Hip hop mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs said he hopes to buy the Carolina Panthers so he can sign Colin Kaepernick after the team’s current owner announced he will sell the franchise amid sexual misconduct allegations.
"I would like to buy the @Panthers. Spread the word. Retweet!" Combs wrote on Twitter Sunday evening, noting that he could become the NFL’s first majority African-American owner. "There are no majority African-American NFL owners. Let's make history.”
There are no majority African American NFL owners. Let’s make history.— Diddy (@Diddy) December 18, 2017
Combs repeated his interest later on Instagram and pledged to sign Kaepernick. He said he would let the former 49ers quarterback compete with 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,” Diddy said in a video. "It’s just competition, baby. It’s just competition"
Kaepernick has been unable to sign with a club following the controversy of him kneeling during the national anthem in protest. His activism inspired other athletes after President Trump suggested in September that those who kneel should be fired.
The artist also said he would want to improve the halftime shows. “I will have the best halftime show, the best selection of music," he said. “And we will win Super Bowl after Super Bowl."
Diddy’s interest in buying the Panthers comes after its current owner, Jerry Richardson, decided to sell the team following sexual and racist misconduct accusations.
Richardson wrote in the open letter: “I believe it is time to turn the franchise over to new ownership. Therefore, I will put the team up for sale at the conclusion of the NFL season.” The letter did not address the allegations.
But despite Diddy’s desires, he might come into problems buying the team. According to The New York Daily News, the Panthers team is worth $120 million more than the mogul’s total net value. NFL teams also normally sell for more than their reported value.