SPARTANBURG, S.C. -- A couple of weeks ago, Carolina Panthers kicker Graham Gano received a curious package at his home with a T-shirt and sticker inside. He wasn’t sure what any of it meant. Naturally, he tweeted out photos.
This shirt & sticker showed up on my doorstep tonight. Does anyone know what this is all about? ???? @Panthers @CMcCaffrey5 @@Jonathanstewar1 pic.twitter.com/UC93kIFJTG
— Graham Gano (@GrahamGano) July 11, 2017
A few days later, the Panthers released a training camp promotional video that explained what it all meant.
Wofford is coming.
No, not winter. Wofford. As in Wofford College in Spartanburg, South Carolina, the site of Panthers' training camp.
"Game of Thrones" fans will appreciate the sweeping video, which features stretching views of Bank of America Stadium, an unidentified man on a horse in a field and powerful words from a deep baritone with a vaguely British accent:
"If the walls of this house could speak, they'd tell you a storm is coming," the man declares. "Enemies at all gates, standing in the way of the rightful kings of the South. But before the winter, before the storm, Wofford is coming."
#WoffordIsComing pic.twitter.com/bEFv3MWrgb
— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) July 13, 2017
Players weren't sure what else the theme would entail, but center Ryan Kalil, an avid fan of the HBO show, thinks the Panthers plotline already is eerily similar to the storyline of "Game of Thrones," with the firing of general manager Dave Gettleman last week.
"We've obviously taken it too literal with offing major characters," he said.
Rookie linebacker Ben Boulware sported his "Wofford is Coming" T-shirt as he checked in upon arrival at training camp Tuesday morning. At first glance, the logo on front appears to be an alien, but closer inspection shows that it’s a shield with two Panthers facing off.
Panthers cornerback Daryl Worley was just as perplexed as Gano when he saw all the “Game of Thrones” references. He admitted he's not a fan of the show -- "I'm a 'Power' fan," he said -- though he appreciates the effort.
"I was confused on what was going on with the 'Wofford is coming' thing," Worley said. "I didn’t know what was going on. It’s definitely fun; it’s a great theme."
