Panthers leaving Charlotte?

Jerry Richardson says he’s not leaving. Well Mr. & Mrs. Richardson aren’t gonna life forever, & they’re dueling sons would have to sell most of the team to pay the inheritance tax. The new owner might well go to LA.

I would think of MLS more in the Raleigh area.

No one even knows who it will be left to. It would be awesome if it was left to the fans and operated like GB.

SD is the obvious choice at this point. California doesn’t need 4 teams when at one point, none of the current the current could sell out a game.

Jerry’s sons are going to get the team, but remember, they’ll only own something like 51% of the team. Jerry Richardson is not even close to the sole owner of the team.

The Redskins were supposed to go to Jack Kent Cooke’s son, but that didn’t work out either when he couldn’t come up with the necessary cash. I can’t remember the problem he ran into, but eventually the league sided with Daniel Snyder.

I am sure The Big Cat has a legit succession plan in place, but things can get sticky. He says he has an heir, wouldn’t provide any details and has shown that he and his sons have had a difference in philosophy in the past. In the end I think you are right the sons will get the team and things will just keep going, but who knows what may happen.

The Redskins were supposed to go to Jack Kent Cooke’s son, but that didn’t work out either when he couldn’t come up with the necessary cash. I can’t remember the problem he ran into, but eventually the league sided with Daniel Snyder.

I am sure The Big Cat has a legit succession plan in place, but things can get sticky. He says he has an heir, wouldn’t provide any details and has shown that he and his sons have had a difference in philosophy in the past. In the end I think you are right the sons will get the team and things will just keep going, but who knows what may happen.[/quote]I know he teamed up with McColl on the 49ers stadium. Was that just names on the checks or is there a relationship between the two?

The Redskins were supposed to go to Jack Kent Cooke’s son, but that didn’t work out either when he couldn’t come up with the necessary cash. I can’t remember the problem he ran into, but eventually the league sided with Daniel Snyder.

I am sure The Big Cat has a legit succession plan in place, but things can get sticky. He says he has an heir, wouldn’t provide any details and has shown that he and his sons have had a difference in philosophy in the past. In the end I think you are right the sons will get the team and things will just keep going, but who knows what may happen.[/quote]I know he teamed up with McColl on the 49ers stadium. Was that just names on the checks or is there a relationship between the two?[/quote]McColl helped devise the PSL financing plan and I believe he may own a part of the team, but I’m not certain.

This is the original group of owners:

  • Jerry Richardson, Spartanburg, S.C., (then) chairman and chief executive officer, Flagstar Companies, Inc.
  • John Belk, Charlotte, chairman, Belk Stores Services, Inc., the largest retailer in North Carolina and South Carolina.
  • Tom Belk, Charlotte, president, Belk Stores Services, Inc.
  • H.C. ``Smoky’’ Bissell, Charlotte, chairman and chief executive officer, The Bissell Companies (commercial real estate development).
  • Erskine Bowles, Charlotte, president, Bowles, Hollowell, Conner & Co., investment banking firm; administrator, Small Business Administration.
  • Derick Close, Fort Mill, S.C., national sales manager, Wamsutta, a division of Springs Industries.
  • Elliott Close, Fort Mill, S.C., owner, The Lake Club, real estate development.
  • Cameron Harris, Charlotte, president, Cameron M. Harris Insurance Co.
  • John W. Harris, Charlotte, president, The Harris Group, commercial real estate services.
  • Donald Keough, New York, former president and chief operating officer, The Coca-Cola Company; chairman, Allen & Co., Inc., investment banking company.
  • Leon Levine, Charlotte, chairman and chief executive officer and director, Family Dollar Stores, more than 2,000 retail outlets in 33 states.
  • Richard Loughlin, Newport Beach, Calif., president and chief executive officer, Century 21 real estate corporation.
  • William Simms, Charlotte, president, reinsurance division of Transamerica Life Companies.
  • Jerry Wordsworth, Rocky Mount, N.C., chairman and chief executive officer, MBM Distributing Corp., food distribution.
  • Steve Wordsworth, Rocky Mount, N.C., executive vice president and treasurer, MBM Distributing Corp., nation’s largest privately held food distribution company.

I don’t know who still has ownership. As you can see though, this is a group of owners with STRONG ties to Charlotte.

They’re not going anywhere.