Ian Rapoport: David Tepper Wants To Keep The Panthers In Charlotte

[Carl Spackler]

4 minutes ago, Mr. Scot said:

Also, this from the linked article by Kevin Patra...

 

That's what I was looking for, thanks

[Woodie]

The Panthers are one of the most profitable teams in the league, so it would be financial idiocy to move.  Sure, you'll probably be hearing about the possibility when they start pressing for a new stadium, but it will be a bluff.  There's too much money to leave on the table.

Not to mention the $200-300 million they would have to pay the city in addition to the $500 million relocation fee they would have to pay the NFL (and that's if that number doesn't go up).  I don't care how rich he is, I cannot see Tepper shelling out more than 2 billion to buy the team, then pay an additional $800+ million for the privilege of moving the team...and that doesn't even include the fact that he would only move to a state of the art stadium, which no city or state will fully pay for themselves, so he would have to pony up at least a third of that cost, which would likely be another $500 million to a billion dollars.  

So, for him to move the team, it would mean him ponying upwards of $4 billion of his own money to leave one of the more profitable locations for no guarantee of profitability.  Doesn't make any logical or financial sense.  Also, don't forget that unlike most teams, the Panther's market includes two states, which is a lot of paying customers to walk away from.

The idea that anyone would move the team is ludicrous.

[Mr. Scot]

Just now, Woodie said:

The Panthers are one of the most profitable teams in the league, so it would be financial idiocy to move.  Sure, you'll probably be hearing about the possibility when they start pressing for a new stadium, but it will be a bluff.  There's too much money to leave on the table.

Not to mention the $200-300 million they would have to pay the city in addition to the $500 million relocation fee they would have to pay the NFL (and that's if that number doesn't go up).  I don't care how rich he is, I cannot see Tepper shelling out more than 2 billion to buy the team, then pay an additional $800+ million for the privilege of moving the team...and that doesn't even include the fact that he would only move to a state of the art stadium, which no city or state will fully pay for themselves, so he would have to pony up at least a third of that cost, which would likely be another $500 million to a billion dollars.  

So, for him to move the team, it would mean him ponying upwards of $4 billion of his own money to leave one of the more profitable locations for no guarantee of profitability.  Doesn't make any logical or financial sense.  Also, don't forget that unlike most teams, the Panther's market includes two states, which is a lot of paying customers to walk away from.

The idea that anyone would move the team is ludicrous.

Counter argument would be that those fees are still likely to cost less than a new stadium would.

To be clear, I don't entertain even a .01% chance of the team ever actually moving.

The NFL using the threat of a move to pitch for stadium funding though?  That's straight out of their playbook, and it frequently works.

[Woodie]

9 minutes ago, Nails said:

No there won’t.  No city in the short/medium term is forking out what it would take.  No way.

Especially now that NFL teams want superdomes.  It was one thing when a top stadium was only a few hundred million, but now you're looking at 2 billion or more.  No state or city would pay the full price of that.

[Nails]

3 minutes ago, Woodie said:

Especially now that NFL teams want superdomes.  It was one thing when a top stadium was only a few hundred million, but now you're looking at 2 billion or more.  No state or city would pay the full price of that.

Especially the ones that have bloody PROVEN they won’t like San Diego and St Louis.

[PurityControl]

19 minutes ago, Nails said:

No there won’t.  No city in the short/medium term is forking out what it would take.  No way.

Nice super power you have there “Omniscience”

Makes my X-Ray vision seem shi*ty

[Woodie]

6 minutes ago, Mr. Scot said:

Counter argument would be that those fees are still likely to cost less than a new stadium would.

To be clear, I don't entertain even a .01% chance of the team ever actually moving.

The NFL using the threat of a move to pitch for stadium funding though?  That's straight out of their playbook, and it frequently works.

But he'd still have to pony up for a portion of a new stadium, no matter where it would be.  I actually think he'll have to pay a similar amount whether it's in Charlotte or someplace else.  The state will end up contributing tax dollars to help build a stadium simply because the Panthers bring in too much money to let them leave, but no state can afford the cost of a modern stadium without the owner pitching in.

[Mr. Scot]

Just now, Woodie said:

But he'd still have to pony up for a portion of a new stadium, no matter where it would be.  I actually think he'll have to pay a similar amount whether it's in Charlotte or someplace else.  The state will end up contributing tax dollars to help build a stadium simply because the Panthers bring in too much money to let them leave, but no state can afford the cost of a modern stadium without the owner pitching in.

Agreed, but also knowing how Tepper operates, you can expect he'll bleed every cent he can get from other sources.

Yeah, he could pay for it on his own, but the guy gets other people to pay for his lunch.

[Woodie]

1 minute ago, Mr. Scot said:

Agreed, but also knowing how Tepper operates, you can expect he'll bleed every cent he can get from other sources.

Yeah, he could pay for it on his own, but the guy gets other people to pay for his lunch.

Oh, I have no doubt he'll bleed every penny out of the city and state he can.  He is a cold blooded business man after all.

[Nails]

12 minutes ago, PurityControl said:

Nice super power you have there “Omniscience”

Makes my X-Ray vision seem shi*ty

No one knows the long term (15-20+ years), but next 5-10 years it’s not difficult in the digital age to figure out no city will, and, therefore, the Panthers aren’t in the stratosphere of real relocation threat.

[MechaZain]

Relocation is literally the least of my worries with this sale

[Shocker]

SMH when 300 million is "nothing" but when he owns it you never know.. I can see him wanting the Teppermohol or some shet.

[PanthersBigD]

David Tepper is the best case scenario out of the legitimate, prospective buyer pool. All of the fear mongering and devil's advocacy going on in these threads is silly and self indulgent. None of us have any real insight into the purchase process, and what kind of owner David Tepper will be. He's been a minority owner, he's a successful business man. These threads are like a bad game of telephone. 

[FakePlasticTrees]

XFar be it for me to be overly skeptical (cynical), but a statement that someone "wants" to keep a team in a city is meaningless and even empty. To be clear, I do not think the Panthers are going anywhere.

However, I have little doubt that funds will be asked for whether in the context of a new stadium or renovation of the existing one. Furthermore, I have little doubt that the leverage of an implied or express threat of a relocation will be used.

Every owner can say I really "wanted"my team to stay. It was simply no longer in the best interest, economic or otherwise, of the franchise to do so. My wants and desires were simply outweighed by economic realities and the best interests of the competitive viability of the team.

I expect a honeymoon period. I simply do not no how long the honeymoon will last. The existing lease is up after the upcoming season. I believe that actually increases the value of the franchise to a new owner.

The seeds have already bee not planted. http://www.charlotteobserver.com/opinion/editorials/article192927389.html