American rapper Sean Combs, aka Diddy, has put his hand up as a potential new owner for the Carolina Panthers, with current owner Jerry Richardson announcing his intention to deal the franchise.
Richardson has owned the franchise since 1993, but said he felt the time was right to turn theteam over However, the team won't officially be for sale until the end of the season.
"We will not begin the sale process, nor will we entertain any inquiries, until the very last game is played," a written statement said.
Combs declared his interest in buying the team on Instagram, saying he would be the "best NFL owner that you can imagine."
Combs said if he was successful, he would "immediately" bring quarterback Colin Kaepernick into the team to challenge incumbent Cam Newton for the starting role in 2018.
"It's just competition, baby. It's just competition," he said.
In his bid to take over the team, Combs gained the support of NBA superstar and Carolina native Stephen Curry, who said on Twitter he would be interested in joining the venture.
To be successfulin his bid, Combs would likely need partners like Curry, with Forbes valuing the Carolina outfit at US$2.3 billion this year in its annual valuation of NFL franchsies.
