After numerous Carolina Panthers head coaches complaining for more than two decades about not having an indoor practice facility, the team can finally do their drills without having to worry about what the weather is like.
For the first time ever, the Panthers practiced inside a large bubble on Monday to keep them protected from the elements outside.
Previous team owner Jerry Richardson never truly considered building an indoor practice facility.
So, whenever there was inclement weather, the team was forced to travel a few blocks from Bank of America Stadium and practice inside the Crown Ballroom at the Charlotte Convention Center.
The carpeted ballroom is vast at 40,289 square feet but has a ceiling that’s only 29 feet high. After practice, the players would have to bus back to the stadium so they could shower and change out of their practice gear.
It wasn’t exactly convenient or efficient.
But thanks to new owner David Tepper, who spent an estimated $1 million to build the new covered practice area, the team can get much-needed relief from the outdoors without having to practice like a high school team that’s using the school’s gym.
“It did (seem ridiculous), but we were just dealing with the circumstances that were present at the time and that was the best we could do,” star tight end Greg Olsen said. “But now to have this during the season is big. …
“I just think there’s going to be a ton of benefit to a facility like this.”
The practice field is inside a large bubble-type structure. It is 60 yards long, with another 10 yards for the endzone. The roof of the bubble isn’t large enough for punters or placekickers to kick, but it’s good for everything else the players need to do.
The only real downside is that it’s narrow on the sidelines, so it can get a little cramped, especially before the team trims down to its 53-man roster in two weeks.
“I thought it went pretty well,” head coach Ron Rivera said. “We’re just getting used to how tight it is. We do have a 90-man roster now, and that makes things a little tighter. …
“They’ll get used to (being indoors) very quickly. This gives us a good alternative when it’s blazing hot like it is right now.”
Long gone are the days of practicing twice a day and hitting and tackling on a regular basis. Coaches used to punish players by withholding water breaks and would make players take salt tablets to keep from cramping.
Now, practices are shorter and there’s not much hitting, especially to the star players. Teams now only practice once a day and now get regular days off during training camp.
It’s certainly different from when Rivera was on the Super Bowl-winning Chicago Bears in the mid-1980s.
“Back then, we didn’t have a bubble,” Rivera said. “Back then, there was a lot more practice time in terms of two-a-days. There was a lot more in pads. The whole attitude has changed. But I think the attitude for the players have changed, too.
“You’ve got to give these guys credit. I would say 90 percent of your roster, you may have six or seven guys show up that aren’t in shape. When you’ve got that many guys that show up in shape, it’s really about maintenance now and making sure they’re developing their craft. Training camp’s not to get in shape anymore. Training camp is really to develop what you have. And what you don’t want to do more than anything else is put these guys at risk.”
Olsen doesn’t want to hear about the tough old days. He’s perfectly content practicing in air conditioning.
“It’s a nice relief from being outside,” he said. “It was nice to get in a little change of scenery. … It was a nice change of pace.”