Word around the NFL campfire over the last five months indicated outgoing Panthers owner Jerry Richardson was eyeing two things for his exit.
One, he wanted to find a native Carolinian to buy the franchise he founded in 1995. Two, he wanted to fetch somewhere in the $2.6 billion range for this asset that in essence he had to be coerced into selling in the wake of Jon Wertheim’s explosive Dec. 17 story on the workplace environment in Charlotte.
This morning, Richardson finds himself 0-for-2.
Next week in Atlanta, the NFL will approve (it’s a formality) hedge fund manager and Steelers minority owner David Tepper’s purchase of the league’s 29th franchise.