"London Panthers has a nice ring to it!"

[Carl Spackler]

2 minutes ago, 1of10Charnatives said:

All those things seem fair. Can't say I disagree with you on any of that. In perfect world the NFL would built it's own stadiums and the only help it would get from local governments is perhaps assistance obtaining land for the location, parking and other transportation infracstructure considerations. But considering how things are now, I'd take a public-private partnership with any kind of reasonable split of the funding in a heartbeat and not look back.

That’s the fair thing. It’s also not what he wants. 

[Skack25]

I was curious about the increase in social media presence yesterday.  Seemed to me like there may be some sort of obligation the players have to post more things about the game in London.  I saw more tweets from players yesterday than I can recall seeing in quite some time.

[1of10Charnatives]

12 minutes ago, Carl Spackler said:

He's already getting as many breaks as possible and none of them are enough. But glad some of you guys got your autographs and photos, so when he comes to the local government with hands outstretched, y'all will be on his side.

From the Observer on Oct. 4:

 

Mecklenburg County officials have agreed to decrease the assessed value of Bank of America Stadium by about $100 million, potentially saving the Carolina Panthers $1 million on their next property tax bill. But the team contends the value should be lowered even further.

Mecklenburg County conducted its first property revaluation this year since 2011, giving many property owners sticker shock as values rose by a median of 43% for residential properties and 77% for commercial ones. The increases were particularly sharp in rapidly-changing areas near uptown, an Observer analysis found.

The value of the Panthers stadium surged by 324%, from just under $135 million to $572.3 million.

The team, though, thinks the stadium is worth less than it was even eight years ago.

In a Feb. 19 letter to the county, the Panthers argued that it should be worth $87 million and said they base that estimate on the “recent purchase.” Billionaire hedge fund manager David Tepper bought the Panthers last year for an NFL record of $2.275 billion.

So the Panthers' argument is that other than the new escalators, signage and video board purchased by taxpayers five years ago, 23-year-old Bank of America Stadium is absolutely worthless.

Yeah that's def a bunch of hooey. I'm not sure how Tepper can argue the stadium is worth less as the primary physical asset of a business he just paid a record amount for. Sure some physical assets typically depreciate from use, but not real property. I'd be glad to ask him why he thinks the Panthers stadium is so horribly worthless that it should be considered significantly different from the jump my father saw this year in for the house I grew up in along the South Blvd corridor less than 20 mins from the stadium, a jump in the range of the 40% quoted in the article.

My follow up question would be if the stadium is so worthless, then buying the team is a singularly poor business decision for a billionaire hedge fund manager, and just exactly how dumb does he think we are?

[Tbe]

47 minutes ago, 1of10Charnatives said:

True. 

But also makes me curious about the financing of that lavish stadium we did just play in. Who paid for it? Was there any public funds involved or no?

Taxpayers do pay (at least partly) for stadiums. Those deals get a lot more criticism though. I’m sure everything would go smoothly for a billionaire American hedge fund owner in post brexit Britain ;)

[Mr. Scot]

3 minutes ago, Skack25 said:

I was curious about the increase in social media presence yesterday.  Seemed to me like there may be some sort of obligation the players have to post more things about the game in London.  I saw more tweets from players yesterday than I can recall seeing in quite some time.

I kinda doubt that was mandated though.

I'd more likely attribute that to "Holy crap! We're in London! This is so cool!"

[JawnyBlaze]

Negative eleventy billion percent chance that happens.  

[Skack25]

8 minutes ago, Mr. Scot said:

I kinda doubt that was mandated though.

I'd more likely attribute that to "Holy crap! We're in London! This is so cool!"

Fair enough.

[run-run-pass-punt]

Original post speculation aside, just enjoy the team here and now.

Of course they could move at some point, but what's the use in dwelling on that. Life is always moving. Really, like all things, the "Carolina Panthers" are an idea and nothing more.

That idea is always getting redefined with new coaches, players, uniforms/logos, owners, and moments. At some point the idea may take on a label of a different place in a different time with a different name. All is transient.

 

[Mr. Scot]

1 minute ago, Skack25 said:

Fair enough.

[Hotsauce]

If anything, Tepper will just play SC and NC against each other to get what he wants. 

[NAS]

I don’t think it’s cool of them to retweet but i don’t read too much into it.

[luke262]

1 hour ago, countryboi said:

The NFL thinks it wants a team in london but right now the NFL is a novelty, they have no ties to any team. They just wear whatever jersey they have in the closet. Once the honeymoon wears off they are going to stop showing up and that doesnt even talk about the logistics of traveling from London to the West Coast.  

28 games in 12 years, pretty much all sold out, its more than a honeymoon. We don't all have random jerseys in the closet either. 

[LinvilleGorge]

Just speaking in general about a team in London... holy poo it's a logistical nightmare and I have to think they'd be at a massive disadvantage in terms of free agency and probably even re-signing their own players.

[Mr. Scot]

9 minutes ago, LinvilleGorge said:

Just speaking in general about a team in London... holy poo it's a logistical nightmare and I have to think they'd be at a massive disadvantage in terms of free agency and probably even re-signing their own players.

Right. Likewise an 18 game season wouldn't exactly be great for players health.

But oh look, a dollar!