And a profile of Alan Kestenbaum...

[Mr. Scot]

...that I have a feeling is gonna turn some people off.

Here are a few quotes from the linked article...

Quote

Alan Kestenbaum isn’t afraid to switch allegiances. A former New York Jets fan turned Giants season ticket holder, he’s now a leading contender to buy the Carolina Panthers.

Kestenbaum, who made his fortune turning around metals and mining companies, has long kept a low-profile. That all changed in March when the Brooklyn-born billionaire was identified as one of the possible bidders for the National Football League franchise.

The 56-year-old made a bid that values the Charlotte, North Carolina, team at more than $2.5 billion and is said to be tussling with Ben Navarro, founder of Sherman Financial Group LLC, and hedge fund titan David Tepper for control, Bloomberg reported in March.

See also: NFL bidding war shines spotlight on two low-profile billionaires

Kestenbaum -- who declined to confirm whether he’d put in an offer -- would embody the new breed of NFL team owner: businessman first, fan second.

“I don’t want to own a trophy asset,” he said in a May 2 interview at Bloomberg’s New York headquarters. “It needs to be run in a profitable way. An investment of this size has to continue to grow in value.”

 

Quote

Kestenbaum sees plenty of opportunities to boost the franchise’s value through branding and improving the fan experience. His background dealing with labor unions and local communities will help him embrace the civic challenge of running an operation that embodies an entire city, he said.

 

Quote

Kestenbaum said he hadn’t considered investing in sports teams until his youngest son, Jacob, 23, mentioned the Panthers after they were put for sale in late 2017. Due diligence and modeling -- done in part by his son-in-law, a former Goldman Sachs Group Inc. employee -- has since opened his eyes to the opportunity. He’s being advised by boutique investment bank Inner Circle Sports.

He and his partners -- with expertise in finance, real estate and entertainment -- have identified plenty of growth prospects for the franchise, Kestenbaum said.

 

Quote

Kestenbaum says he’d continue running these businesses even if he took a hands-on-role with any sport investment.

“You have to meddle,” he said. “I’m responsible for my investors and whether its running my public companies or limited partners in a team, people are betting on me.”

 

Quote

Kestenbaum’s opportunism extends to his sporting loyalties. He switched support from the Jets to their cross-town rivals after Miami Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino’s infamous fake spike play, which resulted in a frustrating 1994 loss for the Jets.

“When I saw that, I went out and bought my son a Giants uniform, switched allegiance and that was the end of that,” Kestenbaum said.

Those sometimes painful seasons as a Jets and Giants fan hasn’t lessened his conviction that the NFL is a more compelling investment -- and a better spectacle -- than the other major U.S. leagues.

“I think the NFL is the only sport where each team is profitable and viable,” he said. “Other sports have mixed situations.”

 

Quote

"Many people think the NFL, like steel, is a declining industry," said Warrian.

Kestenbaum isn’t fazed. He says the league is making progress on these issues and said it should use its position to advance appropriate social agendas. While he declined to identify prospective limited partners, he said he has a diverse slate of investors. Any decision to employ Kaepernick would rest solely on his football abilities, he said.

Scoring a football franchise would rank right alongside achievements like taking Globe Specialty Metals public, Kestenbaum said. Still, he remains all business.

“When you get to those milestones you take a few minutes, you enjoy it and then you get back to work.”

So...

I wasn't really under the impression that a lot of people had jumped on the Alan Kestenbaum bandwagon to this point.  To be fair, he's been the guy we've heard the least about, so this is the first really informative profile we've had of him.

But something tells me the tone of this article (particularly the heavy emphasis on the team as an investment) isn't exactly going to make his bandwagon fill up.

It's worth noting that someone who sees the need to maximize profit is going to put a lot of emphasis on winning.  That is at least potentially a good thing.

Still, I expect the statements found in this story aren't gonna be what people really wanna hear.

[PntherPryd]

The writer certainly shows bias against him.  

But if written from the perspective of a Panther fan it is understandable.  Navarro is certainly the favorite "down here", to the point that any other result could have negative consequences.

[Mr. Scot]

Just now, PntherPryd said:

The writer certainly shows bias against him.  

But if written from the perspective of a Panther fan it is understandable.  Navarro is certainly the favorite "down here", to the point that any other result could have negative consequences.

I don't know if he's biased. It's a Bloomberg article by the same guy who first let us know that the bidding had reached 2.5 billion. Who owns the Panthers probably doesn't mean anything to him.

Honestly, most of what I think people will dislike is found in Kestenbaum's own words.

[Moorgan]

Meddling could be troublesome as it conjures thoughts of Jerrah. His lack of a sense of loyalty is also troubling. Combined with his business first attitude, could make moving the team or threatening to move the team a potentiality. However, I like that he alluded to the idea that football moves are football moves and not related to social discussions. Perhaps he could text Marty that picking up Reid at Safety is A OK with him.

[Mr. Scot]

To be fair, he did express that the team belongs in Charlotte.

I will grant it's also true that every owner who's moved a team has said something similar beforehand.

[PntherPryd]

7 minutes ago, Mr. Scot said:

I don't know if he's biased. It's a Bloomberg article by the same guy who first let us know that the bidding had reached 2.5 billion. Who owns the Panthers probably doesn't mean anything to him.

Honestly, most of what I think people will dislike is found in Kestenbaum's own words.

I only read your snippets, but it appears the writer goes out of the way to point out what an "opportunist" he is and how often he "switches loyalty".  Those are key words for any fan trying to weed out a potential owner with ideas of moving the team.  I don't think those were innocent assertions.  Heck, your own intro warned of that.

 

[Mr. Scot]

14 minutes ago, PntherPryd said:

I only read your snippets, but it appears the writer goes out of the way to point out what an "opportunist" he is and how often he "switches loyalty".  Those are key words for any fan trying to weed out a potential owner with ideas of moving the team.  I don't think those were innocent assertions.  Heck, your own intro warned of that.

You might get a different sense if you read the whole article.

Honestly, the switching loyalty thing doesn't bother me that much. Other things do.

[Paa Langfart]

3 hours ago, Mr. Scot said:

he did express that the team belongs in Charlotte.

and I have a bridge I would like to sell you.  This guy is ALL about the money.  If he could make some hefty cash moving the team to Mexico City I bet he'd do it in a heart beat.

[AggieLean]

He seems fine to me. The team to team jump was a bit cringeworthy, but I didn’t see a problem with anything else. Sounds like he’ll do whatever to win and he’d make the panthers more marketable outside of the Carolinas. I can dig it.

[Carl Spackler]

If you want the Panthers to relocate, Kestenbaum is your best hope

[morgan55]

fug that guy.... douche

[KB_fan]

Just a quick thank you to Me. Scot for keeping us all up to date on the sale stuff. No time and terrible internet means threads like these are a great way for me to stay in the loop.

Appreciate it.

[Proudiddy]

The emphasis on it being an investment and wanting to maximize profit above all else is troubling.  No regard for the community or the region.  The lack of loyalty to any one team before bidding on us is also telling of his character...  oh, and links to Goldman Sachs...

Sounds like a sleazeball who would move the team as soon as he thought it would make a him a few more cents.  No thanks.

[KendrickPanther]

He wants to make money. That means taking it from us, the city, or reducing costs. I would bet on all three with an emphasis on the first 2. 

This sounds like the kind of guy that would want a dome with parking going in his pockets.