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Professional Sports
Cats and sports seem to go hand in hand in Charlotte. The NFL’s Carolina Panthers and the NBA’s Charlotte Bobcats both proudly and graciously compete in front of thousands of adoring fans. Carolina Panthers supporters are delighted with the $187-million state-of-the-art facility that can seat up to 73,258 excited fans. The Panthers’ claims to fame include reaching the Super Bowl in 2003 and reaching three NFC Championship games in the franchise’s first 11 years. The 2003 Super Bowl journey earned the Panthers the nickname of “Cardiac Cats,” which has stuck with them throughout the seasons. This young football team has great potential with strong new recruits and a wide, growing fan base. The Bobcats’ future also looks bright. Founded in 2004, the Charlotte Bobcats broke new ground with the first African American majority owner – Robert Johnson, founder of Black Entertainment Television. The Bobcats play in the $264-million Time Warner Cable Arena before 19,026 energetic fans. Hockey in Charlotte has come to life in the last few years as the ECHL’s Charlotte Checkers has skated past opponents. The Checkers have recently moved into the spotlight, having set a record high attendance in 2007. With a growing city and optimism in the air, the Checkers look forward to many more wins to come. NASCAR is quickly racing to the pinnacle of professional sports in the United States, behind only the NFL in ratings. Charlotte is considered the birthplace of this quickly growing sport. Lowe’s Motor Speedway, the largest sports facility in the Southeast, brings fans from all over the region to Charlotte. Lowe’s Motor Speedway hosts three series: the Nextel Cup, Busch Series and the Craftsman Truck Series. Charlotte recently became the home of the NASCAR Hall of Fame, a $154.5-million dollar facility in Uptown Charlotte. Baseball and soccer are not left behind. The Charlotte Knights, a Chicago White Sox AAA affiliate, play in a $15-million, 10,000-seat facility opened in 1990 just south of the border in Fort Mill, S.C. Work is underway to bring the Knights to Uptown Charlotte in a few years. Charlotte soccer teams include both a men’s team, the Charlotte Eagles, and a ladies’ team, the Charlotte Lady Eagles. The Eagles play in the A league USL (United Soccer Leagues), while the lady eagles play in the W leagues. In 2001, their first year of play, the Lady Eagles won the W-2 Championship. Finally, Charlotte gives a strong showing in golf as well. Charlotte hosts the Wachovia Championship, part of the PGA tour. Played early in May at the Quail Hollow Country Club, this championship hosts many of the world’s best players, including Tiger Woods, Vijay Singh and David Toms. The course is considered to be one of the toughest on the tour.
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