ORLANDO, Fla. -- Tina Becker walks the halls at the Ritz-Carlton conference center like she has during other NFL owners meetings the past few years, only it's different now that she is the chief operating officer of the Carolina Panthers.
Formerly executive director of the office of team owner Jerry Richardson, she is in this position because Richardson needed someone to assume the day-to-day operations when the NFL began investigating him in December for allegations of sexual and racial workplace misconduct.
Becker is no longer invisible to reporters seeking daily comments on votes and league issues.