NFL Owner's 'Seat Belt Maneuver' Backfires

America's post-Weinstein sexual-harassment/sexual assault reckoning reached the NFL over the weekend, in a series of swift moves that culminated in Carolina Panthers owner Jerry Richardson announcing that he will sell his franchise at the end of the season.

“I believe that it is time to turn the franchise over to new ownership,” Richardson said. “Therefore, I will put the team up for sale at the conclusion of this NFL season. We will not begin the sale process, nor will we entertain any inquiries, until the very last game is played. I hope everyone in this organization, both on and off the field, will be firmly focused on just one mission: to play and win the Super Bowl.”

Media outlets assume that the decision was an effort to get in front of a Sports Illustrated investigation published on Sunday. SI alleged that at least four former Panthers employees received significant settlements involving sexual harassment of female employees. In addition, one African-American Panthers scout was awarded a settlement after Richardson used a racial slur against him.

The settlements were governed by nondisclosure and non-disparagement clauses silencing its recipients. New York Magazine reports that multiple sources told SI " that Richardson was known to ask female employees to turn so he could admire their butts, comment on their grooming habits, and ask to personally shave their legs. One former female employee said Richardson summoned her to his office and asked for a foot rub. Other women said he gave them back massages that strayed too low, or performed the “seatbelt maneuver,” insisting on buckling them into the passenger seat of his car as an excuse to brush against their breasts."

Sean Combs, aka Diddy Wants To Buy the Panthers

On Sunday rapper and music mogul Sean Combs, aka P Diddy, took to Twitter saying that he would like to buy the Panthers, promising to be "the best NFL owner that you can imagine". Diddy promised to consider hiring Colin Kaepernick, who launched the NFL's players feud with President Trump, and was at the center of NFL players taking a knee worldwide.

Kapernick, who filed a complaint accusing team owners of conspiring to keep him out of the league for his protests against racial injustice, responded with "I want in on the ownership group! Let's make it happen!"

Kaepernick joins Golden State Warrior star Stephen Curry, an avid Panthers fan, who also wrote "I want in!"

If Diddy were to own the Panthers by himself, he would become the league's first majority African-American owner. Our instincts say that the list of African American sports players who would join an ownership syndicate run by Diddy is huge. So he can raise the money.

Back that with a national social media campaign with Americans of every skin color backing Diddy's bid, and Diddy's group would have the upper hand, leaving the NFL owners to fight sexual harassment allegations in the league, the Colin Kaepernick ongoing story and a Trumpian/post-Charlottesville mindset among progressives that would trash the NFL owners beyond belief if the league retained its white owners status.