>>>
>>> WILL
>>> WILL COME BACK TO FLASHPOINT. FOR A SECOND WE ARE STEPPING
AWAY FROM POLITICS AND TALKING
ABOUT SPORTS.
>> WHAT RARELY HAPPENS.
>> THIS WEEK THE PANTHERS OWNER
PARTED WAYS WITH THE HEAD COACH
AFTER THE PANTHERS LOST FOUR
STRAIGHT GAMES.
BUT RIVERA IS THE WINNINGEST
COACH IN IT PANTHERS HISTORY.
THEY MATED TO ONE SUPER BOWL,
HOWEVER SINCE DECIBEL SEASON
HE'S HAD ONLY ONE WINNING
SEASON.
SURPRISE A LOT OF FOLKS, HE
SAID HE WAS SURPRISED, HE
THOUGHT THAT IF THIS WAS GOING
TO HAPPEN IT WOULD HAPPEN AT
THE END OF THE SEASON.
GET YOUR REACTION.
>> I WAS LIKE SAY IT AIN'T SO
WHEN I HEARD THIS.
AND COACH RIVERA DID EMPHASIZE
THAT HE FELT HE DIDN'T AGREE
WITH THAT, HE THOUGHT HE HAD
THREE WINNING SEASONS.
IT'S A LOSS CERTAINLY THE KIND
OF MAN HE IS AND WHAT HE HAS
DONE, NOT JUST THE PANTHERS BUT
OUR COMMUNITY.
I WAS SURPRISED THAT IT HAPPEN
LIKE THAT.
BUT, YOU KNOW, BUT HE IS A
BUSINESSMAN AND HE IS A HEDGE
FUND GUY AND IT'S ALL ABOUT
TRANSACTIONS.
THIS IS HOW HE ROLLS.
I THINK THE COMMUNITY WILL
AGREE TO THIS.
>> HE SAID SOMETHING
INTERESTING.
BACK ON WEDNESDAY.
HE SAID PEOPLE DON'T STEP DOWN
FROM THESE JOBS, THESE JOBS IT
IS LIKE THE BIG NETWORK ANCHOR
JOB, YOU NEVER GOING TO WANT TO
LEAVE THOSE JOBS BECAUSE THEY
ARE GREAT JOBS.
THEY ARE PLUM GIGS THAT IF YOU
LAND WHEN YOU NEVER WANT TO
LEAVE UNFORTUNATELY THIS IS A
PART OF BUSINESS.
>> I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH
HIM BEING A NEW SET OF EYES
COMING IN.
SOMETIMES YOU NEED A FRESH
PERSPECTIVE I HAVE A PROBLEM
WITH IT BEING FOUR GAMES LEFT
IN THE SEASON.
IT WASN'T THAT IF ANY TERRIBLE
COACHING DECISION ALL
THROUGHOUT, HE'S GOT A
DIFFERENT QUARTERBACK VERSUS
YOUR FRANCHISE QUARTERBACK.
WHO'S ACTUALLY DONE PRETTY
WELL.
I THINK IT IS DISTASTEFUL
HONESTLY AND DISRESPECTFUL TO
WHAT THE COACH HAS MEANT TO
THIS COMMUNITY.
IT JUST SEEMS THAT THAT HE'S
JUST TRY TO SHOW WHO IS IN
CHARGE A NEW COACH COMING IN,
IT'S NOT THE GOING TO DO THE
PLAYOFFS.
>>
>> GETTING THE TIMING ON THIS, THE HOLIDAY SEASON, PROBABLY PEOPLE STRUGGLE WITH THAT.
>>> MECKLENBURG COUNTY
COMMISSIONERS GRANTING ANOTHER
FIVE AND HALF MILLION DOLLARS
TAXPAYER MONEY TO COMPLETE
MEMORIAL STADIUM.
YOU MAY REMEMBER BACK IN 2017
THE BOARD COMMISSIONERS
APPROVED $1 MILLION TO RENOVATE
THE STADIUM BUT NOW IT NEEDS
MORE.
THE ADDITIONAL MONEY MEANS THE
PROJECT WILL STAY ON TACK AND
THE TROUT THE PROCESS WILL NOT
CHANGE.
TOTAL COST $40.5 BILLION.
LET ME ASK AS A COUNTY LEADER,
THE CONSTRUCTION COST WENT UP,
CAN YOU NOT ANTICIPATE
SOMETHING LIKE THAT HAPPENING
WITH THE FIRST DRAFT OF THE
BUDGET FOR A PROJECT LIKE THIS?
>> I THINK THEY DID IT JUST
BEEN ACROSS THE BOARD.
WE ALSO HAVE THE TALENT TARIFFS
WITH A LOT OF THE MATERIALS
FROM THE OTHER COUNTRIES, STEEL
AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
I DON'T THINK WE COULD
ANTICIPATE THAT.
I DIDN'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH IT.
THE GOVERNMENT HAD THE SAME
PROBLEM BUT, IT'S JUST THE
WORLD WE LIVE IN RIGHT NOW.
>> THE QUESTION TO ME, ALL THE
INVESTMENTS, THE TAXPAYER
DOLLARS ARE GOING INTO THESE
TYPES OF VENUES ARE WE SPENDING
THE MONEY THE RIGHT WAY?
WILL HAVE A SIMILAR SITUATION
COME UP.
HOW MUCH TAXPAYER DOLLARS WILL
GO INTO RENOVATING BANK OF
AMERICA STADIUM.
HOW MUCH DO THE OWNERS HAVE
OTHER STADIUMS WHEN THEY ARE
NOT PUBLIC BUT I'M SURE, THE
CONSTRUCTION STARTS.
IF IT LACKS TOO LONG BUT
WHERE'S THE BREAKPOINT OF
FUNDING FROM THE TAXPAYERS.
>> VERSUS NONPRIVATE.
>> JUST QUICKLY WHENEVER THIS
HAS BEEN TOLD IN THE LAST
COUPLE OF DAYS.
NO ONE EVER MENTIONS THAT WE
ALMOST LOST THE STADIUM.
AND I WAS ONE OF THOSE WHO
FOUGHT WITH SEVERAL COLLEAGUES
WHO WERE NO LONGER ON THE BOARD
AND ANOTHER DEMOCRAT TO SAVE
MEMORIAL STADIUM AND SAVE THE
NAME.
IT IS THE AMERICAN LEGION, IT
HAS HISTORY.
IT WAS ALMOST LOST TO MR. SMITH
IN CONCORD.
I THINK DURING THAT TIME, THE
PEOPLE REALLY SHOWED THAT THEY
WANTED TO KEEP THAT.
THERE ARE SOME MEMORIES OF
MEMORIAL STADIUM AND THE
COMMUNITY.
I DON'T THINK PEOPLE WILL