Panthers’ mess creates historic chance
Within hours of the news that embattled Carolina Panthers owner Jerry Richardson was putting his franchise on the market came the declaration from entertainment mogul Diddy.
He wants in on this action.
“I would like to buy @Panthers,” Diddy tweeted Sunday night. “Spread the word. Retweet!”
A follow-up tweet stated: “There are no majority African American NFL owners. Let’s make history.”
Naturally, the tweets went viral, and Diddy fueled much hype. Yet despite his desire to buy the team, the chances are probably better that Cam Newton will complete his next Hail Mary pass.
The NFL’s first African-American owner? Oprah Winfrey, the world’s richest African American, could pull it off. Michael Jordan, who already owns Charlotte’s NBA franchise, could probably nail it. Or another billionaire, tech entrepreneur Robert Smith, could be taken as a serious bidder.
The Panthers, valued by Forbes at $2.3 billion — not to be confused with the eventual (and likely much higher) sale price — might be out of the ballpark for even ultra-successful entrepreneurs such as Diddy, who has an estimated net worth of $820 million, per Forbes.
Besides, typically when people are interested in buying an NFL franchise — which also means being approved to join an exclusive group of partners that clearly could be more culturally diversified — it is pursued in a low-key fashion.
Think of the noise when the Buffalo Bills were up for sale. There was a lot of blabber from Donald Trump and buzz about the bid from a group led by rock star Jon Bon Jovi. Terry Pegula, with the profile of an insurance man, wound up with the team.
Still, the Diddy campaign resonates on the historic scale. While Shad Khan, a Pakistani American, became the first minority NFL owner when he purchased the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2011, the league has yet to have a franchise with an African-American majority owner as it nears its 100th season.
“The historical significance is critical to the future of the NFL,” Kevin Warren, chief operating officer of the Minnesota Vikings, told USA TODAY.
Warren, the highest-ranking AfricanAmerican team executive in the league, had an intimate role during the transactions in 2005 that seemed poised to make history. Then-Vikings owner Red McCombs had a news conference announcing a sale to Reggie Fowler as the first African-American owner. When that deal ultimately fell through, Warren, who was Fowler’s attorney, helped facilitate the sale to Zygi Wilf, Mark Wilf and Lenoard Wilf.
“You think about the positive impact the NFL has had in business and society as a whole,” Warren said, “and having the first African-American general partner would be incredible.”
Doug Williams was the first AfricanAmerican quarterback to win a Super Bowl. Tony Dungy the first AfricanAmerican coach to win a Super Bowl.
An African-American owner in the NFL might draw the same type of reaction that some had when Barack Obama became president — stunned to see it in their lifetime.
“My view has always been one of hope that it will happen,” Pro Football Hall of Fame linebacker Willie Lanier told USA TODAY Sports. “There’s always been dialogue behind the scenes. Anytime there’s an outcome that opens up the possibility, it really allows for ac- tivity to continue that’s already been underway — trying to see who, what, when, where? — for it to occur.”
The NFL’s “Rooney Rule” — it requires teams to interview at least one minority candidate when head coach and general manager jobs open — doesn’t apply to the ownership ranks. Yet the league should see to it that the spirit of the rule is applied as Richardson, who allegedly used a racial slur in addressing a former scout and once ran a company that was engaged in multiple situations that alleged a discriminatory culture, vets bids for his franchise.
Lanier, an executive for a wealth management firm based in Richmond, Va., has a distinct appreciation for the prospect of history. When he broke in with the Kansas City Chiefs in 1967, he became pro football’s first black middle linebacker. In 11 seasons with the Chiefs, there was never a single African American on the coaching staff.
Yet he’s witnessed one milestone after another, with ownership representing the biggest hurdle.
“This is still the continuum in motion,” Lanier said. “There is a reality for this opportunity, but also the reality of the price. The reality is that what Mr. Richardson paid for the team and what it’s worth now are vastly different.”
Richardson and a group of partners paid $206 million for the expansion franchise that began play in 1995. Now it will take at least 10 times that amount to even get into the conversation of buying the team.
One thing for sure: It is not a deal to be struck on Twitter.
“You think about the positive impact the NFL has had in business and society as a whole, and having the first African-American general partner would be incredible.”
Kevin Warren Minnesota Vikings chief operating officer