Source: Kevin Mazur / Getty
In case you missed it, the recent wave of accusations of sexual misconduct has now reached the NFL. This has left the gates open for prospective buyers like Sean “Diddy” Combs.
The Carolina Panthers’ owner, Jerry Richardson, has been accused of committing acts of sexual harassment dating back to 1993, during his tenure as owner. The Panthers launched an investigation over “allegations of work misconduct,” and the NFL has since taken over.
Sports Illustrated released a corresponding story where at least four unnamed sources reveal that they had received cash payoffs from the organization or Richardson himself in exchange “for what amounted to a vow of silence.” Richardson later announced that he’s selling the team amid the scandal. “I believe that it is time to turn the franchise over to new ownership,” the former owner would say in a statement. “Therefore, I will put the team up for sale at the conclusion of this NFL season. We will not begin the sale process, nor will we entertain any inquiries, until the very last game is played.”
https://twitter.com/Diddy/status/942572662311841797
Combs has publicly declared his interest in purchasing the franchise. He sent a barrage of tweets telling the world that he’s open to becoming the first Black majority owner of an NFL franchise. According to Forbes, the Carolina Panthers franchise is worth an estimated $2.3 billion, which is a sizable increase from the $206 million Richardson and investors paid back in 1996.
Combs also stated that if he were to buy the Panthers, he would sign Colin Kaepernick to the roster, and give him a chance to compete for the starting quarterback position against former NFL MVP Cam Newton. Kaepernick later turned things up in support of Diddy’s venture into NFL ownership by asking to be a part of the group in buying the team, alongside NBA superstar Stephen Curry.
As Richardson stated, the Panthers aren’t officially up for sale yet, and the process to find new ownership wouldn’t start until the conclusion of this NFL season, so we are waiting to find out if Combs will put his money where his tweets are.
