A theory on the team sale (that you may not like)

[Squirrel]

1 hour ago, Johnny Rockets said:

Why do some people dislike Sabates on a personal level? Is it because his viewpoints on the HB2 thing? Not wanting to derail the topic at all but have read similar comments to yours and I'm admittedly ignorant to the reasons behind them. 

1. New stadium

2 .  New stadium outside of Charlotte near carowinds. 

3  he is a blowhard. 

[Mr. Scot]

Listening to the podcast of the interview with Kroeger and Gantt (link here) to fill in anything I might have missed.

Notes:

- Panthers talk starts around three minutes in and ends at about the nine minute mark or so

- Sabates mentions that two owners would build a new stadium without being asked about it

- He also specifies that it'd be a dome, per his words "not retractable"

- calls BOA "antiquated" and says "millennials want something different"

- states that if North Carolina won't pay to help with a new stadium, South Carolina will "pay whatever"

- Kroeger, Gantt and Sabates all talk about the benefits of a new stadium. Sabates says a Super Bowl is "guaranteed" (not true) but also mentions the Final Four, Major League Soccer, concerts and other options

- Sabates tells the story about dinner with Tepper and talks about his net worth being higher than we know shortly after talking about the "merge" option

As to that...

The mention of two bidders going in together comes just after six minutes in. Darin Gantt asks Sabates who he thinks will win (he declines to answer) and Kroeger says he likes David Tepper. 

The exchange then goes as follows:

"The ideal situation would be if two of the people that are involved would merge. And there's a good possibility of that."

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah. I've been working on that."

Oy...

I'll ask the question again: What makes that "ideal"?  There's nothing inherently advantageous about dual ownership over single ownership. Thats why I see the "ideal" as meaning it would be of particular benefit to someone. Obviously, to the two people who go in on the bid because they would win, but also to Felix.

Ben Navarro's name never actually comes up in the interview. Neither does Kestenbaum's (Rubin gets a brief mention) but we know from the Observer article about Kestenbaum's recent visit that one of the "local business leaders" he met with was Sabates.

Again, not liking where this could be headed, especially as it relates to Navarro.

[Salisburysean98]

I mean everyone should know it's all about what the NFL owners want. It shouldn't come as a shocker to see Navarro pushed out. 

[Carl Spackler]

I just don't think this arrangement bodes well for our team in the Carolinas. We'll need to know more before the pitchforks come out though

[Mr. Scot]

6 minutes ago, Salisburysean98 said:

I mean everyone should know it's all about what the NFL owners want. It shouldn't come as a shocker to see Navarro pushed out. 

It's disappointing, though.

Especially so given that all indications were that Navarro had it won.

[CatMan72]

1 hour ago, Mr. Scot said:

Mark Richardson expressed his support for Navarro, so that's a factor.

My theory is that JJR wants Navarro and the league wants Tepper so there's a game of chicken going on right now. League wants to separate themselves from JJR asap so he's waiting for them to cave. 

[Moo Daeng]

40 minutes ago, Salisburysean98 said:

I mean everyone should know it's all about what the NFL owners want. It shouldn't come as a shocker to see Navarro pushed out. 

What evidence is there that the NFL is pushing out Navarro? This is a matter of being outbid. 

[Mr. Scot]

3 minutes ago, CatMan72 said:

My theory is that JJR wants Navarro and the league wants Tepper so there's a game of chicken going on right now. League wants to separate themselves from JJR asap so he's waiting for them to cave. 

Or forcing them to actually vote him out, a scenario which likely also ends in Ben Navarro losing.

Richardson's ego hasn't exactly helped him make the best decisions of late. This is probably no exception.

I'd prefer he just sell to Navarro and be done with it.

[CatMan72]

5 minutes ago, Moo Daeng said:

What evidence is there that the NFL is pushing out Navarro? This is a matter of being outbid. 

Report is that Navarro is the highest bidder, so what's the hold up? Not saying it has to be a preference for Tepper by the league but it forces all kinds of speculation. 

[Mr. Scot]

1 minute ago, CatMan72 said:

Report is that Navarro is the highest bidder, so what's the hold up? Not saying it has to be a preference for Tepper by the league but it forces all kinds of speculation. 

That the league wants Tepper has been pretty well established.

I would say though that, in this particular scenario, it's Felix Sabates who screws over Ben Navarro more so than the NFL.

(Jerry Richardson too)

[Cary Kollins]

Tepper cheaping out for the senior citizen discount tells me all I need to know. Wake me up when whichever goon comes out on top.

[Moo Daeng]

Just now, CatMan72 said:

Report is that Navarro is the highest bidder, so what's the hold up? Not saying it has to be a preference for Tepper by the league but it forces all kinds of speculation. 

JR wanting more which was the story last week. If he had a number in mind and Navarro's bid (or any others) didn't meet that then that could lead to the potential situation currently being discussed.

Sure, it's possible. However, a few owners stating that they like Tepper does't mean they don't like anyone else of that they would go so far as to sway it away from Navarro.  For all we know, Navarro should be a perfect candidate. Though all we know isn't everything or maybe even much at all. 

I guess my point is that there is a very plausible and practical potential explanation that doesn't require speculation.

[Moo Daeng]

3 minutes ago, Mr. Scot said:

That the league wants Tepper has been pretty well established.

I would say though that, in this particular scenario, it's Felix Sabates who screws over Ben Navarro more so than the NFL.

(Jerry Richardson too)

A few owners yes. The league? How is that established?

[Mr. Scot]

1 minute ago, Moo Daeng said:

A few owners yes. The league? How is that established?

By reports from Albert Breer, Ian Rapoport and others.