While NFL owners are wrapping up their meeting in Orlando today, one of the guys trying to join their club is in Charlotte.
Via Kelsey Riggs of WCNC, Canadian steel magnate Alan Kestenbaum is touring the Panthers facilities at Bank of America Stadium today, the first bidder for the team to do an in-person site visit.
The interest in the team has clearly ramped up in recent days, and it’s likely that Jerry Richardson’s choice will be known in the next few weeks.
A new owner has to be approved by 24 of 32 owners, but they’re vetting candidates as we speak.
Steelers minority owner David Tepper doesn’t need to be investigated since they already know him, but they’re also looking into other candidates, including South Carolina financier Ben Navarro and Philadelphia e-commerce billionaire Michael Rubin.
While the league has an obvious interest in the process, Richardson’s going to choose the bid he prefers, giving him a measure of control over the process and allowing his personal feelings about the team he founded to come into play.
