Posted by John Vrooman on Wednesday, May 16, 2018 in National Football League.

Interview with Charlotte Observer. (Sporting News)

-What benefit might David Tepper see in bringing in minority owners if he technically doesn’t need any (financially speaking)?

David Tepper will be certainly more fan friendly and way more accessible to the media than “Mister” Richardson. In terms of the overall Panthers fan experience this should be a positive sum move.

-What you expect to be Tepper’s first items of business with the Panthers?

Tepper will make personnel moves at the appropriate time, but he will probably not micro-manage the clubhouse. He will leave the relatively successful team, GM and coaching staff as it is, and begin to introduce his own inner circle into the front office. It still remains unlikely that the Panthers will be relocated out of Carolina.

-What goes on between when Tepper is approved next week by 3/4 of NFL owners and when the deal closes in July? Could anything unexpected pop up to put a wrinkle in things?

Approval of the NFL “Membership” should be smooth sailing, because Tepper has already been vetted as a minority owner of the Steelers (he will have to sell his minority share.) League familiarity is one of the main reasons why Jerry Richardson chose to take a bargain $2.2 billion price for a $2.5 billion asset.

-What happens with the investigation of Jerry Richardson?

The NFL internal investigation will probably continue until after the sale and then fade quietly, because the reason for the investigation is gone. The other owners would probably not punish the Panthers and their fans for the behavior of the previous owner.

Ironically this is another reason why David Tepper could acquire the $2.5 billion Panthers for the bargain price of $2.2 billion. In the end Richardson’s implicit fine could be reflected in the final price discount of at least $300 million.

What benefit do you think Tepper might see in either keeping old Panthers minority owners or bringing in new ones down the line?

He will probably strike a balance between new and old money to achieve Carolina continuity in a closed League with a younger fan base and rapidly aging ownership.

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