You have got to be kidding me.
In the final answer of his otherwise charming first press conference as the new owner of the Carolina Panthers, David Tepper said Tuesday he is “contractually obligated” to keep the 13-foot statue of former Panthers owner Jerry Richardson exactly where it is outside the north gate of the stadium.
So Richardson turned out to have one more surprise in store for fans: A going-away present that means he will never quite go away at all.
The statue will remain, with Richardson in all his suited “glory” between two snarling black Panthers that are supposed to represent North and South Carolina.