Jerry Richardson apologizes to the fans

[Phil Dees]

In the 70s and 80s, my Alma Mater South Meck would regularly seat 45,000 people for their football games.

:eek:

I've been in Charlotte since the 50's, and I don't believe that.

[Fiz]

:eek:

I've been in Charlotte since the 50's, and I don't believe that.

listen don't poo on the only thing south meck football has: invented memories

[Lumps]

lol

JR you can go screw yourself, luckily I am a fan of the team not you because I think you're full of poo.

If there are so many problems why don't you do something to fix it? Actions speak, words don't.

You didn't bring many players back from last year. We know your going extreme in one direction for the lockout which is pretty disgusting seeing as we all still pay the same price.

Sorry guys but until he actually DOES something besides give a 30 second statement in a phone call, then he really isn't recognizing any problems. Obviously the problem is his cheapness what other reason to hold onto Fox. Hey JR DO SOMETHING PLEASE WE ARE 1-7.

I never was a JR hater but I will stand up for the team and right now he is hurting the team.

[Phil Dees]

listen don't poo on the only thing south meck football has: invented memories

Didn't think I remembered Randy Rhino ever drawing crowds so big every fan had another fan sitting on their laps @ Memorial Stadium

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Legion_Memorial_Stadium

...BTW, refresh my memory, Randy ended up going over to Olympic didn't he?

[Jhyler12]

Its about time he apologized...

[Panthers_Lover]

i wrote a huge ass effort post about jerry richardson on another forum if anyone is interested in me posting it here. however most of it is already known

Buying the Team

In the early nineties, Charlotte was the biggest boom town in the nation. It was headquarters of Nations Bank which would eventually become Bank of America. Down the road were four universities pumping out skilled engineers and bankers to be. The local government was incredibly pliable to the interests of big business and would show very quickly they'd do whatever it would take to bring a team to the city.

Most importantly, Charlotte (and the surrounding areas) was absolutely rabid for professional sports. The Hornets had led the league in attendance since their inception (due largely to a now unthinkable 23,000 seat arena which they sold out nightly) and the Carolinas were a hotbed for football. While many people think of North Carolina as a basketball state, the real passion among people there is football. In the 70s and 80s, my Alma Mater South Meck would regularly seat 45,000 people for their football games. Many an SEC championship was built on talent siphoned from the basketball state.

Richardson was one of three major investment groups that were trying to bring a team to the Carolina. On top of the reasons I listed, Carolina (and Jacksonville) were projected to be the quickest growing regions in the country. Carolina got a team over Baltimore (that would have replaced the Colts and was eventually filled with the Browns) and the Panthers were born.

But how did they manage to pull this off?

Charlotte is a very interesting town. What started as a NASCAR town quickly became one of the banking centers of the country. It's essentially a large gated community with a very big down town. It's corporate as f**k and doesn't have anything resembling a soul. All you'll remember from Charlotte if you visit are the crisp, manicured lawns and clean down town streets. If you're in your twenties there's no reason at all to live in the city.

It's also one of the wealthiest cities in America.

Richardson represented the perfect pitchman for a team. On one hand, he was a homegrown product, having grown up just down the street in Spartanburg, SC. He would be the first (and to this day only) former player owner in the NFL. He had that down home quality that the common folk from around the city respected. Also, he's an incredibly imposing figure. My father was involved in the initial negotiations (when they were trying to line up corporate sponsors) and a 6 year old Fiz got to meet the man. All I remember was that he was huge, and my hand vanished in his. The proles loved him.

So did the bankers. Richardson was an absolutely ruthless businessman, and he presented a fairly novel at the time idea to construct what would become Ericsson Stadium: Permanent Seat Licenses.

The way PSLs work is that essentially you invest in the right to buy seats. For the business minded folks of Charlotte in the mid nineties boom years, this made perfect sense. Richardson had promised a Super Bowl within 10 years, and the Panthers were 12-4 after their second season, with a visit to the NFC Championship game to top it all off. SURELY these were only going to appreciate in value? Surely with an owner like Richardson they'd never have a string of crushing seasons.

what's that they say about pride, and where it goeth?

Richardson got the team and built the stadium. On one hand, very little public funds went into the construction of the stadium, and that should be applauded. All too often tax dollars go into stadiums for teams that have absolutely no incentive to actually win, as evidenced by the downtown Charlotte coliseum forced through the city council a year after voters turned down a proposal to build George "unrepentant rapist" Shinn an arena.

On the other hand, the PSL scam effectively priced out anyone but the wealthiest of prospective buyers. I very specifically didn't write fans in the previous sentence. Attending Carolina Panthers games in the lower bowl is akin to going to church. Profanity is an offense which can get you kicked out of the stadium. So is taking off your shirt, cheering too loudly, and standing up. No, I'm not kidding. On top of that, a Panthers ticket is the easiest in town to get. The owners of the PSLs aren't hard to talk into selling. There's not much of a homefield advantage there.

And so, the Panthers were born. A team fueled by the most fairweather of fans' dollars in a free stadium for a former player who bailed on the league after his rookie season over 250 dollars. This will turn out well.

As usual, you're full of poo.

[dimbee]

As usual, you're full of poo.

Link?

[DaCityKats]

south meck sucks..........waddell played real football.(when i was there).jerry doesnt have the balls to say what he needs to say to the media, hopes he finds a coach that will.lmao.

[Skew]

He didn't have to say poo, hell he could a tell us all to suck a cock but he didn't. What would you guys want him to say? What words would make you feel better?

If JR said something like;

I apologise for raising season ticket prices on our faithful fans and putting an unbelieveable appalling excuse for an NFL team on the field and calling it our best product we could delivery to our customers. To make up for such a grave and horrendous injustice to our paying customers, I will reduce season ticket prices of our games to all our PSL owners for 2011.

It would be a good start.

[dimbee]

I also know you like to come around and twist the knife a few times just to get off...

Mmmmkay... I don't see how anything I've said could be construed as twisting a knife... let alone getting off on it.

you're choice of avatar says all anyone needs to know about your intentions.

Right.

[CatMan72]

Alright Dimbee, I've tried to gracefully and diplomatically exit the off-topic discussion about the Bears and you (that I started) on several occassions - but you won't let it go?

I'm sorry, after what we've been through this season I guess I'm hyper-sensitive about anything anyone with loyalties to another team says about the Panthers right now because it feels like piling on.

[Montsta]

I know JR loves the Panthers, which makes it all the more unfortunate that this team probably won't be relevent again until well after he has passed away.

[bigdog10]

Sorry Jerry. Not good enough.

You owe us more than a couple sentences. Don't forget the fact that you accomplished your dream on the backs of us PSL owners and fans.

I understand you're not a media ***** like some of your counterparts (Snyder and Jones), but this is a different situation. This is the time to use the media as a tool to extend an olive branch to your most faithful customers.

I don't care that we are 1-7, I just want to be reassured that winning a championship in Charlotte is still the goal, and will be the goal for the next 30 years. I also want to hear your reasoning behind putting the league before your franchise and fan base.

[Cat'sGrowl]

I don't care that we are 1-7, I just want to be reassured that winning a championship in Charlotte is still the goal, and will be the goal for the next 30 years. I also want to hear your reasoning behind putting the league before your franchise and fan base.

Uhhmmm...

"I apologize to our fans who have supported us so well. Bringing a championship to the Carolinas has always been our goal and that will continue."