OT NFL Carolina owner under fire, announces he'll be selling

[LadyStanley]

Panthers owner Jerry Richardson, under fire for allegations, will sell team

Friday, accused of inappropriate workplace behavior. Sunday, team for sale.


Winds of change gusting hard.

Click to read more...

 

[mouser]

Pretty crazy how fast this situation went from zero to 60.

 

[Sensfan5]

Why can't it be Melnyk?

 

[Melrose Munch]

So when is the Panthers lease up?
St. Louis
San Diego
Oklahoma City
Toronto?

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

Why can't it be Melnyk?

What does that have to with Ottawa?, prevailing sentiments in past cases have been termination or fired

 

[Acesolid]

I think with the bubble of sports teams prices, it might very well be a blessing in disguise for him.

 

[Mightygoose]

So when is the Panthers lease up?
St. Louis
San Diego
Oklahoma City
Toronto?

They're only committed through the 2018 season. Will be interesting to see how soon someone local steps up.

Stadium is 21 years of age which is old in NFL terms.

 

[LadyStanley]

Jerry Richardson’s final act as Panthers owner should honor what he owes Carolinas

Sports Illustrated published an explosive story that alleged all sorts of workplace misconduct by Richardson, the Panthers’ 81-year-old owner. Those allegations included sexual harassment, a racial slur and the owner asking some of his female employees if he could “personally shave their legs.”
...
“I believe that it is time to turn the franchise over to new ownership,” Richardson said in a five-paragraph statement released by the Panthers Sunday night. “Therefore, I will put the team up for sale at the conclusion of this NFL season. We will not begin the sale process, nor will we entertain any inquiries, until the very last game is played.”

And announcement of sale didn't mention allegations, just that statement about timing.

Article/blog calls on Richardson to sell to local owner.


So, that means that there won't be any news for months.

 

[powerstuck]

I think with the bubble of sports teams prices, it might very well be a blessing in disguise for him.

Ya, this thing can't be good for the sale price.

 

[Rob]

Does Quebec City have a football stadium?

 

[HisIceness]

So when is the Panthers lease up?
St. Louis
San Diego
Oklahoma City
Toronto?

Obviously it will be Quebec. Oh wait wrong sport.



They won't move. Charlotte may be a "small market" but the Carolinas have about 15 million people, and since Cam Newton arrived on scene, the team is starting to build a fan base in places like Raleigh, Greensboro, and the Upstate of SC. Beforehand it was rare to see Panthers fans/stuff outside Charlotte, not true anymore. We're also just now starting to see kids who grew up with the Panthers raise their children to become Panthers fans.

 

[Llama19]

Does Quebec City have a football stadium?

Well...they could house arena football...

 

[HisIceness]

They're only committed through the 2018 season. Will be interesting to see how soon someone local steps up.

Stadium is 21 years of age which is old in NFL terms.

Stadium underwent a rather significant renovation a couple of years ago that included new scoreboards which the stadium badly needed. The stadium itself is fine.

 

[cutchemist42]

Honestly I find it interesting how much these claims are hurting different types of people. Actors and owners arent getting away with allegations, while the athletes seem to get away with it with their jobs still intact.

 

[Acesolid]

Honestly I find it interesting how much these claims are hurting different types of people. Actors and owners arent getting away with allegations, while the athletes seem to get away with it with their jobs still intact.

It's the major plus from having a CBA, and a ridiculously agressive union backing you up.

 

[cutchemist42]

It's the major plus from having a CBA, and a ridiculously agressive union backing you up.

I find even in the court of public opinion that Winston and Big Ben PR wise suffered less than some of the actors for comparable stuff. I dont know if its a sports fan thing or not.

I mean, you still had tons of fans defending that Sabres guy for what was obviously driving while influenced.

 

[ponder719]

As much as I'd like to stir the pot with a snarky comment about the London Panthers, there's no way the team leaves the Carolinas. It just makes no sense for that to happen. It'll be interesting to see who steps up to buy them, though.

 

[tony d]

I think they stay in Carolina, good team, plenty of talent, they'll stay there. Be interesting to see who the new owner will be.

 

[Melrose Munch]

As much as I'd like to stir the pot with a snarky comment about the London Panthers, there's no way the team leaves the Carolinas. It just makes no sense for that to happen. It'll be interesting to see who steps up to buy them, though.

Obviously it will be Quebec. Oh wait wrong sport.



They won't move. Charlotte may be a "small market" but the Carolinas have about 15 million people, and since Cam Newton arrived on scene, the team is starting to build a fan base in places like Raleigh, Greensboro, and the Upstate of SC. Beforehand it was rare to see Panthers fans/stuff outside Charlotte, not true anymore. We're also just now starting to see kids who grew up with the Panthers raise their children to become Panthers fans.

we all said this about st.louis...

 

[garnetpalmetto]

With regards to new owner, I've been seeing a lot of discussion about Bruton Smith and his son, Marcus. Smith is the CEO and owner of Speedway Motorsports, Inc., which owns 8 of the tracks NASCAR uses on their top circuit. Smith's worth $1B so he could be the guy, especially if it passes on to Marcus when Bruton (who's 90) dies.

Forbes ran a piece on other potential owners and here's their list of potentials:

Current Members of the Panthers ownership group

• The Belk Family (own 5% of the team, owned the Belk's department store chain until 2015 when they sold it to a private equity firm for $2.7B)
  
• The Levine Family (own 10% of the team, owned Family Dollar chain of discount variety stores until 2015 when they sold it to Dollar Tree for $9.1B)
• Steve and Jerry Wordsworth (own 16% of the team, owned Meadowbrook Meat Company)

Other NC Locals

• Bruton Smith
• Jim Goodnight (co-founder of SAS, based in the Triangle. NC's richest resident at a $9.9B net worth, but in the past has been reluctant to front for owning a sports team)
• John Sall (the other co-foudner of SAS and second-richest man in the state)
• Michael Jordan (retired NBA player and owner of the Charlotte Hornets, worth $1.4B, partial owner of the Miami Marlins (<1% stake)
  
• Joe Gibbs (Retired NFL coach and owner of NASCAR's Joe Gibbs Racing)

NC Outsiders

• Mark Cuban
• Jeff Bezos
• David Tepper (Hedge fund owner, owns 5% stake in the Pittsburgh Steelers)
  
• Jon Bon Jovi (Musician, led a group that bid $1.05B for the Buffalo Bills)

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

With regards to new owner, I've been seeing a lot of discussion about Bruton Smith and his son, Marcus. Smith is the CEO and owner of Speedway Motorsports, Inc., which owns 8 of the tracks NASCAR uses on their top circuit. Smith's worth $1B so he could be the guy, especially if it passes on to Marcus when Bruton (who's 90) dies.

Forbes ran a piece on other potential owners and here's their list of potentials:

Current Members of the Panthers ownership group

• The Belk Family (own 5% of the team, owned the Belk's department store chain until 2015 when they sold it to a private equity firm for $2.7B)
  
• The Levine Family (own 10% of the team, owned Family Dollar chain of discount variety stores until 2015 when they sold it to Dollar Tree for $9.1B)
• Steve and Jerry Wordsworth (own 16% of the team, owned Meadowbrook Meat Company)

Other NC Locals

• Bruton Smith
• Jim Goodnight (co-founder of SAS, based in the Triangle. NC's richest resident at a $9.9B net worth, but in the past has been reluctant to front for owning a sports team)
• John Sall (the other co-foudner of SAS and second-richest man in the state)
• Michael Jordan (retired NBA player and owner of the Charlotte Hornets, worth $1.4B, partial owner of the Miami Marlins (<1% stake)
  
• Joe Gibbs (Retired NFL coach and owner of NASCAR's Joe Gibbs Racing)

NC Outsiders

• Mark Cuban
• Jeff Bezos
• David Tepper (Hedge fund owner, owns 5% stake in the Pittsburgh Steelers)
  
• Jon Bon Jovi (Musician, led a group that bid $1.05B for the Buffalo Bills)

i REALLY don't see SMI, JBJ OR Joe wanting in, on JGR, right now JD Gibbs isn't exactly 100%

 

[garnetpalmetto]

i REALLY don't see SMI, JBJ OR Joe wanting in, on JGR, right now JD Gibbs isn't exactly 100%

Forbes disagrees with you. As for the Smiths, Marcus just last year said

"Would we be interested? Yeah. It would be an incredible opportunity and such a neat opportunity and property for anybody to be able to shepherd into the future,”

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

Forbes disagrees with you. As for the Smiths, Marcus just last year said

and since when does Forbes get into club ownership? if they're smart why don't they buy them

 

[HollaHaula]

Peter Karmanos Jr., come on down!

 

[garnetpalmetto]

and since when does Forbes get into club ownership? if they're smart why don't they buy them

I literally have no idea what you're asking here. I'm posting who Forbes posits could/would be in a position to buy the team based on who has current ties with the team, NC locals with the financial wherewithal, interest, and/or background, and outsiders with the financial wherewithal, interest, and/or background. Nowhere is Forbes saying that they themselves are interested in buying the team. Forbes covers business and the Panthers are a business they estimate to be worth around $1.5B so of course they'd cover the sale of that business. It's just speculation, no more, no less, but it's the most interesting speculation I've seen thus far, thus, fuel for debate.