Some Carolina Panthers fans might have seen a headline that was truly a head scratcher. Nonetheless, the comedy writes itself. There are a number of comedic references to pull from to describe this snafu.
From Chris Tucker in “Friday” asking Ice Cube “How do you get fired on your day off?” to any iteration of Rodney Dangerfield proclaiming he gets no respect.
The Palm Beach Post put out an article recapping Game 2 of the NHL’s Eastern Conference Finals game between Florida and Carolina. The headline alone will have fans confused.
“Florida Panthers stun Carolina Panthers for 2-0 lead in Stanley Cup Eastern Conference Finals Game”
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The Palm Beach Post
Very stunning.
You don’t have to be an NHL or NFL historian to come away with utter confusion from that headline. Florida is playing Carolina in the Eastern Conference Finals. The issue is that there’s only one Panthers team playing in that series.
Don’t worry, you’re not losing it. One has to believe this was somewhere between a common typo and a Freudian slip. If it was just a headline, this is a non-story. However, the piece is only made more confusing as you continue to read. “After Florida’s crushing 5-0 defeat of the Panthers…” Florida is the only Panthers in the NHL.
In the fourth paragraph the issue corrects itself with, “The Panthers who have outscored their opponents 21-4 on the road this postseason, scored three goals in the first period, saw the Hurricanes pull goalie Frederik Andresen.” The Hurricanes have finally entered the chat.
The bulk of the article does a solid job of describing the events of Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Not casting any shade on the hockey of the article. Just a funny error and likely a typo related to a bit of unintended humor.
For a Panthers fan base who is moving through a rebuild and a frustrating stretch of less than great football being played, the last thing they want to read about is a stunning defeat on the ice.
Panthers fans might feel like they were catching unintentional strays when their team isn’t even playing yet. Not to worry Carolina Panthers fans, you did not wake up from a coma to discover you missed the last six to nine months. Just an accidental, yet funny misstep from those covering what was a one-sided affair in favor of the team they cover.