Interesting perspective on Richardson's business philosophy (mike rucker's take)

[Cyberjag]

My point was that the groundskeeper only has a job to begin with as a result of the players who are the product and the fans who pay to see that product.

Don't get me wrong, I think JR is a great guy and I'm glad he cares about everyone who works for the Panthers organization, but at some point it becomes a practical matter... you need to get the product and the paying customers back out there or you have no need for a groundskeeper.

Without the groundskeeper, the players would have a hard time finding a place to play.

Sure, they're more important to the overall success. And obviously it's easier to replace the groundskeeper. But you can have a culture that treats all people as important members of the organization, or you can have one that defines classes. I'm not interested much in the second.

[Happy Panther]

JR has earned a reputation as a great businessman and a hell of a guy.

I'm not sure his actions over the last year or so echo that

[Carolina Husker]

Not only is that reputation completely contradictory to his behavior, if you think successful businesses are built with that Candyland explanation about being nice to people, you are a retard.

[The Total Package]

Take this with a grain of salt/for what it's worth, as this is secondhand information, but I had a guy at my bar last night who I ended up talking football with for about three hours... he was from Charlotte and lived in a pretty nice section of town, said Mike Rucker lived three doors down from him and Mike Minter lived at the end of the street.

We ended up discussing the CBA and Jerry Richardon's place in it, and he told me that after Richardson went on that presser and sounded like a confused old fool, he (the guy at my bar) was hanging out with Rucker and asked him his opinion about it.

Rucker, and Minter as well, apparently held the highest possible opinion of Richardson from an business perspective as well as a personal standpoint. "He's gold through and through," was the response. Rucker went on to explain that while Richardson would never say it in the presser, one of the biggest factors Jerry takes into consideration is every person associated with the stadium. He said Jerry's concern was more than just the players negotiating to get more money; it was about every concessions worker, every janitor, every ticket salesman, tech guy, marketing director, lawn trimmer, maintenance man, etc that the stadium employed.

He said that other owners saw them as expendable - if the business tanked, they'd lay off hundreds of workers without a second thought, instead of sacrificing player salaries or concerns; Richardson sees both as equally as important. He's going to make sure his players are paid, but he refuses to sacrifice the business as a whole for it, given how it affects the people that nobody thinks about.

"Jerry Richardson cares about people," said Rucker. "People. He cares about his employees, every one of them, on the field or off, more than anything in the world. It's why he's such a successful businessman."

He should be forward and say as much to the public. Should it be a secret that you care about all your employees, and the fact that the current CBA would result in tons of people losing their jobs?

[R0CKnR0LLA]

Yeah, he cares so much about taking care of every last person working for him... just look at how well those Bojangles cashiers are paid... :rolleyes:

[Panthercougar68]

My dad does some security for the stadium and JR knows his first name so I believe it...

[OneBadassCat]

How long has it been since Rucker and Minter have been in close contact with JR? While he may have been that way 5 years ago, he could still be a senile old fool now.

Just because they haven't played in a while doesn't mean they haven't talked or had visits with him.

[Brooklyn Bully]

He's the best businessman in the Carolinas. He makes a nice profit...while giving out a substandard product that people keep buying into.

[R0CKnR0LLA]

No say in how the people that work in the stadium are paid? lol ok then

[Happy Panther]

You do realize that JR doesn't actually have anything to do with Bojangles don't you?

He owns it?

[Mother Grabber]

Just because they haven't played in a while doesn't mean they haven't talked or had visits with him.

That's right. We don't know either way. Therefore, we can't trust a third hand source from a random drunk guy at a bar.

[Jackofalltrades]

The Mike's live in Kannapolis, not Charlotte.

[frash.exe]

Rucker and Minter also played a few years and got paid by Richardson to start well after they became ineffective so...

[Mr. Scot]

Is this guy's story true? Don't know, but I don't really find it that hard to believe that Richardson cares about all his employees personally.

When he was CEO of Hardees he was known to come by locations, talk to employees and even work the drive thru. Heck, in earlier years he spent plenty of time hanging out with the fans at tailgates before games.

Also, as I recall, when he was still with the team his son Jon gave his direct employees a hundred dollars each out of his own pocket because the team couldn't afford bonuses. He told them he wished he could have given more.

Just to throw it in, Richardson made a great hire in Danny Morrison, a guy who's been very personable and fan friendly.