Revelations, sale stun local fans

CHARLOTTE – From coffee shops to convenience stores to the concrete walkways outside Bank of America Stadium, the city of Charlotte stirred to life Monday morning in a new reality. Jerry Richardson, the man who brought the bright lights and superstar personalities of the National Football League to Charlotte’s front porch, had changed almost overnight from legend to suspect, and the team he birthed two decades ago — despite long odds — now plays against a backdrop of uncertainty. As repercussions of a sensational Sports Illustrated article charging Richardson with workplace misconduct evolved rapidly into his Sunday decision to put the Carolina Panthers up for sale, the cascade of charges and commentary left Charlotte reeling. Monday morning radio shows were afire with both criticism and questions, with callers ranging from those disparaging Richardson to others wondering how such a Carolinas icon could be guilty of the sort of misconduct detailed by SI. And there were questions about the future of the team, one almost certain to make the NFL playoffs: Would the Panthers be in Charlotte long term after the sale? And how would the weekend’s madness (which included, almost as an afterthought, a well-played win over the Green Bay Packers) impact the team’s play in the final two regular-season games and probable playoff activity? “All of it is so hard to believe,” said Panthers fan Becky Sizemore of nearby Huntersville. “We’ve followed this team and Jerry Richardson for so long, and now it all comes to this. I don’t want to believe any of the charges, but if he’s going to sell the team you have to think at least part of it is true. “I’m not sure where we go from here.” That sentiment — mystery and uncertainty — seemed to encapsulate much of the Monday morning feeling in and around Charlotte, a town still relatively new to the intrigues and dramas surrounding the NFL. The Panthers have been to the Super Bowl twice but haven’t brought home the big trophy Richardson promised when he was awarded the franchise in 1993. Now Richardson, 81, is fading. With his decision to sell the team after the season, this will be his last shot at winning the big prize, an effort that obviously will be colored by the revelations of the weekend. Later Monday, it was announced he is stepping away from day-to-day involvement. Fan Vince Sherbert of Charlotte, who attended Sunday’s game, still wore his Panthers jersey Monday morning at a local Starbucks. “Talk about hot and cold,” he said from behind a toasted white chocolate mocha. “We win big yesterday in a great game, and then all this. I just hope they get it all worked out quickly, we get a great new owner in town and keep moving forward. “A lot of fans have invested a lot in this team since the beginning. We deserve the best.” Auto racing speedway owner Bruton Smith and his son, Marcus, of Charlotte have expressed interest in the possibility of buying the team in the past. Through a spokesman, both declined to comment Monday.