Carolina Panthers Ownership Opening Attracting an Old Great
By Erik Lambert
The tragic situation surrounding Carolina Panthers owner Jerry Richardson is about to create an unexpected vacuum in the NFL ownership landscape, and the wolves will be at the door.
Getting a chance to own an NFL team is not an easy thing to do. It’s a fierce competition that can be left with lots of ill-feelings. Just ask Donald Trump. However, one thing that has never been accomplished is being able to own a team, lose the team and then coming back into the league to own a different team. That is an unprecedented feat few ever would think possible.
It would seem now that one man is ready to make an attempt at doing just that. Eddie DeBartolo Jr. was recently enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame as one of the greatest owners in NFL history. He built the San Francisco 49ers into a dynasty that won five Super Bowls between 1981 and 1994. For two decades his team was considered the NFL standard.
Now he may be trying to get back into the game.
I’m told Eddie DeBartolo definitely is exploring the possibility of putting together a group to purchase the Panthers. He will have competition if he goes forward. https://t.co/7Lg3ex1cBK
— Jim Trotter (@JimTrotter_NFL) December 19, 2017
DeBartolo will have to overcome demons of his past
There is no doubt that the league was a great place when DeBartolo was part of it, at the same time it’s hard to erase the mistakes he made that led him to getting ousted in the first place. Not only was he himself accuse of sexual assault in 1992 (which he was never charged for), he plead guilty in a corruption case in 1998. This series of setbacks and his own personal feelings led to him ceding control of the 49ers to his sister.
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Since then he’s remained largely out of the public eye save for some TV appearances. However there was always a belief among his former players that sooner or later DeBartolo would try to come back. The Panthers situation has presented the opportunity. It would be quite the change of outlooks on the league if this were to happen. Nobody could ever say DeBartolo didn’t have influence. He’s a highly intelligent man. Someone who could bring a strong voice to help settle some of the ongoing disputes around the league.