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He Never Missed A Carolina Panthers Home Game In 23 Years. Remembering Catman.

Greg "Catman" Good
The Good Family
Greg "Catman" Good

For over two decades Greg Good, affectionately known as “Catman,” never missed a Carolina Panthers home game. Catman died last week, leaving a void at the Panthers' stadium and a legacy as a true Panthers superfan.  

His electric blue wig, elaborate Panthers inspired outfits and dance moves garnered him local and national attention. In 2015, he got inducted into the NFL hall of fame as a superfan.

“Catman has changed my life because I have new responsibilities. Spiderman coined the phrase I live it," he told the NFL. "With great power comes great responsibility. Fans give me kudos, they give me love and then I’m responsible to give that love back to every fan that I meet.” 

Catman drove 90 minutes from his hometown of Winston Salem to uptown Charlotte since its inaugural season in 1995 to cheer on what he called the “home team.” In 2017, Catman fell ill and wasn't able to take his usual place at Bank of America Stadium. A week ago Catman died at the age of 62 due to congestive heart failure.

Scott Fowler, sports columnist for the Charlotte Observer remembers what Catman meant to a city often criticized for having fairweather fans.

“Sometimes fans will show up when the team is winning and absolutely just won't when they're not. Catman would be on the absolute extreme edge of the passionate Carolina Panthers fan," he said.

"The 99.9 percentile, which there are others, not just him, but there are not many who've done it for 20 some-odd years, every home game, rain or shine, win or lose, 2 - 14, 1 - 15, or the Superbowl season, all of that. He did it all.”

Fowler says Catman was a local celebrity who used his larger than life superfan persona for good.

“He very much liked the attention that it brought. And he was very giving, I suppose, of his time and people wanted to come up and take pictures with him. And he loved that," he said.

"He was a social worker by trade, and kind of helped trouble youth and stuff that was sort of his passion as a job, but his passion for life with what he did with his spare time and spare money was really the Carolina Panthers." 

Catman’s son Greg Good Jr. is known as Catman Jr. a name he wears proudly. He told WFAE this week that he plans to continue what his father started. 

“I know I’m going to do my part in keeping his legacy alive. I plan on dressing up just like him, not missing a game just like him, leaving my voice on the field, go home with it hoarse every day after each game just like him.”

Funeral services for Greg “Catman” Good are this Sunday at Christ Kingdom Building Worship Center in Winston Salem. And yes, Panthers fans are welcome. 

Sarafina Wright is the "All Things Considered" producer for WFAE 90.7 Charlotte’s NPR Source. Before coming to WFAE, she worked as a political correspondent for EBONY.com, staff writer at the Washington Informer and editor-in-chief of the WI Bridge in Washington, DC. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism from Howard University. When she's not writing professionally, Sarafina can be found blogging at www.sarafinasaid.com or hanging out with her book club, Charlotte West.