Maybe it’s me–granted every day is a brand new news cycle in the age of Trump—but the Carolina Panthers’ plans to take advantage of proposed tax breaks in South Carolina isn’t getting the media coverage it should. I think I know why—Panthers owner David Tepper has said he is committed to keeping the team at Bank of America Stadium in downtown Charlotte and the proposed plan is only for a state-of-the-art headquarters and practice facility. Ok, not only a headquarters and practice facility. The State reports:
To facilitate the move, the Panthers and the S.C. governor’s office are discussing potential infrastructure projects to improve traffic flow at I-77 exits in York County, the governor’s office said.
Tepper and Gov. Henry McMaster also are working together to explore whether plans underway to extend the Rock Hill airport’s runway will be enough to meet the Panthers’ needs. If not, state or local officials could lengthen the runway even more, the governor’s office said.
And at a private meeting Wednesday between Tepper and state leaders, Tepper brought up his vision of a light rail system that would connect North Carolina’s Queen City and Rock Hill, four sources told The State. McMaster shares that vision, though the Panthers move is not contingent upon the light rail’s construction, the governor’s office and others said.
Hard to believe if South Carolina’s going to got this far, they’d stop with just an HQ and practice facility. We’re talking the world of professional sports, which quit shocking and surprising long before Trump came on the political scene. Beleive what you want to believe, Charlotte. Just don’t be surprised.
