If a middle initial in your name does, in fact, make you classier, Stanley C. Panther, the mascot for the Florida Panthers, is the classiest cat you'll ever meet. As he works the crowds at BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise with his permanently wide eyes and frozen grin, he's the silent type. He lets his six-foot-six (on skates) frame, furry brown coat, and Panthers sweater do the talking for him. And whatever he's doing, it seems to be working at least a little bit: though the Panthers didn't make the playoffs, they were the only major pro franchise from South Florida that didn't finish dead last this year. Now Stanley opens up to New Times about what it's like to stalk the arena every night and his thoughts on the rough times sports fans have had recently.
NT: You're constantly interacting with South Florida sports fans; how would you describe them overall?
South Florida sports fans are by far the best in the business! I've visited many other cities in my travels and I can honestly say that no one holds a candle to our fans! Though not all South Florida sports fans are native Floridians, it is quite comforting knowing that those who truly are diehard fans would stop at nothing to show their support. As for the folks who put on that "other jersey" once or twice a year... no comment.
Do you have a favorite B-movie or horror movie or sci-fi flick?
I must say that being from the Everglades, SuperCroc was quite the thriller!
Do you have any guilty pleasure movies?
The movie Zoolander never gets old... plus, I can relate to being "Really, really, ridiculously good-looking!"
And finally, Stanley, if you were to star in a B-movie, what would it be about, and what would it be called?
It would probably be in the form of an independent documentary that chronicles my daily activity in a single week. Due to my demanding work schedule, I would foresee it being a three-part series comparable to the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Star Wars, and The Godfather...only better.
