“Oh my sweet Carolina,” Ryan Adams once sang, and we can certainly see why! North Carolina is home to many gorgeous cities, and one of the most striking is the city of Charlotte. This is a cultural and economic hub for North Carolina and has some wonderful history due to its role in the American Civil War. The city is also the home of some of the finest teams in American sports.
Charlotte might not be the first city that springs to mind when you think of sports teams, but there are actually quite a few well-known ones here. The city has a long and varied sporting history and one that has given it acclaim across the country. These are some of the top sports teams in Charlotte – you might have heard of a couple!
Carolina Panthers – Football
Perhaps the best-known sporting franchise in the city has got to be the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League. The Panthers are hugely popular within the city and draw huge crowds on a weekly basis. Established in 1993, the team became the 29th franchise of the NFL, and they have appeared in eight playoffs since 1996. A Super Bowl defeat by the Patriots in the 2003 season, followed by a more recent 2015-16 defeat to Denver Broncos means the Super Bowl still eludes this talented team.
Charlotte Hornets – Basketball
It’s not just in the NFL that Charlotte is flying the flag for North Carolina. Indeed, the Charlotte Hornets compete in the NBA, in the Eastern Conference Southeast Division. Famously, former NBA and shooting guard legend Michael Jordan is a majority owner in the franchise. The Hornets were founded in 1988, and, after a ten year name change to the Charlotte Bobcats, they returned to being the Hornets in 2014. With no Championships, Conference wins, or Division titles, there is still a long way to go for the Hornets to establish themselves as one of the NBA’s great franchises.
Charlotte Checkers – Ice Hockey
The Charlotte Checkers are an ice hockey team based in Charlotte, but you’d be forgiven for not being familiar with them! The team competes in the minor leagues and plays in the American Hockey League (AHL). They are actually affiliated with the Carolina Hurricanes, who are based out of Raleigh. The Checkers were founded in 1990 and replaced one of the older existing franchise teams. Though the team is yet to reach the National Hockey League, and are not seen as one of the strongest franchises in the sport, they are a big part of the identity of the city.
These are just a few of the best franchise teams found in the city. Charlotte is well-known as a proud sporting city and one that is full of devoted fans. The three teams above have a huge part of the city’s identity running through their franchise. The Panthers have got to be the most esteemed and well-known of these teams though, and their quest to find that elusive Super Bowl is one that the whole city can get behind.
