Charles “Big Money” Johnson has irked some Carolina Panthers fans by sporting an Atlanta Falcons hat in a photo with Dan Akroyd. Johnson Tweeted the photo then got into a heated exchange with some of his followers. Click this link to see the photo.

Some Carolina Panthers fans are ticked off that Charles Johnson would wear the hat of a team that beat the Panthers last week. While the Panthers don’t really have a heated rivalry the Falcons ARE a division foe.

Charles Johnson is a Georgia native and almost signed with the Falcons in the offseason before the Carolina Panthers gave him a big contract. Many fans defended Charles Johnson saying his hat just went with his outfit.

WFNZ the premier sports radio station out of Charlotte was alive all day with talk about “Hat Gate”. Some fans cited it as a culture thing and wanting to match his outfit. Some took it as a snub of the Carolina Panthers and their fans.

The fact is fans want players to behave like fans when most players are loyal to their money. However Johnson will be missing some where as a breaking out player he may have been in line for some local endorsement deals. He probably won’t get them now.

As long as Charles Johnson shows up and plays, I don’t care what he wears. I will say that I didn’t see Atlanta native Cam Newton sporting any Falcons gear. Charles Johnson is a good player and I am sure his love of his home state team won’t affect his play for the Carolina Panthers.