19 season, marking not only the teams first victory, but a very recent one at the time of writing. This sets a good precedent for the Checkers, as having a history of winning is a good way to set yourself up for continued success.
Overall, Charlotte has plenty of sports teams for people to root for, even if most of them have had hard times over their existence. However, with teams like the Charlotte Checkers, the city has shown that it is capable of handling sports. The next time you’re in Charlotte, try catching a local game or even a home match for any one of these teams, or any others not listed here. A good sports game is always a good way to connect with friends and family, or kill some time by yourself, so try it out sometime.