Steelers investor David Tepper said that he is "still in the bidding process" for the NFL Panthers, contradicting sources in a N.Y. Times report saying that he had "dropped out," according to a front-page piece by Peralta & Rothacker of the CHARLOTTE OBSERVER. Tepper: "The only thing I’m telling you is I haven’t dropped out. We’ll see what tomorrow brings." Meanwhile, another source said that Fanatics Founder & CEO Michael Rubin also "remained interested at the right price," despite a Bloomberg News report last month that he had dropped out after bids reached $2.5B. Outside of Tepper, two other prospective owners -- Bedrock Industries CEO Alan Kestenbaum and financier Ben Navarro -- have "made visits to Charlotte in recent weeks." Hornets investor and NASCAR team co-Owner Felix Sabates yesterday said that he "won't be involved with any bids" after "working for months to pull together a local group." Sabates: "The price has become higher than I consider to be prudent. If any owner wants help, I will help them" (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 4/10).
SIR PURSE? In N.Y., Ken Belson in the original report cites sources as saying that Tepper "will not increase his offer" to $2.5B, which "makes it unlikely that he will win the ongoing auction for the club." But both Tepper and Rubin "could return to the bargaining table" if Panthers Owner Jerry Richardson "decided to accept a lower price." Navarro is "believed to have offered" $2.6B, though it is "unclear whether he needs the help of other investors to cover that price." Last month, several NFL owners said that Tepper was the "best choice to take over the club." With a net worth of about $11B, he has "enough money to buy the team without the help of other investors" (N.Y. TIMES, 4/10).
