In Charlotte, Rick Rothacker noted the NFL Panthers "aren't believed to be for sale." But SportsCorp President Marc Ganis said that if the team "were sold it would probably fetch" between $1.1-1.6B. Vanderbilt professor John Vrooman said that the Panthers' price tag "could reach" $1.7B. Team Owner Jerry Richardson has said that he "has no plans" to move the team, but that he "wanted the team sold within two years of his death for tax purposes." The Panthers are 47% owned by Richardson's family, the other 53% "by a group of minority owners." Ganis said that when he "values NFL teams he places the Panthers in a third tier of about 20 franchises" (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 10/12).
MARCHING ON MINNESOTA: In DC, John Woodrow Cox noted Minnesota Native American leaders, student organizations and other activists "have been preparing for weeks to stage demonstrations" outside of TCF Bank Stadium for the Nov. 2 Redskins-Vikings game. Organizers of the protest said that Native Americans from at least seven states "intend to join." The game will "probably draw even more attention after Native Americans on both sides of the issue made public appearances" at Sunday’s Redskins-Cardinals game (WASHINGTON POST, 10/13).
THE GOLDEN YEARS? Former S.F. Mayor Willie Brown in a special to the S.F. CHRONICLE wrote of Levi's Stadium, "I know the 49ers say the stadium is selling out, but I also know that tickets are readily available on the Internet at below cost. And I’m getting way more invites to games than I did when the team was at Candlestick." Fans "are not as rabid about the Niners anymore" (S.F. CHRONICLE, 10/12).
