David Tepper emerges as favorite for NFL’s Panthers By Josh Kosman and Carleton English May 11, 2018 | 10:07pm Modal Trigger David Tepper Getty Images Hedgie titan David Tepper has emerged as the favored bidder to acquire the NFL’s Carolina Panthers, but the seller is making a goal-line stance to get him to raise his offer price, a source close to the situation said. Tepper has bid around $2.1 billion for the Panthers, and outgoing owner Jerry Richardson wants at least a few hundred million more, the source said. If the Panthers sell for $2.1 billion, it would be a sign that the value of NFL teams has plateaued. Richardson is pressuring Tepper to raise his bid in the next few days by several hundred million dollars, a source said. “It’s not over,” a second source with direct knowledge of the situation said. Richardson is facing a Mary Jo White-led league investigation into sexual harassment allegations being made by female employees against him last year. The NFL could force Richardson to sell his team if he does not do so voluntarily during this sales process, one source said. Michael Rubin, owner of sports apparel retailer Fanatics, is still in the running with a similar bid to Tepper’s, two sources said. If the bids are equal, Rubin could win as he has committed to keeping the team in Charlotte. Money manager Ben Nevarro put a $2.6 billion offer on the table earlier — but is said to be having trouble putting financing together and is out of the running, a source said. Richardson initially wanted $3 billion and then dropped his asking price to $2.5 billion, the sources said. Tepper, who heads Miami-based Appaloosa Management, appears to have the inside track with the NFL with his $11 billion net worth and since he has already been vetted by the league with his minority ownership position in the Pittsburgh Steelers. Richardson has some evidence that his $2.5 billion asking price is reasonable. Forbes in September 2017 valued the Panthers at $2.3 billion, 9 percent greater than Tepper’s current offer. However, the Panthers are the first NFL team to seek a buyer for the whole team since Colin Kaepernick started kneeling during the national anthem — and subsequent weak TV ratings. The last NFL team sale was in 2014, when Terry Pegula bought the Buffalo Bills for $1.1 billion — almost 20 percent more than the $935 million Forbes valued the Bills at earlier in that year. Two NFL teams — the Denver Broncos and Tennessee Titans — in the last year have sought buyers for minority stakes and failed in the only recent tests of team values, the source said. Meanwhile, franchises in other sports have seen their values soar. Tilman Fertitta in October paid a record $2.2 billion to acquire the NBA’s Houston Rockets, and the Brooklyn Nets have reached a deal to sell for a $2.3 billion valuation. Bruce Sherman and Derek Jeter in September paid a higher-than-expected $1.2 billion for the money-losing Miami Marlins. Tepper declined comment, and Richardson and Rubin could not be reached. https://nypost.com/2018/05/11/david...medium=site buttons&utm_campaign=site buttons