American Football
The Carolina Panther have just completed their best season in history. As fans wait to see which team they will face on 17 January, let’s see what it’s like to root for the Panthers at a sports bar in the Nation’s Capital!
Lucky Bar is the hangout of Carolina Panther fans in Washington, DC. It serves good food and cold beer. It is open 7 days a week for sports, dancing, food, and drinks.
Members of the Carolina Panther fan club in the Nation’s Capital got a new name and a new venue to root for the Carolina Panthers this season.
The new name, Capital Riot, reflects the creation of a single, unified fan base known as the Union of the Roaring Riot, which was established in 2015 to create a mutual support system among fan clubs while helping Panther fans in cities without fan clubs form a fan club.
The new venue, meanwhile, was the result of a “random act of violence” at the fan club’s previous gathering place, which was forced to close down.
Lucky Bar
Carolina Panther fans now root for the Panthers at Lucky Bar, which is located at the intersection of 18th Street and Connecticut Avenue NW in DC’s Dupont Circle district.
Among the advantages of the new sports bar is its location, which is closer to the blue, orange, silver, and red lines of the DC Metro than the previous venue.
“Lucky Bar has really gone above and beyond to accommodate us,” says Keith Hall of DC Riot.
“They have put North Carolina beers on tap (Foothills Brewing out of Winston-Salem, NC) and have gotten in North and South Carolina bottles and cans.”
Sound System
The sports bar also allows the fan club to take over the sound system during Carolina Panther games so they can play songs during commercial breaks and broadcast sound effects after key plays:
- They sound the same siren the Panthers play as players take the field;
- A panther growls on big plays;
- AC/DC “Hells Bells” and “Jaws” theme is played on defensive 3rd down plays; and
- “Superman” theme is played when Cam Newton makes a touchdown.
“We also have a DJ that spins tunes during commercial breaks to keep the energy moving,” Keith says.
“And, of course, he plays ‘Sweet Caroline’ after wins.”
Happy Fans
Carolina Panther fans in the Nation’s Capital seem happy with their new digs.
“Someone has described it as ‘Bank of America Stadium in Dupont Circle’,” Keith says.
“We have had several folks tell us that they have more fun with us at Lucky Bar than they do at the stadium. That feels good!”
Capital Riot has come a long way since 3 die-hard Carolina Panther fans first gathered in a basement bar in Arlington, Virginia, to root for the Panthers a few years back.
“This has been an amazing, unprecedented year that has seen our fan base grow rapidly,” Keith says.
“That has not always been the case … I can only hope that our GM is planting the seeds for several years of this.
Where
Lucky Bar, 1221 Connecticut Avenue, Washington, DC. Telephone: (202) 331-3733.