Rapper and music mogul Sean (Diddy) Combs said he’s interested in buying the Carolina Panthers after current owner Jerry Richardson announced he’d be selling the NFL team amid a sexual misconduct and racism investigation.
Combs posted his intentions to his Twitter page on Sunday night; the hip-hop star seeks to be the first majority African-American NFL team owner.
“Attn all NFL owners, it’s time for diversity!!” he wrote. “It’s time for Black ownership!! The time is now. Let’s make it happen!!”
Later, in an Instagram video, Combs expressed interest in signing former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who he said could compete with current QB Cam Newton for the starting position.
“I will immediately address the Colin Kaepernick situation and put him in the running for next year’s starting quarterback,” Combs said. “It’s just competition, baby. It’s just competition.”
Combs also said he would want to improve the halftime shows. “I will have the best halftime show, the best selection of music,” he claimed. “And we will win Super Bowl after Super Bowl.”
Golden State Warriors player Steph Curry wanted to join in as well.
Kaepernick, who stirred controversy around the world by kneeling in protest during the American national anthem, hasn’t signed with any NFL club. His activism on the field inspired other athletes to kneel. President Donald Trump suggested in September that those who kneel should be fired.
Kaepernick tweeted Monday that he wants in on the deal with Combs and Curry.
According to estimates, the Panthers team is worth around $2 billion, more than Combs’ total net worth (approximately $820 million), so likely he would need to find investors or partners in the venture.
Combs’ interest in the club comes on the heels of Richardson’s announcement that he’ll be selling the team at the end of the current season.
“I believe it is time to turn the franchise over to new ownership,” Richardson wrote in a statement. The Panthers, who lost in the Super Bowl two seasons ago, are in playoff position again.
“I hope everyone in the organization, both on and off the field, will be firmly focused on one mission: to play and win the Super Bowl,” he said.
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Richardson, 81, did not directly address the investigation or allegations against him.
The NFL awarded Richardson, a former player with the Baltimore Colts, an expansion franchise in 1993, and he has been the team’s only owner. The Panthers are tied to Charlotte through June 2019.
It has been a wild year for the Panthers organization; team president Danny Morrison abruptly resigned in February. Richardson then fired general manager Dave Gettleman on the eve of training camp and replaced him with Marty Hurney on an interim basis.
— With files from The Associated Press
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