CHARLOTTE, N.C. — If you've been to a Panthers game recently, you've no doubt heard the "Keep Pounding" chant. During every home game, one half of Bank of America Stadium yells “Keep” and then the other half yells back “Pounding.”
But is this tradition going away? Some are worried it might.
On Sunday's season opener against the New York Jets, the stadium-wide chant didn't happen. The team did use the Keep Pounding drum but didn't prompt fans in the stands to yell the mantra out.
Panthers fan club, Roaring Riot tweeted this plea out to team owner, David Tepper. It asks Tepper to bring the chant back to the stadium:
"Dear Dave Tepper: admittedly this franchise doesn't have many traditions - but #KeepPoinding is one & it’s more than words we yell. Don't take that away from us.
RT this to show the @Panthers how much it means to you & that you want it back in the stadium Sunday #BeTheUproar."
The team says they want fans to do the chant on their own and not have to be prompted by the big screen to do it. They say that's why it wasn't on the big screen during the first regular-season game.
After some blowback, the team says they will run the prompt during the Sept. 19 game, but is still debating on if it will run it for future games.
The "Keep Pounding" motto was coined by former Panthers player and assistant coach, Sam Mills. While battling cancer, he gave the "Keep Pounding" speech ahead of the team's playoff game against the Dallas Cowboys. This was during the team's 2003 Super Bowl run. It has lived on as the team's motto ever since.
The Roaring Riot tweet has received over 1,300 tweets as of 3:00 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 16.
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