Fort Worth has a new pro sports team! Panther City Lacrosse unveiled their new uniforms tonight at Cowtown Brewing Co. in Fort Worth, and at the same time announced their home opening date as December 10. They’ll play home games in Dickies Arena.
I spent many, many nights broadcasting games on cable TV for the Fort Worth Fire, Fort Worth Brahmas, Fort Worth Flyers, and Fort Worth Cats. Those hockey, basketball, and baseball teams enjoyed varying degrees of support and longevity. With an ownership group that already operates Arlington’s WNBA team, the Dallas Wings, and a state-of-the-art arena past teams never had, this team hopes to be well-positioned for success.
Lacrosse has a limited following in the area, and the indoor game, known as box lacrosse, has an even smaller built-in fanbase. So the club, led by President/CEO Greg Bibb and General Manager/Vice President of Lacrosse Operations Bob Hamley will have to demonstrate the merits of their fast-paced sport while finding ways to build a grassroots following for both their roster and their game. Such engagement will be key to getting the city’s residents to embrace a team the way they have not since the mid-20th-century success of the first incarnation of the Cats.
One player the team engaged to model jerseys at the event hails from Brampton, Ontario and seemed to love his first impressions of Fort Worth. Panther City had smartly made sure that Phil Caputo’s first taste of Cowtown included locally-made barbecue and beer, something that, frankly, still impresses even us natives.
In the video interview that is the centerpiece of this post, I spoke to the 27-year-old forward about the new jersey he wore (he sported the road model while teammate Charlie Kitchen wore the home version). He also talked about why fans might enjoy the game and the pedigree of new coach Tracey Kelusky, a National Lacrosse League Hall of Famers as a player.
Fort Worth’s new box lacrosse team has season tickets on sale at their website, panthercitylax.com, and one can purchase the new jerseys at nllshop.com.
