In one way, Jerry Richardson will never leave the Panthers.
The team's founder finalized the sale of the franchise to David Tepper Monday for nearly $2.3 billion. He was selling the Panthers because a Sports Illustrated report uncovered confidential payouts for alleged workplace misconduct that included sexual harassment and the use of a racial slur, which sparked an investigation by the NFL that concluded with Richardson getting fined $2.75 million.
On Tuesday, Tepper held his introductory press conference as the team's new owner and announced that one of the most prominent and now-infamous parts of Bank of America Stadium is here to stay: the 13-foot statue of Jerry Richardson.