Richardson reportedly was not aware the statue was being taken down before work began yesterdayGETTY IMAGES
Whether the removal of the 4,500-pound statue of former NFL Panthers Owner Jerry Richardson is "temporary or permanent remains to be seen," and while the statue's "new location, for now, is undisclosed," a team spokesperson said that it will not be destroyed, according to Scott Fowler of the CHARLOTTE OBSERVER. The Panthers removed the controversial statue of Richardson yesterday over what the spokesperson called "public safety" reasons. Fowler reports there had been "speculation online that the statue of the Panthers' founder would be an eventual target of the protests" since the death of George Floyd. Sources said that Richardson "wasn't aware the statue was being taken down Wednesday before the work began early in the afternoon." He "declined to answer questions about the statue through his spokesman, Jim Gray." However, Gray released the following statement on Richardson’s behalf: "Mr. Richardson has made no public comments about the Panthers or the NFL since the sale of the team and doesn't plan to do so now as a private citizen. He has worked to treat all people fairly in his business and personal lives and, like many other Americans, is troubled by recent events in Minneapolis, Charlotte, and around the country." Current Panthers Owner David Tepper shortly after buying the team from Richardson in '18 said that he was "'contractually obligated' to leave the statue where it was, by Bank of America Stadium's north gate" (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 6/11).
MOVING FORWARD: Panthers S Tre Boston said it was "best for the community'' to remove the statue. However, he "wouldn't say whether Tepper talked to him and other players before removing the statue" (ESPN.com, 6/10). THE ATHLETIC's Joseph Person wrote yesterday's "surreal scene had the feel of a funeral," or perhaps the "better analogy is that of an evolving franchise laying part of its past to rest." Person: "It was past time to bring down the statue" (THEATHLETIC.com, 6/10).
