The past four days or so have been probably the most tumultuous since the Carolina Panthers young franchise came to existence. From allegations of workplace misconduct against team owner Jerry Richardson, to an all time great victory over Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers, then back around on the same day to news that the team is for sale... it has been a roller coaster like no other. That roller coaster continued to accelerate on Monday with the news that Richardson is removing himself from football operations, leaving long-time Panthers employee Tina Becker in charge and in full control of the organization.
All of this spells a rather abrupt end to the tenure of a man that while recently maligned and the target of much vitriol, was responsible for a decision that changed us all; the decision to bring an NFL franchise to the Carolinas. A story that you’ve all heard, but maybe not fully considered the effect of it on your lives.
Consider the experiences of an average fan... just on any given Sunday, like the one we just experienced. From the pre-game worries over the absences of Trai Turner, Shaq Thompson, and Captain Munnerlyn, to the first interception by Daryl Worley, to realizing we’re going to beat the Packers!
No... we aren’t going to beat the Packers...
(James Bradberry Peanut Punch)
... don’t screw us refs...
WE’RE GONNA BEAT THE PACKERS!!!
It’s all just a microcosm of fandom that you might not have otherwise felt had you not had the connection to a team like the Panthers. There were many people in this area with no football affiliation at all, with college basketball having been the dominant sport until the team made it’s appearance. Now those people spend their Sundays sitting in their personally licensed process blue seats, shouting LUUUUUUUUUUUUUUKKKKEEEE! and bemoaning the ups and downs of the Panthers offense.
It’s not just the appearance of the team that endeared you though. Maybe you’re attracted to the Panthers relative success rate versus other teams in the league since they joined it. Maybe you like the family atmosphere the team works hard to preserve, and you like the fact that the Panthers have committed to employing players worth rooting for, without character concerns. Perhaps you like the abundance of charitable work the Panthers perform (along with many other teams in the league) or are simply rooting for the success of a few players that you personally love.
That all happens because Mr. Richardson dictated the priorities in that direction.
Okay... so the man can delegate, but is he a man worth following? Does he lead by example?
I thought about this at length today. My thoughts were mired in the allegations against the man, and the disgusting things he said and did, at least as reported by Sports Illustrated. I was, and still am, heavily conflicted. I owe a lot of who I am at least in part to Mr. Richardson... can I still say that? My mind wandered all the way back to 2012, when in my days before being an official CSR contributor, I penned a fanpost that was a bit of a love letter to Mr. Richardson. A post inspired by his good deeds, detailed fully within the article, and why he makes me proud to root for the Panthers.
It was the story of the part “Big Cat” played in ensuring Greg Olsen’s son, T.J., got the medical care he needed to survive a dangerous and experimental heart surgery. If you need a refresher, feel free to visit my old article and read up. But, summarily, its a classic tale of one good deed begetting another. It eventually ends in a healthy T.J. Olsen, and our own Walter Payton Man of the Year candidate, Greg Olsen, forming The Heartest Yard foundation, which goes on to touch more lives, inspire more good deeds, and on and on.
Couple this with the things that, like Cam Newton, we only hear about by accident, such as him quietly donating $100,000 to the victims of the Charleston church shooting, and you’ve got to feel that despite all the bad things being heaved at his character right now, there is a good man in there. One that has done his share of good things, and deserves more than to have this most recent memory be the one that follows him into the sunset. We have a tendency these days to forget the forest for one burning tree, and to allow that to burn the rest of it down. I believe we should be more moderate in our thinking, and try to consider the whole picture. Jerry Richardson is in danger of becoming Charlotte’s version of Harvey Dent, who during The Dark Knight uttered the famous phrase...
“You either die a hero, or live long enough to see yourself become the villain.”
Don’t interpret this article as me making excuses for Jerry Richardson, however. As someone in their thirties, it is insane to me to think of a workplace where his behavior would have once been acceptable. The things Sports Illustrated reported to happen, in some cases, make me internally vomit a little. Just because he spent a long time in a “different time” doesn’t mean it is okay to not change along with the evolution in professional candor and fair treatment. It is strange to think of a man who can publicly weep at the thought of domestic violence, and then flip his hand and tell a female employee that he wants to shave her legs. They are not one in the same by any means, but they are certainly both issues that a person so concerned with the well being of women should be sensitive to.
Even knowing what I know now, I still get choked up a little watching the above video of a clearly distraught Richardson speaking to a crowd about the situation with Greg Hardy and the plague of domestic violence that affects the league.
I get choked up because I am human. I can empathize with a man who tries to do right, and still gets some things wrong. We all know that struggle. The same humanity that makes us feel pity for the victims and anger toward Mr. Richardson, can also work to heal.
So, to conclude, I hope that each of you considers the situation the way I do. I hope you consider that, while you may feel a certain way, there are likely to be many many other viewpoints in play. Consider the diehard female fans of the Carolina Panthers, which I’m sure have had their cores rattled by this. Consider the employees, the players, the coaches, and all those that the organization touches. But also consider your humanity, and potentially even forgiveness.