Charlotte FC: Home of the freshly minted king of mascots | OneFootball

By J. Sam Jones

Who is Sir Minty?

Friend? Overzealous Charlotte FC supporter? Soccerball royalty from another dimension’s soccer-based kingdom banished to our realm who’s taken the only work he reasonably can as he grapples with the reality that, with each passing day, finding a way home becomes a little less likely?

Well, folks, we sat down with His Royal Roundness for an exclusive interview to find out all the details.

He…he just stared at us. We found out nothing.

At the end of the interview, he smiled, we shook hands, he slipped me a $5 gift card to Bojangles — which we did accept and use — and he stared at us until we left him to do his kingly duties, which were described to us by a source close to Minty as “critical.” As the door closed behind us, the faint sounds of the "Frasier" theme song began.

At least that’s how we imagined it would go. The High King of Kicking Things doesn’t do interviews. But he does do public appearances. That includes matches, birthdays, after-school reading programs, charity golf tournaments, and weddings. Yes, weddings.

Fan favorite

Since first revealing his presence to the world in March of 2022, the Monarch of Mint has become a mainstay in Charlotte. And, despite having a system of government led by a single undemocratically elected entity thrust upon them, Charlotte FC fans seem to have embraced him.

Tifos, memes, a social media campaign to free Sir Minty from captivity, they’ve all become a critical part of the Mintyverse. You’ll even find Charlotte FC supporters donning replicas of the cape worn by their steely-eyed leader.

It all started before Charlotte’s inaugural match. While the Emperor of Uptown’s origins are unknown, through extensive research, we can pinpoint the exact moment Minty entered the mainstream. At a pre-match event, a former NCAA Division III soccer player named Tom Bogert posted a picture of Sir Minty on social media. He captioned the post with a declaration: “there is a soccer ball with a crown, a cape and little hands here. It’s officially a party.”

Little is known about Bogert beyond this post. However, his Kean University athletic department biography states that, if he had a time machine, he’d go back to 1776 to see the founding fathers sign the Declaration of Independence. Little did he know, years later, he’d be a part of a Declaration of Dependence to a new soccer ball king and his ability to determine the official start times of parties. Bogert has since remained one of Minty’s most vocal supporters.

After extensive background research, we tracked down Bogert, now in rural New Jersey, to offer his thoughts on why Sir Minty made an instant impact on the people of Charlotte and the world at-large.

“I love Sir Minty for…well, it was love at first sight,” Bogert said (no, seriously, this is real). “What a fun and unique mascot. I was all in immediately, and then just watch how he interacts with the fans, with everyone. It reminds us to smile, laugh and not be too serious all the time. It is a game, after all.

“I think people love him for similar reasons to me; he’s just fun and unique. And then the lore builds on itself. He’s an icon now.”

Makings of an icon

You don’t become an icon without putting in the work. The typical Minty matchday begins with his arrival to Bank of America Stadium at noon. After lengthy production meetings and prop setup for the day's events, he begins to get into a matchday mindset around 4:30 pm. This process is a highly guarded secret, but sources far from the subject have indicated it involves meditation and repeat listens to the chorus of “Wake Me Up” by Evanescence.

At 5 pm, he’s ready to greet his subjects. Sir Minty makes his way through the concourses and suites, taking pictures, signing autographs and engaging in spirited but respectful debates. After, it’s time to move to the field. This is where the opposing team gets their first look at Minty. Some handle it better than others. Most, as of late, have crumbled.

Charlotte enter tonight’s matchup with Inter Miami CF (7:30 pm ET | MLS Season Pass) on an eight-match winning streak in league play. A win would tie Charlotte for the longest winning streak in MLS history.

His night won’t stop when the full-time whistle blows, though. Following a win, the Kaiser of the Carolinas grabs a victory flag and waves it for his people. He makes sure to thank the most important members of his kingdom.

He’ll even accent a big win with one last parting memory for the opposing team. That includes tonight’s opponent.

Mascot of the people

From there, Sir Minty keeps working. Life as a royal is a full-time job. He spends the week making appearances wherever he’s needed.

However, he can’t be in two places at once. There are times when you, dear reader, might need the Tsar of the Land of NASCAR.

Even if you’re thinking, “What is any of this? It’s just a soccer ball with hands? Kind of feels like they just needed a mascot for kids events and kept it as simple as possible without really thinking about it and lucked into this becoming a whole deal because some media folks thought it was funny and because he’s such a stock model that people can turn him into anything they want him to be kind of like how Hello Kitty got popular because the cat has no mouth and therefore no expression?”

Sir Minty is still there for you when you need him.

Just look to the stars.