Comments about the Carolina Panthers have been plastered on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook-- everywhere posting about a sport team is socially acceptable. And for many, the motto “Keep Pounding” is still ringing in the ears of Carolinians. “I grew up watching the Carolina Panthers, and I’ve watched them evolve and transform into the best team,” junior Jake Blum said. Blum attended Super Bowl 50 this year, watching the Denver Broncos win the game against the Carolina Panthers, 24-10. Before going, Blum predicted the Panthers would come home with a win by a score of 38-10. After the Super Bowl loss, Panther’s quarterback, Cam Newton, has been in the spotlight. Newton walked out on his post Bowl interview just minutes into. Even math teacher and Carolina fanatic Pamela Dixon said Newton has a polarizing personality. “At first I didn’t like Cam, and I must admit if I pulled for anybody else, I would probably hate him, too. People either love him or hate him. There’s not a lot of middle ground,” Dixon said. “I think he has grown up a lot and really matured.” Blum defended Newton by saying he made him want to watch the games just to see what he will do next. Blum said people are too hard on him. On February 7, Newton was named as the NFL’s Most Valuable Player. “No one likes to see the good in people... they only like to point out their ‘flaws,’” Blum said. Dixon added that the media gives Newton a bad reputation, and overlooks the good that the Panthers have done. “I think it makes better press to find bad things. It makes for a better story,” Dixon said. But Carolina has been receiving a lot positive awards in the past few months. Thomas Davis, a Carolina Panther’s linebacker, was named NFL’s Walter Payton Man of the Year in 2015 for all the good works he has done. Additionally, the Keep Pounding Fund raised $1.4 million to go toward cancer research. The Keep Pounding Fund was founded after former Panther linebacker and attendant coach Sam Mills, who was diagnosed with intestinal cancer. Before passing from the ailment, Mills gave a famous speech which is now the motto of the Carolina Panthers football teams. “When I found out I had cancer, there were two things I could do: quit or keep pounding. I’m a fighter, I kept pounding--you’re fighters too, keep pounding,” Mills told the team in his speech. According to David Newton’s story on ESPN, before every home game, a pounding of a drum by fans or players who have struggled through their own adversities signifies pounding through the hard times. The motto is literally sewn into the player’s jerseys. Greg Olsen, tight end for the Carolina Panthers, began the HEARTest Yard Fund after finding out his son would be born with a major heart defect. The fund is meant to financially assist families with children who have similar heart complications, according to ESPN. “So there’s a lot of players for the Panthers who do a lot of really good things away from the field,” Dixon said. For this 2016 season, Dixon had season tickets and she was able to even attend the playoff games. She predicted a Super Bowl score of 27-20, Panthers. “It’s our hometown team, but I feel a connection to the players,” Dixon said. Unlike “bandwagon fans” who have appeared this year with the Panther’s 15-1 regular season record, Dixon has been a fan since the beginning. “When I bought these season tickets, I had no idea that this would happen. I’ve been a fan since they started,” Dixon said. “It will be interesting to see if they have this many fans next year if they don’t have the same success.” Blum does not have a problem with bandwagons, as longs as they are cheering for the Carolina Panthers. “It’s not wrong, because you’re cheering for the right team,” Blum said. After a Panthers’ loss to the Broncos’ dominate defense in the 2016 Super Bowl, some bandwagon fans already aborted the so-called “Cardiac Cats.” “Everyone hopped off the Panther train,” junior Fletcher Highman tweeted after the game. According to David Newton of ESPN the odds for the Carolina Panthers to win Super Bowl 51 are 10-1. Compared to the Seattle Seahawks’ odds of 8-1, it is not the top spot, but it is better than many teams. The Cleveland Browns’ odds to win are 200-1.