Phantoms should have fan support they deserve for title game

Morning News
Published: July 25, 2008

The Florence Phantoms host the Wyoming Cavalry in the AIFA Championship Bowl II tonight at 7:45 at Florence Civic Center. It will be Florence’s first shot at a professional sports team title since the Blue Jays defeated Greensboro for the South Atlantic League championship in 1985.

In their second year of existence, the Phantoms are 12-4 and have put together a nine-game winning streak to reach the championship game.

While the Phantoms have had great success on the field, they haven’t fared as well in the stands. In an arena that seats 7,600 for football, the Phantoms have averaged 1,900 in attendance.

The largest crowd ever to see a Phantoms game was 2,946 in a win over the Augusta Colts on June 14. In contrast, the Phantoms have played in front of larger crowds on the road while the Cavalry drew nearly 5,000 fans for its Western Conference championship win over Mississippi on July 18.

With about 800 tickets having been distributed for tonight’s game as of Thursday morning, the Phantoms and civic center officials are hoping for a huge walk-up crowd.

Tickets for tonight’s game cost $20, $15, $12 and $10 and can be purchased at the civic center box office, online at http://www.ticketmaster.com or by phone at (843) 679-9333.

As an incentive to purchase tickets, ticket stubs from tonight’s game can be exchanged for $10 off $52 and $37 tickets for Saturday night’s TNA wrestling event at the civic center.

In trying to get fans out to the civic center, the Phantoms have done many things right. They’ve signed players such as former NFL quarterback Omar Jacobs and former Clemson standout Corey Groover. They’ve tailgated with fans. They’ve visited schools and read with students across the Pee Dee. They’ve attended football camps. They’ve visited businesses and made appearances at nonprofit events across the region.

Above all this, the Phantoms have put a winner on the field. And now they’ll try to give the city its first pro franchise championship in more than two decades.

“The fans that have come out for our games have been great,” Phantoms general manager Bennie King was saying last weekend. “… If the fans (who haven’t been to a game) won’t come out and support us with so much on the line (tonight), then they’ll never support this team.”

The Phantoms have shown they can put together a championship-caliber team. Football fans in Florence and the Pee Dee should be thrilled to have the Phantoms here, and they should show their support by filling the stands tonight.