|
"I would like to congratulate David and welcome
him to the NFL," commissioner Roger Goodell said while
introducing Tepper. "We're thrilled to have you."
"The first thing I care about is winning," Tepper told
reporters. "The second thing I care about is winning. The third
thing I care about is winning -- on and off the field."
Tepper, 60, is the founder of hedge fund Appaloosa Management
L.P. and has a net worth is estimated by Forbes to be $11
billion. He is buying the Panthers from founder Jerry Richardson
for $2.275 million, the largest sum ever paid for an NFL
franchise, and the final details of which are expected to be
finalized in July. Tepper must sell the 5 percent stake that he
owns in the Steelers, per NFL rules.
Richardson, who is under investigation by the league for alleged
sexual and racial workplace misconduct, appeared at the meetings
to vote on the sale. According to ESPN, the league will announce
the findings of that investigation when the sale of the team is
final.
Tepper doesn't anticipate moving the team from Charlotte, N.C.
""What's the name of the team? Carolina Panthers. Carolina.
Panthers," he said. "Charlotte is the logical place for a
stadium."
He also does not currently expect to make major changes on the
football side of things, where Marty Hurney was brought back as
the team's full-time general manager this offseason and Ron
Rivera has been the head coach since 2011.
"There's a great team down there right now. I have a great
appreciation for how stupid I am," he said with a smile. "We
want to be very careful on that side of the business."
Tepper also spoke to the state of the organization following the
emergence of allegations against Richardson, which led to Tina
Becker's promotion to CEO as the Panthers have reassessed their
workplace environment over the last several months.
"I can't change much before I actually buy the team," Tepper
said. "I don't know exactly what's happened, because I haven't
been there. For me, just a couple of things ... I'm a person
that believes in equality for everybody. The past is the past,
the future will be that."
--Field Level Media
[© 2018 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2018 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.
 |
|
