John Isner's love for Carolina Panthers has spread to the tennis community

John Isner does his best Cam Newton impression. (Mark Dadswell/Getty Images) Somewhere along the way, the Carolina Panthers became the unofficial NFL team of
John Isner's love for Carolina Panthers has spread to the tennis community
John Isner's love for Carolina Panthers has spread to the tennis community /

John Isner does his best Cam Newton impression. (Mark Dadswell/Getty Images)

John Isner does his best Cam Newton impression. (Mark Dadswell/Getty Images)

Somewhere along the way, the Carolina Panthers became the unofficial NFL team of the tennis community.

Some of this can be traced to John Isner. The Greensboro, N.C. native invited Panthers' wide receiver Steve Smith to sit in his box during the 2010 Australian Open, and Smith returned the favor, inviting Isner to a Panthers practice. And based on this tweet, it sounds like Isner was in Smith's box for the Panthers' game against the New England Patriots on Monday Night Football Nov. 18.

Isner's contagious enthusiasm for the Panthers have paid off in the locker room, as both Juan Monaco and Laura Robson tweeted their support as the Panthers pulled off the upset over Tom Brady and the Patriots. An Argentine and Brit waking up the neighbors over Carolina football? As Bethanie Mattek-Sands rightfully points out, it's a bit odd.

https://twitter.com/picomonaco/status/402652137538473984

https://twitter.com/laurarobson5/status/402618696931504128

https://twitter.com/picomonaco/status/402652327368466433

https://twitter.com/laurarobson5/status/402652551604371456

https://twitter.com/BMATTEK/status/402701400909418497

https://twitter.com/laurarobson5/status/402859052637896704

Laura Robson has a Cam Newton jersey? Who knew.


Published
Courtney Nguyen
COURTNEY NGUYEN

Contributor, SI.com Nguyen is a freelance writer for SI.com, providing full coverage of professional tennis both on and off the court. Her content has become a must-read for fans and insiders to stay up-to-date with a sport that rarely rests. She has appeared on radio and TV talk shows all over the world and is one of the co-hosts of No Challenges Remaining, a weekly podcast available on iTunes. Nguyen graduated from the University of California, Irvine in 1999 and received a law degree from the University of California, Davis in 2002. She lives in the Bay Area.