The Carolina Panthers are all of a sudden facing a potentially serious change of direction: Team owner Jerry Richardson surprisingly announced on Sunday evening that he will be selling the team by the end of the season.
In a statement on Sunday evening, Richardson, who had taken the NFL to Carolina, said:”There was no greater mission and goal in my life than bringing an NFL franchise to Charlotte. The hurdles at that time were enormous, some asked themselves whether our community would support professional football. But I always knew the Carolinas would be up to the task.”
That’s exactly what happened, the team is an integral part of the community and the stadium “in the best condition since the opening. And we played in two Super Bowls. Football is an elementary part of my life, and it is a blessing for me every day to have made the Carolinas my home. I can never repay the kindness and generosity you have shown us.”
Nevertheless, he believes that it is “now” time to hand over the franchise to a new owner. That’s why I put the team up for sale at the end of the season. We will not start any sales process or anything in the direction before the last game is completed. I hope that this organization will keep a clear focus on our mission: to play in the Super Bowl and win it.”
The decision comes as a surprise, according to the Panthers beat writer Jourdan Rodrigue of the Charlotte Observer, the players did not know anything about the plans. However, Richardson has been prominently featured in the past few days with extremely negative headlines: there are investigations against Richardson for alleged sexual harassment in the workplace.