Panthers owner to sell team at season’s end

Things have been going well on the field for owner Jerry Richardson’s Carolina Panthers.

Now 10-2 and second in the NFC South Division after holding on against the Green Bay Packers 31-24 at home in Charlotte, North Carolina, the Panthers are tied with the New Orleans Saints for the division lead and first-round bye in the upcoming play-offs.

To say that off the field things have not been so good is an understatement.

Richardson, who has been accused of workplace sexual misconduct, announced that he has decided to sell the team, who along with the NFL are investigating the allegations. “I believe that it is time to turn the franchise over to new ownership,” Richardson said in a statement on the team’s website.

Reuters reported that rap star Sean “Diddy” Combs and Stephen Curry of the NBA’s Golden State Warriors expressed interest in buying the Panthers within hours of the news breaking.

“I will be the best NFL owner that you can imagine,” Reuters reported Combs stating in a video posted on Instagram.

US business and finance magazine Forbes has estimated Combs worth to be US$820 million (Dh3bn).

Reuters also reported that Charlotte-raised Curry replied: “I want in” to a Twitter post by Combs reiterating his interest in purchasing the NFL team.

Elsewhere around the league on Sunday, the New England Patriots defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 27-24 in a meeting of two potential play-off rivals.

After a potential go-ahead score had been overturned, there was confusion on the Steelers’ final possession where quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, with 15 seconds left, faked a clock-stopping spike, looked to the back-corner of the end zone but then forced a pass over the middle that was intercepted.

Roethlisberger stated on NFL.com that he wanted to spike the ball to gather the team but offensive coordinator Todd Haley signalled in to go for the score right then.

The Steelers at least have an extra day to recover as they travel to Houston to face the Texans on December 25 in the league’s penultimate week.