Thank you. I'm glad I found this blog earlier because when I went to the Fl=TB game earlier today (4-3 TB, by the way ^^) I was utterly confused by the cow.

Pun intended.

Thank you for explaining it.

Cheers, and best of luck for the rest of the season!

Has anyone seen my head? I lost it. lol

MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Good post Catfan1, I agree

Love Hockey, love the game

Forget about cows or cowbells

I must say how incredibly shallow fans are in South Florida. After reading some of the posts here and on the Florida Panthers Fan Board, people seem to be arguing over who is the bigger fan, and that if you don't like the cow-bell or cow then you are less of a fan. It is my opinion that a lot of these "Panther Fans" are really full of themesleves about getting the organization to embrace the cowbells. It's like we all time-traveled back to high school smack in the middle of the cool kids vs. the not-so-cool kids cliques. Just be thankful you have hockey in the South Florida market. The way this team is bleeding money, we will be very lucky that there is a future for this team down here.

I have only been a Panther Fan for a few years but I do know this: What goes on in the arena and the color of the seats has nothing to do with my new love of hockey. The entertainment that goes on when the puck is not moving is just that - entertainment. It does not take away from the game – if anything, it helps to pump up the crowd. The distractions all stop as soon as the puck drops again. Entertaining the crowd is no different than any other sport. I would much rather have that instead of having everyone sit there looking at each other because the puck stopped or there is a TV timeout.
I like the cowbells. The one I got on opening night is small enough to put in my pocket, yet loud enough to make a lot of noise, especially when mixed with thousands of others. I found myself ringing the bell during play much more than I would have clapped or yelled during play. The cowbell makes it easier to join in and cheer for the Panthers.
The cow is “udderly” ridiculous, but my son loves it. If you think it is not family friendly, then I hope your seats aren’t close to the ice, because what the players yell during the games is much more offensive. For that matter, all of the drunks all over the arena are pretty offensive, too, and they have nothing to do with the in-game entertainment.
I don’t get to write a blog, I will never drop the puck, and I can’t afford to go to away games, but I do enjoy reading the blogs, am totally jealous of anyone dropping the puck, and watch or listen on the internet to every away game. The people that do those things are certainly big fans, and it shows.
For those of you that have to be negative, I hope you become Tampa Bay Lightning fans. We don’t need that type of negativity in our arena. As for me, I am going to gawk at the dancers and wish I had closer seats to them, laugh at the cow every time he comes out, try to catch a parachuting t-shirt and show my support during play by ringing my cowbell as hard as I can. Go CATS!

I have only been a Panther Fan for a few years but I do know this: What goes on in the arena and the color of the seats has nothing to do with my new love of hockey. The entertainment that goes on when the puck is not moving is just that - entertainment. It does not take away from the game – if anything, it helps to pump up the crowd. The distractions all stop as soon as the puck drops again. Entertaining the crowd is no different than any other sport. I would much rather have that instead of having everyone sit there looking at each other because the puck stopped or there is a TV timeout.
I like the cowbells. The one I got on opening night is small enough to put in my pocket, yet loud enough to make a lot of noise, especially when mixed with thousands of others. I found myself ringing the bell during play much more than I would have clapped or yelled during play. The cowbell makes it easier to join in and cheer for the Panthers.
The cow is “udderly” ridiculous, but my son loves it. If you think it is not family friendly, then I hope your seats aren’t close to the ice, because what the players yell during the games is much more offensive. For that matter, all of the drunks all over the arena are pretty offensive, too, and they have nothing to do with the in-game entertainment.
I don’t get to write a blog, I will never drop the puck, and I can’t afford to go to away games, but I do enjoy reading the blogs, am totally jealous of anyone dropping the puck, and watch or listen on the internet to every away game. The people that do those things are certainly big fans, and it shows.
For those of you that have to be negative, I hope you become Tampa Bay Lightning fans. We don’t need that type of negativity in our arena. As for me, I am going to gawk at the dancers and wish I had closer seats to them, laugh at the cow every time he comes out, try to catch a parachuting t-shirt and show my support during play by ringing my cowbell as hard as I can. Go CATS!

I have only been a Panther Fan for a few years but I do know this: What goes on in the arena and the color of the seats has nothing to do with my new love of hockey. The entertainment that goes on when the puck is not moving is just that - entertainment. It does not take away from the game – if anything, it helps to pump up the crowd. The distractions all stop as soon as the puck drops again. Entertaining the crowd is no different than any other sport. I would much rather have that instead of having everyone sit there looking at each other because the puck stopped or there is a TV timeout.
I like the cowbells. The one I got on opening night is small enough to put in my pocket, yet loud enough to make a lot of noise, especially when mixed with thousands of others. I found myself ringing the bell during play much more than I would have clapped or yelled during play. The cowbell makes it easier to join in and cheer for the Panthers.
The cow is “udderly” ridiculous, but my son loves it. If you think it is not family friendly, then I hope your seats aren’t close to the ice, because what the players yell during the games is much more offensive. For that matter, all of the drunks all over the arena are pretty offensive, too, and they have nothing to do with the in-game entertainment.
I don’t get to write a blog, I will never drop the puck, and I can’t afford to go to away games, but I do enjoy reading the blogs, am totally jealous of anyone dropping the puck, and watch or listen on the internet to every away game. The people that do those things are certainly big fans, and it shows.
For those of you that have to be negative, I hope you become Tampa Bay Lightning fans. We don’t need that type of negativity in our arena. As for me, I am going to gawk at the dancers and wish I had closer seats to them, laugh at the cow every time he comes out, try to catch a parachuting t-shirt and show my support during play by ringing my cowbell as hard as I can. Go CATS!

Hey Drew, you serious? I mean, you're going to go and get all worked up over the cowbell movement and Murph doing things for the team? What do you care? Why does any of that offend you?

The cowbells sad? No, what's sad is that for the last several years other teams' fans have been able to come in here and take over our house. What's sad is that people like you can't understand what the cowbell is there for. It's a way of taking back our house, a way for fans across the arena to unite, and a way to shut up the noisy opposition.

How anyone has a problem with that is beyond me.

The cow makes less sense? Is it not a COWbell? Didn't think that one was hard.

Dave, nowhere in my post did I say anything about you not ringing a cowbell or anything that in any way challenged your fandom. I simply said that complaining about a mascot under the guise of "family inappropriateness" was a bit of a stretch considering the violence that takes place on the ice nightly.

You said TWICE that you were being accused of not being as much of a fan for not participating with a cowbell. I've read the comments again, and it just didn't happen. No one said it. I will say it here, clearly, so that there is no confusion. I don't think people who are against the cowbell (or the cow) are any less of a fan than those who support it. I know for a FACT that ringing a cowbell, or not, has NOTHING to do with how much you love the team. I respect EVERYONE who's been paying to see these guys lose for the better part of a decade. That alone is commendable and speaks VOLUMES about just how dedicated you really are to the Panthers.

WRT the originality of the cowbell; I never said it was an original idea (in fact I've said repeatedly that I got the idea elsewhere), and I never expected so many people to start bringing them to the arena. My wife and I saw them being effectively used at a minor league game, and we decided to bring them to the BAC because we were SICK of getting "out-noised" by the visiting team's fans. I didn't do it to be original, I did it because the guy who owns the seats 6 or 8 seats in front of me sells them NIGHTLY to out-of-towners (or transplants who only come to the arena when "their" team is in town), and I was on the verge of felonious behavior from the utter frustration. Evidently there were others who felt the same way because they began to bring the bells with them, too.

So if you don't want to ring a cowbell, fine, I support you 100%. But I'm going to keep bringing mine out there because it's an effective way to make noise, and the players have said repeatedly that they enjoy a loud, pumped-up crowd (go watch their GrowlTV interviews if you think otherwise).

If you think inflatable cows and scantily-clad dancers are what gives south Florida a bad name in the hockey world, I suggest that if that's true, it's only part of the problem. The other part is a fan base who simply refuses to show up. And when they do show up, they tend to just sit on their hands and wait to be entertained. Toronto hasn't won a cup in my lifetime (and I'm nearly 40), yet their arena is FULL OF SMART, SCREAMING FANS every single night. They cheer for the things that should be cheered for (like clearing the puck on a PK or a 2 on 1 rush to the net). I know there are people out there, like yourself, who cheer and get excited at the games, but that type of fan is clearly the exception in our arena...

I do not think how you make noise or if you make noise at a game decides how much of a fan you are. I think the cow is ridiculous. Both are not original as college teams, minor league teams, and other nhl teams have either used or are still using them.

It seems to me that for some Panther fans, if you disagree you are less of a fan. I do not need a stupid cow-bell to make noise and cheer for my team. And excuse me VanMurph, but do you have children? Comparing the mascot dropping his pants and the fights during a hockey game are irrelevant. Since I do not share the same views of the in-game entertainment, shall I not renew my seats for next year and watch another sport? I love hockey and was only expressing my opinion. If some of you people wish to make it personal and call out my committment to being a fan, I say you are very shallow. These are the kind of people that give south Florida a bad name.

Panthergal, out of curiosity how many non-panthers hockey games have you been too?

if you louve hockey that number should be well into the double digits.

The cow is amazing - and genius. Especially since the Banana really belongs to Florida Baseball.

"Dumb move." Perhaps that would be the person who has to make a post three times in a row and cannot spell appropriate.

Panthers games are fun. If you do not like one little aspect, how about enjoying the rest? I do not enjoy drunk fans spilling beer on my back, but it is ok, when excitement runs high. Whether STanley C. Panther, Mini-Stanley, The Ice Dancers, The Banana, the videos on the jumbotron, or yes, even the Mad Cow - the entire experience is fun. Do I love hockey???? YES!!! I love the Panthers and whatever else added just makes the whole thing more fun. Yes, I have cowbells. GO CATS!

I could not agree more....

I am a random-ass fan.

And winning will solve a lot of the image problems.

Oh look.. its our own semi-celebrity hockey fan. Its kinda sad when a random ass fan with a copy-cat idea gets more press and recognition than some of the players that, you know ACTUALLY PLAY THE GAME.

The team would do an amazing job of reaching out to its fans by keeping players that fan recognize and by of course.. winning with some semblence of consitency. Cow Bells, dance teams, "in-arena hosts", inflatable indecent-exposing cows, mimi mascots and free t-shirts do not a hockey team make.

So. I see there are people who're upset that a nine foot tall, cartoon-like, inflatable cow has "More Cowbell" written on his underpants because they think it's not "family appropriate"... Yet they don't mention the grown men out on the ice who punch each other in the face. You HAVE to be kidding me. The cow performed for a grand total of 68 seconds, and it was during an intermission...

Let's face it, you can't please all of the people all of the time. And some, you can't please at all. Have an open mind and realize this team is trying to reach out to it's fans. For that I applaud them...

I agree that a cow does not have anything to do with the Panthers, and the dropping the pants is not family friendly. I like soudblasters and thundersticks to make noise.

I have to agree with the above post. Dumb move. I am a season seat holding and think the cow and the cowbell are stupid. I am there to watch hockey and cheer for the Panthers. Just because I don't ring a cow-bell during a game makes me any less a fan than those that support it. I also thought it was in poor taste for the "cow" to drop it's pants. I don't think that was family apporpriate.

I have to agree with the above post. Dumb move. I am a season seat holding and think the cow and the cowbell are stupid. I am there to watch hockey and cheer for the Panthers. Just because I don't ring a cow-bell during a game makes me any less a fan than those that support it. I also thought it was in poor taste for the "cow" to drop it's pants. I don't think that was family apporpriate.

I have to agree with the above post. Dumb move. I am a season seat holding and think the cow and the cowbell are stupid. I am there to watch hockey and cheer for the Panthers. Just because I don't ring a cow-bell during a game makes me any less a fan than those that support it. I also thought it was in poor taste for the "cow" to drop it's pants. I don't think that was family apporpriate.

dumbest. move. ever.

Not only is a cowbell generic, sad and unoriginal it has nothing to do with the Panthers. Having a gigantic cow makes even less sense. But then again, so does having green seats in a hockey arena where the home team has no green in their color scheme.

Oh yeah, and way to give out little tea cups and trying to pass them off as cowbells.