When the Roaring Riot heads to Boston this weekend for a huge game against the New England Patriots, they won’t be heading blindly into enemy territory. They’ll be guided through their weekend in one of the most historic cities in the country by the Bean Town Riot, the Boston chapter of the Panthers fan group.
The Bean Town Riot was founded in 2015 during the Panthers magical run to the Super Bowl by Charles Varne, Ashlyn Rizzo, and Wayne Major after the trio met during the Week 8 victory over the Green Bay Packers; the reason they were all in the same place? They were actually in a Packers bar to watch the game because they knew that the game audio would be on.
When the three Panthers fans put their heads together on how to establish a bar where the Panthers game audio would be one every week, Ashlyn reached out to ‘The Banshee’ in Dorcester, an Irish pub that usually focuses on the other football (you may know it as soccer here in the States), but come Sundays, it’s all about the pigskin. While the bar still attracts Packers and Patriots fans, the Riot crew has a reserved area with sound; I’ve heard the bangers and mash alone are worth making the trip up north.
“Being in the Roaring Riot means finding a new family to be a part of on Sundays. The majority of us that are members here in Boston, have southern roots. It gives us a part of our childhoods back and it gives us a sense of family.”
-Bean Town Riot co-founder Charles Varne
The group has members from as far away as Rhode Island and New Hampshire, so they truly encompass the entire New England region, even though Patriots fans don’t know exactly how to react when they see a crowd full of black-and-blue jerseys, they’re quick to bring up their team’s five rings, but will root for the Panthers on the occasions they’re playing a neutral opponent. While the Panthers may consider the Patriots a rival, the feeling isn’t exactly mutual.
Varne says that had the group not been able to secure a spot at The Banshee, he would have been willing to host watch parties at a slightly more subdued location, his own home. “I reached out [to try and start the chapter] because I am an avid fan and wanted others to watch the game with, to yell at the TV with. to discuss play calling, game strategies,” Varne says. “Come down to the bar, fight the traffic, fight the parking and come have some fun. Most of the members are close enough now that we not only hang out on Sundays, but do other things together.
“Be a part of not just a Panthers Fan Club, but a family away from family.”
