Earnhardt wants piece of Panthers
Retired NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. said he is interested in becoming a minority owner with the NFL’s Carolina Panthers.
Earnhardt told The Associated Press he was not asked by local businessmen Felix Sabates to join a potential ownership group, but said he did contact Marcus Smith, the CEO of Speedway Motorsports, to say he’d be interested.
Panthers owner Jerry Richardson announced in December he’s selling the team.
Earnhardt, who lives in Kannapolis, N.C., said he told the CEO of Speedway Motorsports, “‘Hey, Marcus, if you guys get in the middle of it and you think it’s a good business deal, I definitely have some interest.’”
Earnhardt said he “wouldn’t have the kind of money where I would move the needle too much, but it would be something to have a lot of pride in.”
Tomlin takes time
Todd Haley’s contract as the offensive coordinator for the Pittsburgh Steelers is up. And coach Mike Tomlin doesn’t sound as if he’s in a rush to decide whether Haley will be back next season.
Tomlin sidestepped several attempts to endorse Haley’s return yesterday as the AFC North champions continued to dissect what went wrong in an upset home playoff loss to Jacksonville. Asked if he anticipated any changes to his staff, Tomlin demurred.
“I don’t know where these roads are going to lead,” Tomlin said. “Some contracts are up. Some aren’t. I’m not ready to discuss that.”
Haley just finished his sixth season with the Steelers and has helped design one of the NFL’s most dynamic offenses.
Pro Bowl changes
Tennessee tight end Delanie Walker has replaced Kansas City tight end Travis Kelce on the AFC roster for the Pro Bowl.
On the NFC side, Green Bay Packers wide receiver Davante Adams has replaced injured Atlanta star Julio Jones.
Seattle hires two
The Seattle Seahawks have hired Brian Schottenheimer as their offensive coordinator and are bringing back Ken Norton Jr. to oversee the defense.
The Seahawks officially announced the anticipated hires after reports surfaced during the holiday weekend of agreements with the pair. San Francisco 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan released a statement Monday that Norton had been offered a coordinator position less than a week after he was hired by the 49ers. The Seahawks did not confirm Norton’s hiring until yesterday.
Thanks, Blake
Cincinnati Bengals fans are thanking Blake Bortles for helping the Jacksonville Jaguars eliminate Pittsburgh from the playoffs.
The Blake Bortles Foundation said more than 100 Bengals fans have combined to contribute nearly $5,000 since Jacksonville beat Cincinnati’s biggest rival, the Steelers, 45-42 last Sunday.