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Stadium #5 Bank of America Stadium Charlotte, NC |
Detroit Lions
vs. Carolina Panthers Carolina Panthers Stadium November 16, 2008 31 - 22 Win |
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Stadium #5 Bank of America Stadium Charlotte, NC |
Detroit Lions
vs. Carolina Panthers Carolina Panthers Stadium November 16, 2008 31 - 22 Win |
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| Main Page | Race to 31 | Carolina Panthers ProShop | My Blog |
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Quest for 31 Stadiums: Buffalo Bills Tampa Bay Buccaneers Cleveland Browns Detroit Lions Carolina Panthers Cincinnati Bengals Green Bay Packers Pittsburgh Steelers Atlanta Falcons New England Patriots Philadelphia Eagles St. Louis Rams San Diego Chargers Seattle Seahawks Kansas City Chiefs Jacksonville Jaguars Indianapolis Colts San Francisco 49ers Oakland Raiders Dallas Cowboys Houston Texans Minnesota Vikings Miami Dolphins Tennessee Titans Chicago Bears Arizona Cardinals New York Jets New York Giants Denver Broncos Baltimore Ravens Washington Redskins New Orleans Saints RETURN Free 2013 Fantasy Football Cheatsheets
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Stadium Vitals Built: 1996 Capacity: 73,367 seats Playing Surface: Natural Grass Draft Beer: $7.00 Hot Dog: $3.75 Stadium Parking: $30.00 |
 Bank of AmericaStadium Address 800 South Mint Street Charlotte, NC 28202 (704) 358-7800 Get Directions
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Stadium Review - PantherFanz.net  This weekend, The Buffalo News (my hometown newspaper) ran an article on local fan behavior which explored the "worst behaved" moniker given to Buffalo Bills fans by the Wall Street Journal (I was actually quoted in the piece). Therefore, I found it somewhat ironic that I would be in Charlotte, NC where the fans here were named among the top five "most hospitable" cities in a recent poll by SI.com. Call it southern hospitality or Carolina pride, but I have to concur with the findings of SI.com after spending the day with Dan Ortel and the fine folks at Pantherfanz.net. These guys were more than accommodating to a kid from western New York who just happened to be undercover for the day as a Carolina Panthers fan. As soon as we arrived, there was a genuine sense of family and NFL camaraderie as we were given the Tailgaters tour. Offers for breakfast barbecue and NFL fan chatter poured in as we made the rounds through PantherFanz Central. I got lots of the "Oh, you're that guy," commentary as my Quest for 31 Beer Stein helped spark conversations.  For
this trip to Charlotte, my longtime best friend Jermain Baker, who
I've known since high school, was there to accompany me. The last
time I was in town, it was Halloween and the Dallas Cowboys were in
Charlotte to take on the Carolina Panthers. Jermain is a huge Dallas
Cowboys fan (I however am not - stupid Super Bowls), so with tickets
to the game, and All Hallows Eve as my inspiration, I decided to go
to the game dressed as a Dallas Cowboys fan. This being my second
trip to Bank of America Stadium, it was essential that I experience
the Carolina brand of hometown tailgating that's offered by a city
which prides itself on its barbecue and offers northerners a respite
for the bitter cold of their native land. The city of Charlotte did
not disappoint on either count as the weather was fantastic for
football and the barbecue was top notch.Our hosts from Pantherfanz.net had an impressive setup to say the least. What began with a couple guys burning hot dogs on a single hibachi grill, over the years, has morphed into a full-on tailgating extravaganza. The PantherFanz Party Prowler is easily the centerpiece of the hub of activity that is gameday in the PantherFanz Tailgating lot. Built from a converted school bus, James and boyz have built an exceptional command and 
control tailgating vehicle that serves as PantherFanz headquarters
and a unique base of operations. Covered in black, white and teal,
the custom paint job features a four-foot Carolina Panthers logo,
with its name emblazoned on the side in the typical Panther font
underneath it. The interior has been completely redone to include
seating for twelve, lots of table space, and a onboard half-bath for
the ladies. Custom storage lockers, cubbies, and a full fridge make
practical use of the interior space to allow for storage of the
day's meal and any accessories that will be required for its
preparation. And of course there's beer, lots of beer (a whole
damned fridge full of it). The most unique feature of the
PantherFanz Party Prowler however is rear porch. The back of the bus
was chopped and opened to create an incredible rear porch with
seating for ten. It serves as an exceptional perch from which to
survey the tailgating activities below or enjoy one of the Carolina
microbrews bottled locally. When I'm in town, I prefer the Carolina
Blonde that's available in most grocery stores and is actually
brewed just up the street. Great taste and less filling. The seats
on the rear porch were pulled directly from the old Veterans Stadium
in Philadelphia and painted Carolina blue. Importing the genuine
article from a tailgating Mecca like Philly is definitely a nice
touch. As
for food, Dan and the boyz were on top of it. Their wives had
whipped up some amazing potato salad and sides, and the fellas had
multiple grilling surfaces going throughout the day. Clay had a slow
roasting, ten foot, dual rotisserie roaster going. Full
chickens (like fifteen of 'em) were mounted on one spit and prime rib
was spinning slowly on the other.
After four hours slow roasting next to a controlled charcoal heat, the meats were
ready, but there was more. A custom built smoker, that was trailered
in, was manned by Dan. Dan was firing up brats and hot dogs, with
the occasional sausage-dawg or two; and stationed at a propane
boiler was my man Joe, the Cedar Street Seer himself, cooking up
fresh oysters and monitoring some marinated shrimp skewers. Jermain
and I ate like kings as we sampled everything, hopping from grill to
grill and washing it all down with our ice-cold beverages of choice.
For the variety of food offered at a single tailgate, the folks at
PanthersFanz.net had sponsored one of the best tailgates I've
attended. Gametime
crept up on us unexpectedly, as it usually does after spending the
morning eating, drinking, and talking NFL football. I can't say
enough about the folks from PantherFanz.com. They were warm and more
than accommodating, offering to have me back anytime I make it into
town. With grilled food at the ready, a DJ spinning tunes throughout
the morning, and the entertainment factor of some highly
knowledgeable NFL fans to keep us actively engaged in conversation,
it was easy to see why they have such a dedicated following. I will
certainly make a return trip to this favorite tour stop on the Quest for 31 to the Carolina Panthers
Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina.As for game itself, we had amazing seats. Perched in the endzone, section 230 next to L.R. and Stevie we watched the Lions roar to a 10 - 0 lead as the Panthers struggled in the first quarter to get going. 
But once they weathered the initial charge of those win-starved
Lions, the Carolina Panthers ground game took over. DeAngelo
Williams and Jonathan Stewart each rushed for over 100 yards on route
to a 31 - 22 victory, pounding the Detroit run defense for most of
the afternoon. At times the Daunte Culpepper-led Lions looked
impressive, but unfortunately those times were few and far between.
The Carolina Panthers soon proved that they were clearly the better
team as the Detroit Lions continued to help my Quest for 31 home
team win percentage ... which is really fantastic. I mean who wants
to welcome you to their stadium when every home team you watch
loses? I gotta schedule more Lions games. Thank you Detroit,
hopefully we'll meet again on the Quest.
For more information on the city of Charlotte, North Carolina check out my other reviews by clicking on the links below: NFL: December 12, 2010 - Atlanta Falcons vs. Carolina Panthers NFL: October 25, 2009 - Buffalo Bills vs. Carolina Panthers NFL: October 29, 2006 - Dallas Cowboys vs. Carolina Panthers NFL: Carolina Panthers, Bank of America Stadium - 2010 Stadium Tour NFL: Carolina Panthers, Bank of America Stadium - 2009 Stadium Tour NBA: Charlotte Bobcats, Time Warner Cable Arena - Arena Tour NBA: Charlotte Bobcats, Time Warner Cable Arena - General Information NHL: Carolina Hurricanes, RBC Center - General Information |
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| City of Charlotte Local Information | |
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Top Tourist Attractions: NASCAR Hall of Fame Richard Petty Driving Experience Mint Museum Local Foods: Carolina BBQ, Fried Chicken, Brunswick Stew What They're Drinkin': Carolina Blonde, Highland Brewing Company, Red Oak Tailgating Hotspots: Pecan Parking Lot B-3 Local Sports Media: The Charlotte Observer WBT 1110AM Getting to the Stadium: Bank of America Stadium is located in uptown Charlotte. There's no city metro rail in Charlotte, so if you're a visitor your best bet is to drive to the stadium and park in one of the many lots scattered throughout the city on gameday. |
Popular
Bar Districts: Uptown Charlotte (Buckhead Saloon, Bar Charlotte, Coyote Joe's, Tempo, The Attic Bar, Breakfast Club) The Epicentre (Suite, Kazba, Whisky River, Howl at the Moon) Best Restaurants: Uptown Charlotte (Mert's Heart and Soul, Lavecchia's Seafood Grille, Alexander Michael's, Chima Brazilian Steakhouse, French Quarter, Capital Grille) The Epicentre (Blackfinn American Saloon, Flemings’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar, Enso Asian Bistro and Sushi Bar) Brixx Wood-Fired Pizza Fan Resources: Pocket Map of Charlotte Stadium Policy Stadium Parking Map Fan Forum: CarolinaHuddle.com Where to Stay: Find a hotel in the downtown area as Bank of America Stadium is right downtown. I would suggest the Ritz-Carlton, Courtyard Charlotte, or the Residence Inn by Marriott. |
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Compare Prices for Carolina Panthers Football Tickets Here: Click on the following links for Carolina Panthers ticket availability at each of the top online ticket brokers on the web. Try each link to find the cheapest NFL ticket prices: |
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 | TicketCity.com | |
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 | VividSeats.com | |
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 | RazorGator.com | |
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NFL AIRPORT CODES Phoenix, AZ (PHX) Atlanta, GA (ATL) Baltimore, MD (BWI) Boston, MA (BOS) Buffalo, NY (BUF) Charlotte, NC (CLT) Chicago, IL (ORD) Cincinnati, OH (CVG) Cleveland, OH (CLE) Dallas, TX (DFW) Denver, CO (DEN) Detroit, MI (DTW) Green Bay, WI (GRB) Houston, TX (HOU) Indianapolis, IN (IND) Jacksonville, FL (JAX) Kansas City, MO (MCI) Miami, FL (MIA) Minneapolis, MN (MSP) Nashville, TN (BNA) New Orleans,LA (MSY) New York, NY (NYC) Oakland, CA (OAK) Philadelphia, PA (PHL) Pittsburgh PA (PIT) St. Louis, MO (STL) San Diego, CA (SAN) SanFrancisco,CA(SFO) Seattle, WA (SEA) Tampa, FL (TPA) Washington,DC (DCA) Other Cities |
Buy Pre-Paid Parking for
Carolina Panthers Games here: |
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| Approaching the Stadium |
Ready for Battle |
The PantherFanz Party Prowler | ||
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| Myself and Dan | A Salute to our Veterans | Myself, L.R., and Stevie | ||
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| Lions ahead, but we still believe | Some Good Natured Detroiters | Halftime at the Panthers Den | ||
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| I think I believe | Hangin' with my boy Jermain | That's the Ballgame... | ||
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| Down by the Field | Decapitation Looms | A Tribute to Linebacker Sam Mills | ||
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| The Fellas from PantherFanz.net | A Shot with the Panther | The Spirit of the Panther | ||
| COMMENT FORM: Please feel free to post any suggestions or comments you might have for my journey to Bank of America Stadium, including the following: - Local Hotspots (Bar Districts, Restaurants, Clubs) - Local Foods (Traditional Cuisine, Micro Brews) - Tailgating Traditions - Your Experiences or Helpful Hints - If you saw me let me know! All commentary will be moderated. Your e-mail address will not be published. |
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From: Brian Mazurowski from Goldsboro, NC Sent: Tuesday, November 03, 2009 6:41 AM |
Great pictures and review
didn't see the picture I was looking for (wearing the AFL Maybin
throwback). I have to say agree though, I was also somewhat disappointed
in the conduct of some Bills fans. It seems when the Sabres or Bills
come into town the absolute WORST Buffalo fans crawl out of the gutter
to make us all look bad. I cheered on the Bills pretty feverishly and
was not really messed with aside from the small child beside me calling
TO, Terrell "Broken" the whole game. It was a little disheartening to
see how many Panthers fans began leaving at half time but what can you
do? Anyways, great review and love the site man! Hey Brian. I'll send over that photo! |
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From: Kenny Sansone Sent: Wed, October 28, 2009 6:08 am |
Hans, Like always, loved the site. Great review and great pics. And I checked out fowling.org also. Looking forward to giving it a shot on Sunday! See you this weekend! Kenny |
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From: Brian Mazurowski Sent: Tuesday, October 27, 2009 10:23 AM |
Met you at a Panthers tailgate spot this weekend
at the bills and panthers game. Was wondering if you're going to post
the pictures? Anyways, good luck and awesome time meeting you! They're up brother, let me know what you think! |
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From: Dan Ortel Sent: Tuesday, November 18, 2008 12:40 AM |
Hey Hans!
Great meeting you and glad everything worked out! If you go up to
http://www.pantherfanz.net
and click on the link pictures from the lot you will see a bunch of
pictures from the tailgate for that day. I believe there are 85
pictures posted there right now. Also, if you have any good shots
you took I would appreciate it! The bus is called the 'Pantherfanz
Party Prowler'
regards Dano
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