Panthers Owner Jerry Richardson "will pay the way for all staff members and interns to travel to the Bay Area" for the team's second Super Bowl appearance, according to Jonathan Jones of the CHARLOTTE OBSERVER. Panthers President Danny Morrison noted Richardson "also provided an opportunity for the Panthers staff to travel to the 2004 Super Bowl in Houston." Morrison: "It’s an incredibly gracious gift" (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 1/27). NJ.com's Joe Giglio writes Richardson is a "pretty cool boss" for the gesture. Giglio: "Before you cite Richardson's wealth and how every team should do something like this for team employees, consider how big the support staff of an NFL team is and that most teams, even if they should, don't do this" (NJ.com, 1/27). In California, Bob Highfill writes under the header, "Random Thoughts: Richardson Is Boss Of The Year" (STOCKTON RECORD, 1/27). In L.A., Matt Wilhalme wrote, "At the very least this has to be good karma" (LATIMES.com, 1/26). Meanwhile, in Charlotte, Deon Roberts in a front-page piece noted former Bank of America Chair & COO Hugh McColl, a "key player in Richardson's drive to land an expansion team," watched Sunday's NFC Championship in the owner's box. McColl said that he also "plans to attend" Super Bowl 50. McColl: "We now can drop 'North Carolina' off of our address. People know where we are, who we are. I think it's been tremendous recognition for our city" (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 1/26).
WHAT'S NEXT FOR THE FRANCHISE? In Charlotte, Erik Spanberg wrote with the Panthers "flying high and several years into a five-year stadium makeover, there is nothing left to do but enjoy these glory days, right?" While industry consultants and local execs said that Charlotte "remains a well-regarded NFL market," they also "wondered aloud over what will happen" when Richardson no longer runs the team. Richardson has said on "numerous occasions the Panthers will be in Charlotte as long as he owns the team." Investment bank Galatioto Sports Partners Founder & President Sal Galatioto: "It depends on who buys the team. Most of the large markets are gone now that L.A. is gone. ... If it's a buying group from Toronto, I'd get nervous. If it's a buying group from San Diego, I'd get nervous." The team as part of its deal with the Charlotte City Council for the upgrades to Bank of America Stadium are tethered to the city "through the 2018 season" (CHARLOTTE BUSINESS JOURNAL, 1/22 issue). Richardson was the subject of a CHARLOTTE OBSERVER editorial, which noted he "hasn’t had wandering eyes all these years" and he "hasn’t played the how-much-do-you-love-me game that owners often play with their cities." Richardson has long "understood how an NFL team and a mid-size city can thrive together," and he also "understands that there are ebbs and flows that test that partnership." The editorial: "We hope Charlotte and the Panthers can responsibly keep that partnership strong, but this much we know for sure: Charlotte has an owner who’s spared us from the worst of the NFL. For now, we can enjoy the fun" (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 1/24).
PUTTING THE FUN IN FUNDAMENTALS: USA TODAY's Nancy Armour wrote the Panthers have "figured out how to be fun-loving, laid-back and in your face, all at the same time." They have "gotten more than a little heat this season from folks who say they don't show the proper decorum for the game" and that QB Cam Newton "showboats too much." The NFL is "so focused on adding more billions to its bottom line that it seems to have forgotten that this is still, you know, a game." But the Panthers have "managed to inject a little fresh air into their stuffy and stodgy surroundings" (USA TODAY, 1/26).
