CHARLOTTE — A survey by casino.org measured how miserable the fanbases of teams across the country were, based on a number of factors.
It will probably come as no surprise to North Carolina football fans, but followers of the Carolina Panthers were found to be the most miserable in the NFL, and the second most miserable of the four major sports leagues, with a nearly perfect 99.23 Miserable Index, out of 100. Only the NBA’s Memphis Grizzlies, at 99.75, were more miserable.
On a scale of 1 (never) to 5 (always), Panthers fans answered the question “How often do you feel let down by your team with a 4.
And it’s not like the letdown is a result of expectations being unusually high. Nearly two thirds of Panther fans (65%) said the team “doesn’t have a chance of making it to the Super Bowl” this year.
A majority of Panther fans, 55%, don’t trust the team’s management, and 40% don’t like the players on the roster. More than half, 55%, don’t find game days enjoyable.
Are you ready for some football?
Last year
The Panthers lost their first six games, fired coach Frank Reich, in his first year running the team, in Week 12, with a record of 1-10, and finished at 2-15. Carolina has not had a winning season since 2017, and its six-year playoff drought is the third longest in the NFL.
Changes and newcomers
The team hired Tampa Bay offensive coordinator Dave Canales to be its seventh coach in the last five years. Carolina also fired GM Scott Fitterer, replacing him with former Panthers linebacker Dan Morgan.
The new braintrust set to work on making over the roster, trading All-Pro pass rusher Brian Burns to the Giants to restock draft picks. The team was busy in free agency, signing offensive linemen Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis. The Panthers traded for receiver Diontae Johnson and signed a host of veteran role players on defense.
The Panthers used their top draft pick on receiver Xavier Leggette and also added running back Jonathon Brooks.
Players to watch
The top player to watch is second-year quarterback Bryce Young. The top overall pick in the 2023 Draft, Young’s rookie year was a case study in how to ruin a promising quarterback. Everything the team could have done to impede his development, it did, including shuffling playcallers, changing coaches and providing next to no on-field protection.
Canales is known for his ability to revive the careers of quarterbacks, including Geno Smith and former Panthers flameout Baker Mayfield. The team is gambling that it’s not already too late to salvage Young’s potential.
Best case
Canales is able to help Young develop into a rising star in the league and the team flirts with .500, which, in a weak NFC South could mean competing for a divisional title. The defense continues to be stout and a revived Young gives the team and its fanbase reason for optimism and hope for the future, regardless of the final record.
Worst case
What can they do? Cancel Christmas? Outlaw puppies? Folks, it doesn’t get any worse than this. The team decides Young is not the answer and follows a well-worn path back to square one. An increasingly frustrated owner David Tepper could decide that an apathetic fanbase is part of the problem and begin talking about moving the team—so things can apparently always get worse.
Key games
Week 1: Sept. 8 at Saints — The Panthers can get off on the right foot with a NFC South divisional win on the road. It may not seem like much, but it would be the first time Carolina was over .500 since Week Five of 2021.
Week Five: Oct. 6 at Bears —The what might have been game. The Panthers face the team they traded with to get the first overall pick in 2023—and the team that used the first overall pick Carolina earned in 2024 as a result of that trade.
Week Six: Oct. 13 vs. Falcons—The Panthers could put together a two-game winning streak, hosting Atlanta after visiting Chicago. With games at Washington and Denver up next, an undefeated October could have the team pushing for first place as it approaches its bye week.
Outlook
The Panthers have been willing to take risks and roll the dice this offseason, bringing in a very different looking team than last year’s. This season shapes up to be a referendum on Young. With stable leadership and a friendly schedule, look for reasonable improvement.
