ESPN: Where Panthers sale stands. (Updates, some out)

[GRWatcher]

Some updated news about potential owners to share & where the process stands. From 8:00 am this morning. Pretty good read. Some excerpts.

http://www.espn.com/blog/carolina-panthers/post/_/id/29281/steelers-minority-owner-so-far-leads-short-list-of-potential-bidders-for-panthers

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We don't know when the purchase will be completed, though nothing appears imminent. The bidding process, which league sources say hasn't officially begun, could take months. Sources tell ESPN that the bidding likely will begin in March and could conclude by the May 21-23 spring meeting in Atlanta.

Richardson can accept or reject any bid, and the process could take several rounds of counter-bids before both sides reach an agreeable price.

Then three-quarters of the 32 owners must approve the sale, and that occurs after approval by the league's finance committee.

The spring meetings might be an optimistic timeline for approval.

Ha! I said so: Spring meeting in Atlanta on May 21st. Also guessed that the discovery period wasn't ended and bidding had not begun. 

I also said to not believe anything about potential owners until the final bidding begins. And to support that statement:

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Some of the potential bidders for the Panthers have already taken themselves out of the equation. That is the case for Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta, the brothers who owned 80 percent of the Ultimate Fighting Championship before it was sold for $4 billion a year and a half ago.

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Several high-profile NASCAR drivers, including seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson, Kyle Busch, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jeff Gordon, reportedly have expressed interest in being minority owners with a group headed by Felix Sabates, who does not have the capital to be the primary investor.

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The same goes for two-time NBA MVP Stephen Curry, a Charlotte native, who has expressed interest along with rap star Sean "P. Diddy" Combs in becoming a minority owner.

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Speedway Motorsports founder Bruton Smith and his son, SMI president and COO Marcus Smith, have said in the past that they were interested in purchasing the team and have done initial research into what it would take. They don't appear to have the capital to be the majority owner.

Honest, I did not have anything to do with writing this article. But I should be paid just the same .........

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Often in the sale of an NFL franchise, the names of potential owners don't become known until the bids are in or the sale is close to complete. That means there could be other potential bidders out there.

 

[Mr. Scot]

Rodrigue had said a week or so ago that the Fertitta brothers were probably out. Sounds like that's confirmed now.

I know a lot of NASCAR fans would be happy to hear that Smith is apparently not involved. Though the rumor that Brian France might be Sabates' majority owner probably doesn't go over that well either.

[bababoey]

From what I had read before I thought Navarro was the lead guy in the Sabates group that all the Nascar guys are trying to join.  But there are so many groups and it is such a fluid situation it is hard to keep up with it all.

[Mr. Scot]

2 minutes ago, bababoey said:

From what I had read before I thought Navarro was the lead guy in the Sabates group that all the Nascar guys are trying to join.  But there are so many groups and it is such a fluid situation it is hard to keep up with it all.

Navarro doesn't really need a group.

A while back, someone reported that Sabates' lead guy was Brian France. That's never been confirmed, but given the involvement and interest of all the NASCAR guys, it would kind of make sense.

[Mr. Scot]

The article supports what a lot of us thought. Specifically, that barring any other big money names emerging it's probably going to come down to Navarro versus Tepper.

Tepper has the ability to outbid Navarro by a significant amount and likely has the favor of the NFL, but Navarro might have the favor of Jerry Richardson because he's from the Carolinas.

As to the time frame, May would put it fairly close to the same length of time as it took the Bills sale to be completed.

[KBRed]

Thoughts on Jerry slow playing this sale to hold on to the team longer?

[Jon Snow]

1 minute ago, KBRed said:

Thoughts on Jerry slow playing this sale to hold on to the team longer?

He will hold on as long as his can.  This is his legacy we're talking about.  But he will unfortunately be remembered for the reason he had to sell the team more than him getting the team in the first place.

[Toker Smurf]

Unless it's changed since (this is from January 4th), it doesn't seem to be France.

“NASCAR denies the accuracy of the WCNC report. Brian France is not involved,” the stock-car circuit said in a statement to NBC Sports.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/early-lead/wp/2018/01/04/nascar-denies-that-ceo-brian-france-wants-to-buy-the-carolina-panthers/?utm_term=.1a09832833a2

[NcPsa10]

Seems like old news to me , nothing we haven't heard 100x already ..More-less" David Tepper and S Ben Navarro are  the only "real bidders" involved in the sale of the Carolina Panthers at this time.

[Mr. Scot]

28 minutes ago, KBRed said:

Thoughts on Jerry slow playing this sale to hold on to the team longer?

Richardson is limited in what he can do right now because the actual sale process is in the hands of the lawyers. He won't really be directly involved until the time comes for bids to be presented to him.

If he were to try to drag things out though, the NFL does have the power to force the sale. And I suspect they'll have gathered enough information in their investigation by that time to make sure it happens.

[LinvilleGorge]

33 minutes ago, KBRed said:

Thoughts on Jerry slow playing this sale to hold on to the team longer?

Honestly, I was thinking the same.

[Mr. Scot]

26 minutes ago, Cam El said:

Unless it's changed since (this is from January 4th), it doesn't seem to be France.

“NASCAR denies the accuracy of the WCNC report. Brian France is not involved,” the stock-car circuit said in a statement to NBC Sports.

He might not be, but on the flipside that's also the kind of thing you might expect them to say.

I don't really have any strong feelings (or any feelings at all, honestly) about France myself. I know a lot of NASCAR fans do though.

[Moo Daeng]

The best thing JR can do for his legacy now is to utilize is  wealth. The best thing for that is to have it all at his disposal before he passes. All this talk of holding on is based on? What? It's not like it took much for him to put the team for sale. He put it in to motion without any pressure to do do. He didn't put up the faintest fight to keep it 

[4Corners]

I’d like to see anyone involved with NASCAR out of the running , at least from a majority perspective. Sabates especially. I know he has been one of the main one talking out of his ass about a new stadium.