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Sabates officially drops out

Mr. Scot

By Mr. Scot,
in Carolina Panthers

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Mr. Scot Grand Master

Mr. Scot

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Raise your hand if you're shocked.

Put your hand down.  You're lying.
 

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Charlotte businessman Felix Sabates, who has been working for months to pull together a local group to potentially buy the Carolina Panthers, says he now won't be involved with any bids.

The Observer reported last month that Sabates, a long-time fixture on the Charlotte sports scene, was looking to partner with another bidder, rather than assemble his own group. Now he is dropping plans to invest in the NFL team at all.

"I have decided to withdraw from any potential investment," Sabates, 72, told the Observer. "The price has become higher than I consider to be prudent. If any owner wants help, I will help them."

Felix Sabates no longer pursuing Panthers ownership bid
 

 

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Mr. Scot Grand Master

Mr. Scot

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1 minute ago, MHS831 said:

Scot, I have not been keeping up with this drama--in your opinion, is this good news or bad news?  AND who is it we should be rooting for?

Most analysts say it's down to Tepper vs Navarro, which is pretty much what we've long been expecting.  A lot of us early on thought Tepper would just outbid everybody, but that hasn't been the case.

Who you should root for is a matter of choice. I'd honestly be fine with either one.  There are differences I could see in what they might do, but it's all really just speculation.

On that front, I'd say if you want things done the Steeler Way by a guy with Northern sensibilities and a Miami address, you probably want Tepper.  If it means a lot that the owner is tied to the Carolinas and you want someone who'll run the team like a Southerner, then Navarro is your guy.

I know Katie Peralta recently said Tepper not being from here and not likely to live here even if he does buy the team shouldn't be a big deal, but I have a feeling for a lot of people it will.

Likewise, David Newton saying that Ben Navarro is a lot like Jerry Richardson probably throws some folks off, but that doesn't necessarily mean he'd make the same mistakes.

Either way, there's general agreement we'll know who the new owner is within the next few weeks.

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ladypanther Grand Master

ladypanther

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5 minutes ago, Mr. Scot said:

One quick note: To anyone thinking Sabates dropping out means the new stadium talk is over, not so fast.

Expert: Panthers owner, when named, will seek public money to renovate stadium

For what it's worth, Ben Navarro has expressed a preference for an open air stadium.  Dome haters will likely be happy to hear that.

They spent the last 3 years doing upgrades.  What the heck does it need?

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Mr. Scot Grand Master

Mr. Scot

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4 minutes ago, ladypanther said:

They spent the last 3 years doing upgrades.  What the heck does it need?

To be more like Jerry World, or the 5 billion dollar stadium they're building in Los Angeles.  We certainly wouldn't spend what they're spending but something a little more like what the newest stadiums have would be a consideration.  Parking that they can make a profit from would also be a plus as far as revenue.

Yes, to our eyes the stadium is probably fine as it is, but we don't see with billionaire NFL owner eyes.

I'd say the chances of a new stadium are greater with Tepper. 

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ladypanther Grand Master

ladypanther

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2 minutes ago, Mr. Scot said:

'd say the chances of a new stadium are greater with Tepper

That may tip things in Navarro's favor with Richardson, if there is not a big difference in money.  He owes a lot to the PSL owners and hopefully he would support them.  I know the stadium will not last forever...but new stadium talk does not need to be in the near future, IMO. There would be a huge backlash that I think would take a long time to recover from if the new owner abandoned the current loyal fans.  Charlotte is not Dallas or LA.

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Mr. Scot Grand Master

Mr. Scot

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1 minute ago, CashNewton22 said:

Sebates truly never even “dropped in”. He was just a blow hard who talked as if he was more involved than he ever was. I think he could have finagled his way into a SMALL minority role if he didn’t talk so much.

I think what truly happened with him is he went into the whole thing thinking a certain someone (probably either Marcus Smith or Brian France) would be willing to sign on as the majority owner.  Heck, all the time he spent recruiting NASCAR drivers may have been aimed at trying to convince one of those two to sign on, but it failed.

Sabates was never willing to say who the majority owner was going to be.  Maybe that's because there never was one.

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