From the archives: Carolinas’ NFL dream comes true

Editor’s note: This story ran on The Charlotte Observer’s front page on Oct. 27, 1993. We republish it in memory of founding Panthers owner Jerry Richardson, who died Wednesday:

Let the celebration begin.

Charlotte finally got its NFL expansion team Tuesday, its Carolina Panthers proving the unanimous choice - and for now, the only choice - of 28 NFL owners.

And forevermore, this single decision will likely change the way people across the country feel about what lies between Washington and Atlanta.

The decision came in stunningly swift fashion Tuesday, defying skeptics who said North Carolina was only basketball country, and cynics who said owner Jerry Richardson didn’t have the money, anyway.

Marketing consultant Max Muhleman had told owners earlier in the day that Charlotte was the simplest business decision they’d ever make, and he was right.

Less than two hours after owners assembled for the vote, NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue marched onto the podium at the Hyatt Regency O’Hare hotel to announce the Carolina Panthers as the league’s unanimous choice, and introduce Richardson as its owner.

The second team is to be picked Nov. 30 from among St. Louis, Baltimore, Memphis and Jacksonville, Fla.

As Richardson strode onto the stage, his wife, children and business partners leaped to their feet - hooting and hollering, whistling and pumping their fists in the air.

And Richardson, in a semidaze but grinning ear-to-ear, said it was a dream come true and thanked them all. Then he looked out across the sea of reporters, asked where the stations from North Carolina were and stared hard into their camera lenses.

“All of you who bought the 48,000 seat licenses, you have made history today,” Richardson said. “And when I get back to the Carolinas, I’m going to say, Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!’ “

NFL owners are scheduled to award their 30th team Nov. 30. After a day of debate, no clear front-runner emerged among the four other competing cities.

While St. Louis had long been considered the favorite, it faltered badly when its main investor backed out in September. Two rival groups emerged over the weekend, but NFL owners simply didn’t have time to compare and evaluate their credentials.

Baltimore, considered third among contenders, had stronger support than anticipated. And Jacksonville and Memphis had supporters, too.

But Charlotte, and its 10 million potential new NFL fans from both Carolinas, proved the lone no-brainer of the six-year process.

“I think the support of NationsBank really helped,” said Philadelphia Eagles owner Norman Braman, an expansion committee member. “There was a general consensus among the committee that Charlotte was clearly the best candidate.

“Charlotte is good for the NFL and the NFL is good for the Carolinas.”

It was a huge personal triumph for Richardson, the former Baltimore Colt who parlayed his 1959 championship bonus into a single Hardee’s franchise in 1961.

From flipping burgers and taking out trash, Richardson built a food-service empire that employs 120,000 people in more than 500 Hardee’s, 200 Quincy’s and 1,000 Denny’s.

He started chasing his dream of owning an NFL team in 1987, inspired by the National Basketball Association’s decision to award Charlotte the Hornets - a move derided at the time by several national sports columnists.

But chasing the NFL, it turned out, took far longer and cost millions more than Richardson ever dreamed.

Still, he stood by his bid as delays mounted and costs skyrocketed - from about $150 million at the start for a stadium and team, to more than $300 million.

There were enormous hurdles.

As costs rose, Richardson countered by taking on partners.

Critics said he couldn’t finance a $160 million stadium, plus own a team. So he enlisted the help of old friend and personal banker Hugh McColl Jr., chairman and chief executive of NationsBank, who extended the credit Richardson needed and wrote a letter and filmed a video testifying to that effect for NFL owners.

Richardson said he wanted to leave no stone unturned in his bid as the final weeks approached.

And he didn’t, adding three more business partners and hiking his visitors’ guarantee to offer the biggest payout per game to visiting teams ($1.235 million) in NFL history.

Tuesday’s announcement capped a frantic day of delays and rumors - first that the selection couldn’t be made until today, then that owners would adjourn before taking the vote and postpone the decision for weeks.

As it turned out, there was an impasse. Not over the Panthers, but who the second team should be. But it was resolved by simply deferring the decision five weeks.

That was the recommendation of the expansion and finance committees - to approve Charlotte and delay the other decision - and that was the recommendation the 28 NFL owners voted unanimously to approve.

“It’s a confirmation of sorts,” an exultant Charlotte Mayor Richard Vinroot said afterward. “It puts us in an elite class, and forever and ever will set us apart from other cities.”

This story was originally published March 2, 2023 at 3:03 PM.