When will "Mister" speak?

[Cookie Lyon]

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Jerry Richardson has held one press conference in a dozen years. He’s granted a handful of interviews in the past five or so years to some of his preferred reporters, but that’s all.

He took no questions here in Charlotte four years ago when he wanted $87.5 million in taxpayer money for renovations to his stadium, in exchange for a six-year tether to the city. In fact, even the meeting with the city council was closed to the public. From serious events such as Greg Hardy being placed on the commissioner’s exempt list for his domestic violence conviction to celebratory issues like Cam Newton becoming the highest-paid player in franchise history, to the strange firing of successful general manager Dave Gettleman just before the start of training camp, Richardson has not made himself available.

 

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As the story loomed, coach Ron Rivera’s idea for his players to speak only about their personal knowledge and relationship with Richardson made sense. They knew the story was coming but didn’t know the details (especially after the SI story dropped minutes before kickoff in Week 15) and wouldn’t be in a position to talk intelligently about it.

But more and more, Panthers players are being hung out to dry, left to answer somehow for their boss’s alleged misdeeds. Newton, while saying he takes sexual assault allegations very seriously, said these are “just allegations” and related them back to the pay-for-play scheme he was embroiled in with the NCAA in 2010. Linebacker Luke Kuechly said it would be fitting for the Panthers to send Richardson out with a Super Bowl victory.

And after Sunday’s win against Tampa Bay, Rivera broke down the postgame huddle with this:

“Everything we do is about team. The most important thing is about team, OK? All right, do me a favor… ‘Mr. Richardson’ on three. 1-2-3!”

The players shouted back: “Mr. Richardson!”

In that moment, everyone now became ensnared in the story. Football is the ultimate team game, so how could an individual abstain in that moment if he wished? Did everyone in that room want to win for Richardson? Is everyone comfortable with what they’ve read? Has everyone had a full reckoning of the allegations, compared to their experiences with the owner?

For the sake of his employees, his players and those close to him, the only fair thing for Richardson to do is speak up again, and tell us how he really feels.

https://www.si.com/nfl/2017/12/28/jerry-richardson-carolina-panthers-sexual-racial-misconduct-allegations

Great read by Jonathan Jones. I agree that JR should say something. It's not fair to the coaches and players that they keep getting asked about this while JR remains silent.

Thoughts?

[CRA]

I don't think he will speak.  He basically already did speak....by self administering the harshest punishment the NFL could of done. 

[Swaggasaurus]

Any comments would only fuel the fire and make more controversy. What the media wants, not what the Panthers need.

[OriginalPantherDan]

JR will leave quietly, just as he owned the team quietly. That is all. 

[Paa Langfart]

Only someone from the facebook and twitter era would think that someone under investigation should go to the media and start blabbing mea culpa's or what ever.

[dldove77]

Typical of the pompous media, thinking he owes them an explanation, but disguising their wants as what is owed to the team, fans, and staff. 

Richardson owes me nothing.

[fjblair]

Mister is not going to speak, nor does he need to do so. He's selling the team and there two investigations. What else do you want to know? The players and coaches can't answer anything, nor should they be expected to do so. fug the media.

[Growl]

This reeks of SI trying to frustratingly bring this story back into the fold. They really thought that they had something which was going to be the beginning of an avalanche of stories they could take all the credit for.

 

Instead Richardson quietly did the right thing to do for the good of the team and the story has gone away. SI obviously doesn't have any regard for the good of the team and would probably like to see them fail so they could play it up as a "result of the distraction" that the "evil"rich man brought about and they could gloat about.

 

The story is over, the Panthers don't care, and the best thing you could do as a fan is side with your team and let this stuff fall away rather than the power hungry, political, press.

[Mr. Scot]

Never gonna happen.

Richardson hardly ever spoke even when things were going well. Hard to imagine he'd do it now.

[MikeD83]

Selling the team speaks for itself. There is nothing JR could say to make the situation better. If he apologized, most who are upset  with him would refuse to accept. He messed up, and in return is voluntarily giving up his business without fuss or fight. He is an old man, who will live out the rest of his life quietly and out of the spotlight. The next time you will likely hear his name after all of this mess is over with is when he passes. 

[dldove77]

This, from SI's Extra Mustard on the Monday after the story broke, pretty much sums up how I perceive the media feels about this story: 

"I had no idea SI was working on this big expose of Panthers owner Jerry Richardson, but we got him pretty good with this report of his sexual misconduct and it looks like he's going to sell the team."

"We got him pretty good."

Not, 'This is a story that deserves to be told to help prevent future victims of sexual harassment in the workplace.'

Not, 'This story deserved to be heard, rather than swept under the rug after a payout and NDA so that it won't happen again in the future.'

No, straight from an SI writer: "We got him pretty good."

Excuse me if I don't find their motives sincere. 

[t96]

JR isn't retarded. Nobody in his situation should ever open their mouth publicly until it's resolved.

[t96]

1 minute ago, dldove77 said:

This, from SI's Extra Mustard on the Monday after the story broke, pretty much sums up how I perceive the media feels about this story: 

"I had no idea SI was working on this big expose of Panthers owner Jerry Richardson, but we got him pretty good with this report of his sexual misconduct and it looks like he's going to sell the team."

"We got him pretty good."

Not, 'This is a story that deserves to be told to help prevent future victims of sexual harassment in the workplace.'

Not, 'This story deserved to be heard, rather than swept under the rug after a payout and NDA so that it won't happen again in the future.'

No, straight from an SI writer: "We got him pretty good."

Excuse me if I don't find their motives sincere. 

It's quite ironic too considering how much money SI makes objectifying women.

[Delhommey]

JR last held a press conference cause he got his pride hurt after people rightfully called him cheap for tanking a season. Unfortunately he also handed out stupid massive contracts to those he considered loyal which put the team through cap hell which kept us from another couple of winning seasons.

I'd just assume he keeps his old wrinkly jowls shut and fade into the background so we don't have to give up years of winning Panthers football to assauge his fragile ego.