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After a decade or so of making it a point to stay out of the public eye, Carolina Panthers owner Jerry Richardson suddenly has become a media darling.

It started right before the end of the NFL’s lockout, when Richardson opened up to reporters at a league meeting. And it hasn’t stopped. Richardson’s been talking a lot and that’s wonderful because he’s a fascinating man with lots to offer.

The latest example comes in this interview of Richardson and Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones did with Charlie Rose of PBS. Richardson often comes across as the bright and witty guy he is.

He repeatedly calls Jones “Coach."

“He wants to be a coach,’’ Richardson said, echoing an observation many fans and media members have made about Jones through the years.

Richardson was insightful as he talked about the labor negotiations and admitting how hard it was to give up hopes of going to an 18-game regular season and talking about the collaborative effort it took to get a deal done.

Richardson also was brutally honest when asked about the chances of Charlotte hosting a Super Bowl and admitting the city and surrounding region don’t meet all the NFL requirements.

“We don’t qualify for the hotels yet,’’ Richardson said. “Yet.’’

But Richardson also walked into some gray area when talking about his predraft interview with No. 1 overall pick Cam Newton.

Richardson asked Newton if he had any tattoos or piercings. The quarterback said no.

“We want to keep it that way," Richardson said he told Newton.

I’ll leave it up to you to decide if Richardson has the right to ask those questions. But, remember, there have been reports in recent years about college prospects like Dez Bryant and Myron Rolle being asked questions that might have been even more intrusive. I’ll also leave it up to you to decide if Richardson has the right to tell Newton to “keep it that way." I’ve seen plenty of other Panthers with tattoos through the years.

Richardson’s going to draw some criticism for asking Newton those questions. I just hope he realizes that comes with the territory when you open yourself up to the media. There’s good and bad that can come with that. I just hope Richardson doesn’t hear only the criticism and decide to go back into the bunker for the next decade.

The New Orleans Times Picayune lists Saints owner Tom Benson as the most influential person in the city’s sports world.

No doubt Benson is a huge force and the Saints are more popular now than they’ve ever been. But I’m not thoroughly convinced Benson belongs at the very top of this list. He’s not a hands-on owner like Jerry Jones or Daniel Snyder.

There’s nothing wrong with that approach and Snyder and Jones haven’t had huge success of late. But I think one of Benson’s strengths is that he surrounds himself with good people. There are some of his employees who are a little further down the list and I think you could make a case that each of them might be the most influential person in New Orleans sports.

Start with quarterback Drew Brees. He’s more than just a great football player. He’s a community leader and a symbol of the city. Brees’ arrival in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina went a long way in turning around the fortunes of the Saints and the city.

Coach Sean Payton and general manager Mickey Loomis also are on the list, but I think a case can be made that they belong closer to the top. Like Brees, Payton and Loomis are major reasons why the Saints have become a model franchise.

Finally, there is Rita Benson LeBlanc. She’s the granddaughter of the owner and she’s more powerful than a lot of people realize. She’s the heir apparent to her grandfather, but she already plays a prominent role on the business side. She also has taken the lead role in the team’s community relations.

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As part of Best of the NFL Week on ESPN.com, here are five bests for the NFC South:

Best training camp venue, Wofford College in Spartanburg, S.C.,: That’s where the Carolina Panthers train, and they’re the only division team right now that goes away for training camp. There’s been a league-wide trend of moving camps back to regular-season facilities. But if you’re going to go away, this might be the best setup in the NFL. Spartanburg isn’t all that picturesque or glamorous. But the Wofford campus is gorgeous, particularly the football facilities. In case you’ve forgotten, team owner Jerry Richardson played football for Wofford -- and later, the Baltimore Colts, before starting to make his fortune with his first Hardee’s restaurant in Spartanburg -- and he paid for those facilities.

Best coaching staff, Falcons: Coach Mike Smith’s going to be challenged a bit this year because the Falcons lost quarterbacks coach Bill Musgrave to a coordinator job in Minnesota, but they’ve replaced him with Bob Bratkowski. The rest of the staff is a group of all-stars, highlighted by coordinators Mike Mularkey (offense) and Brian VanGorder (defense). Offensive line coach Paul Boudreau isn’t a household name, but he’s one of the best in the business. For the past three years, the Falcons have given Matt Ryan great protection without having a lot of big names up front.

Best celebrity fan, Kenny Chesney: He’s not just a fan of the New Orleans Saints, he played for them. Well, sort of. A few years back the Saints held a press conference to announce they were signing the country singer/wide receiver to a contract. They never really did, but it was coach Sean Payton’s way of having fun with one of his best friends. It’s not unusual to see Chesney around the Saints. Heck, he’s even gone out on the practice field and attempted to catch punts.

Best team facility, One Buccaneer Place: It’s referred to as “One Buccaneer Palace’’ by some, and it is a palace on the inside. Also, despite popular belief, it was not paid for with taxpayer money. The Glazer family paid for the facility. The lobby and team meeting room are awesome and the locker room is the nicest in the NFC South. Heck, even the media room is, by far, the nicest in the division. The Falcons’ facility gets a strong honorable mention. In some ways, it’s just as nice as Tampa Bay’s facility, but the media room doesn’t even come close.

Best meddling owner, Arthur Blank: He’s not the Cowboys' Jerry Jones or the Redskins' Daniel Snyder, but I think it’s accurate to say Blank is hands-on in a healthy way. You’ll see him on the sidelines at the end of games, and he sits in on Smith’s postgame press conferences, which is pretty unusual for an owner. But I see Blank as more of a guy who cares passionately about his team and likes to keep a close eye on everything. He lets his people do their own thing, but he observes everything. Nothing wrong with that. After all, he owns the team.

Let’s take a plunge into the NFC South mailbag.

Frank in Clearwater, Fla., asks if the Bucs might follow a strategy similar to last year and draft defensive ends with their first two picks.

Pat Yasinskas: I wouldn’t rule that out at all. The Bucs set the precedent last year when they were desperate for help at defensive tackle and took Gerald McCoy and Brian Price with their first two picks. This year, they’re desperate for help at defensive end. They almost have to use at least one of their early picks on a defensive end and I wouldn’t be surprised if a second draft pick is used on a defensive end. I also wouldn’t be surprised if they sign a defensive end in free agency.

Ned in Canada wrote to say the Falcons should draft a wide receiver or a running back that’s a home-run threat because the only one they have is Roddy White.

Pat Yasinskas: No argument here. I said in our Leading Questions segment Tuesday the Falcons need to add a playmaker on offense and defense if they really want to take the next step. They do have to get a defensive end somewhere early in the draft or free agency. But I’d like to see them use an early draft pick on a receiver or running back with breakaway speed.

Sean in Charlotte, N.C., asks about the possibility of the Panthers signing wide receiver Plaxico Burress once he’s released from prison.

Pat Yasinskas: Not sure how long you’ve been in Charlotte, but if you’ve followed the history of the Panthers, you’d know there’s no chance of this happening. Ever since the Rae Carruth saga, owner Jerry Richardson has made sure the Panthers stay clear of any players with trouble in their background.

Clint in Santa Cruz, Calif., asks about the possibility of Burress landing with the Bucs.

Pat Yasinskas: Nice thought, but the Bucs are in a youth movement. They already have good young receivers in Mike Williams, Arrelious Benn and Sammie Stroughter. Burress will be 34 before next season starts. If the Bucs wanted an old wide receiver they could have just hung onto Joey Galloway.

Jamie in Minden, Nev., asks about the future of Reggie Bush with the Saints.

Pat Yasinskas: Bush remains under contract to the Saints. He has a big salary and that would make him tough to trade. I don’t think the Saints really want to trade him. He’s a Sean Payton favorite. I think you could see a situation where the Saints restructure Bush’s contract to make sure they keep him. But I also think last year’s injury problems at running back and the likely departure of Pierre Thomas mean the Saints will seek another running back to go with Bush and Chris Ivory.

Steve in New Jersey asks if Carolina owner Jerry Richardson’s hard-line stance in the labor negotiations could end up hurting the Panthers down the road.

Pat Yasinskas: That’s a good point because the labor situation is getting nasty and Richardson’s right in the middle of it all. That could come back to haunt him with players perceiving him in a negative light. It would be pretty ironic because Carolina used to be viewed as a destination spot by a lot of players because Richardson, a former player, was widely considered one of the best owners in the league, Bank of America Stadium is a top-notch facility and Charlotte’s a nice place to live and has decent weather.

Devin in Tampa writes that the Glazer family seems very uninterested and uninvolved in the Buccaneers and asks about the possibility of Eddie DeBartolo buying the team and being a hands-on owner.

Pat Yasinskas: Wow, it never ceases to amaze me how some people in the Tampa Bay area continue to perceive the Glazers. Let’s clarify what I think is Devin’s biggest misconception. The Glazers are very involved and interested in their team. If you’re around One Buc Place, you’ll almost always see a Glazer brother around. Their employees will tell you they’re very involved in business operations. It’s true that they’re not heavily involved in football operations, but I view that as a good thing. Leave the football stuff to general manager Mark Dominik and coach Raheem Morris. They seem to have things going in the right direction. Also, I think the Glazers get labeled because they’re not out in front of the cameras all the time. Is that really necessary for owners? How’s that worked out for Dan Snyder and Jerry Jones? Finally, Eddie DeBartolo had to disassociate himself from the San Francisco 49ers for legal reasons. Even if the Bucs were for sale, and they’re not, it might be difficult for DeBartolo to get back into the league.

As the world got ready for the Super Bowl on Sunday, social media circles were burning up with a rumor that New Orleans coach Sean Payton was leaving to become general manager of the Dallas Cowboys.

The Saints acted quickly to cut that one down, issuing the following statement: "Coach Payton is the Saints Head Coach; he is not going to the Dallas Cowboys in any capacity."

I don’t know how these things get started sometimes. It’s true that Payton has some ties to Dallas. He was the quarterbacks coach there before joining the Saints and has a close relationship with Cowboys owner Jerry Jones.

But how does that set the stage for him suddenly leaving to become Dallas’ general manager? Payton’s under contract to the Saints.

Also, Payton is a football coach. He’s never been a general manager and, at this point in his life, has shown no sign he wants to be an administrator. He’s left that role up to general manager Mickey Loomis in New Orleans and focused on coaching.

Payton also seems quite happy in New Orleans, where he and quarterback Drew Brees are widely credited for helping rebuild the Saints and the city. Also, Payton’s an intense competitor. He won last year’s Super Bowl and he still has Brees in his prime, which makes the Saints a contender to win another Super Bowl in the near future.

Payton has a great situation in New Orleans. Owner Tom Benson leaves football matters up to Payton and Loomis. That’s not the way things have worked in Dallas, where Jones is heavily involved in football matters.

At some point in his career, Payton may want to make a move over to the administrative side, like his mentor, Bill Parcells. But I don’t see this being the time or the situation for him to leave a perfect situation in New Orleans.

Time for the New Orleans Saints in today’s series of team-by-team mailbags.

James in New Orleans writes: How can you not say Carl Nicks is the best guard in the division? You didn't even mention him, and he's having the best season of any guard in the NFL.

Pat Yasinskas: I agree that Carl Nicks is a good player and he was considered for a spot on the midseason All-NFC South team. But, based on conversations I had with coaches, front-office guys and players, I felt it was automatic that Tampa Bay’s Davin Joseph got the first guard spot because he’s having an outstanding season. That left Nicks and Jahri Evans for the other guard spot. New Orleans’ offense line hasn’t been nearly as good as it was a year ago and Evans isn’t having the dominant season he did last year. But the people I rely on to help me make this decisions still think Evans has been a notch or two above Nicks.

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Jason in Winston-Salem writes: Why is no one talking about how unbelievable the Saints defense is this year? For the second time in the last two weeks they held an NFL team under 210 yards of total offense.

Pat Yasinskas: Well, let’s keep in mind, one of those games was against the Panthers, who don’t have an offense. But I do agree New Orleans’ defense has become very good overall. It’s not the opportunistic defense of last season, but the Saints are more balanced on defense and are now capable of shutting down some offenses.

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Worried Saints Fan in New Orleans writes: I know Sean Payton is close with Jerry Jones, with Dallas firing Wade Phillips please tell me that Jerry Jones is not going to go after Sean Payton. Is there any scenario where Sean Payton would want to leave New Orleans for Dallas? I know this might sound a little crazy but as a Saints fan I truly understand that anything is possible. Ease my mind and let me know that Sean Payton will be coaching the Saints for next 10 years.

Pat Yasinskas: Relax, Payton’s not going anywhere. He’s under contract to the Saints and has a good thing going there. He’d have a major building job in front of him in Dallas and he’s got a shot at a possible dynasty in New Orleans. It’s true that Payton and Jones are close. But, at most, the only thing that might emerge out of that friendship is for Payton to lobby Jones to hire his good friend, John Fox, to coach the Cowboys.

I just came across this radio interview with Falcons owner Arthur Blank. There was one part where Blank was asked about being accessible to the media. As a media member, I found this interesting and I think fans will, too.

“That’s very much a part of our culture, is to be available, and frankly to be even more available when times are difficult,’’ Blank said. “It’s easy to be available when things are going great. Sometimes when you’re facing adversity, some folks go off and hide someplace. We don’t think that’s the best thing to do.”

Applause for Blank. There’s no doubt he is the NFC South’s most accessible owner. Nobody else is even close. Blank isn’t Jerry Jones or Daniel Snyder. In other words, he’s not constantly out there seeking attention, but he’s willing to be out front with the media and, in turn, his fans. Blank gets it when it comes to dealing with media and fans, and I give Falcons public relations guru Reggie Roberts and his staff a lot of credit for creating a very media-friendly environment.

It’s really not that way with the other NFC South owners. Carolina’s Jerry Richardson is by no means an unfriendly man. In fact, he’ll often stop on the practice field to talk with reporters. It’s off the record and just basic conversation, and Richardson treats media members as real people. But he just doesn’t like being in the spotlight. When I covered the Panthers for The Charlotte Observer, Richardson usually would agree to go on the record once a year, and usually it was at the spring owners meeting. He’d talk extensively about the state of his team. At the end, I’d always say something like, “See, it’s not that difficult’’. He’d laugh and say, “Yeah, but we won’t do it again until next year’’. It’s just the way he operates.

New Orleans owner Tom Benson has been a bit more visible since the Saints won the Super Bowl, but he’s never been the type to hold court with the media. His granddaughter Rita LeBlanc, who seems to be gaining more and more power in the operation of the franchise, is more media friendly and has become the face of the franchise, from an ownership perspective.

Tampa Bay owner Malcolm Glazer used to be called a recluse, and I don’t think that was inaccurate. In fact, I can only remember him speaking twice in the early years of his ownership when I was covering the Bucs for The Tampa Tribune. I believe once was when he officially bought the team, and the other time was when the Bucs signed Warren Sapp to a huge contract extension. Glazer is not in great health these days, and sons Bryan, Joel, and Ed are running the team. They take a lot of heat locally for not being very media friendly. But I don’t think that label is entirely accurate. The Glazers might not be outgoing personalities, but they know every reporter in their market by name and they’ll make small talk when they run into media members. They also have taken the Richardson approach at times and done some state-of-the-union addresses at league meetings. There also is a new effort inside One Buccaneer Place to make the Glazers more visible, and we’ve seen some evidence of that with the brothers playing big roles in Derrick Brooks’ retirement ceremony and the announcement that John McKay will join the team’s Ring of Honor. Look for that to continue, but don’t ever expect the Glazers to become like Blank.

Here’s another article that suggests the Panthers could move Jon Beason from middle linebacker to the weak side now that Thomas Davis is hurt again. Let me just emphasize again this is only a possibility. The Panthers have lots of options at linebacker with James Anderson and Jamar Williams as candidates to play on the outside and Dan Connor on the inside. What the Panthers have to decide on is which balancing act gives them their three best linebackers on the field.

New Orleans receiver Lance Moore officially signed his tender as a restricted free agent. There still remains the possibility the Saints could work a long-term deal with him. Moore attended offseason workouts, unlike some of the other New Orleans restricted free agents, and that fact may help his cause.

Tampa Bay co-chairman Bryan Glazer spoke at a Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce gathering Friday. He addressed the possibility of an 18-game season, said local television blackouts could be a reality this season and said the team is committed to building with youth. The Glazers get knocked quite a bit for not talking very often. There’s been a subtle change in philosophies and you’re going to see the Glazers become a bit more visible in the public eye. They’re not going to suddenly turn into Jerry Jones or Dan Snyder, but you’re going to see more of them than you have in the past.

The Bucs released linebacker Angelo Crowell. He’ll go down as one of the worst free-agent signings in franchise history. The Bucs didn’t pay Crowell a ton of money when they first signed him, but they thought he had a chance to start. He had some injuries and contributed absolutely nothing to Tampa Bay.

Atlanta owner Arthur Blank has been chosen to receive the Four Pillar Award.

Time for a trip through the NFC South with the local columnists.

Mark Bradley writes that, although the Falcons lost a game, they got quarterback Matt Ryan back. After struggling for the last month or so, Ryan bounced back and played the way he did last year. If that continues, Atlanta has a shot at a playoff spot.

After Atlanta’s overtime loss, Daniel Cox wonders if the NFL’s coin-toss, sudden-death system is fair.

Joe Henderson takes a look at how Tampa Bay’s Josh Freeman came back to earth after playing so well in the first two starts of his rookie season.

Carolina Huddle has a good overview on the situation with coach John Fox and his future with the Panthers. I heard two national radio guys debating this over the weekend. One said it’s ridiculous to say Fox is on the hot seat because owner Jerry Richardson has never said that. Umm, other than Al Davis and Jerry Jones, what owner ever has come out and said a coach is on the hot seat? I’m not ready to say Fox is gone, but he’s definitely on the hot seat. There’s disappointment in the fan base that the Panthers have been mediocre after going 12-4 last year. I also know ownership is painfully aware that Fox never has been able to put together back-to-back winning seasons.

Jeff Duncan writes about how the Saints and their fans took over Raymond James Stadium on Sunday.

In his new role at NewOrleans.com, Brian Allee-Walsh has a detailed account of the Saints’ victory Sunday.

	Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images
	Former Falcons quarterback Michael Vick may get conditionally reinstated, but even if he does, will any team want him?

Posted by ESPN.com's Pat Yasinskas

Anybody want Michael Vick?

That's not a question. It's a plea. Seriously, I'd be thrilled to trade you the former Atlanta quarterback for anything. Heck, for nothing. Take him and the mountain of baggage he carries, please.

Still no takers?

Don't feel isolated. It appears nobody is lining up to take Vick. Selfishly, I'm not real happy about that because I've had more than my share of the ugly Vick saga, which has dragged on seemingly forever.

As the NFC South blogger, my territory includes Vick until he signs with a team in another division. My readers write me every day to ask me to stop writing about Vick because they're so tired of hearing about him. That's probably not going to change any time soon.

Yes, Vick is out of prison and done with home confinement. Yes, ESPN's Sal Paolantonio is reporting Commissioner Roger Goodell has decided to grant Vick a conditional reinstatement for training camp, although there remains a chance the quarterback could face a four-game suspension.

Even with the conditional reinstatement, there's no guarantee an NFL team will step forward to take an immensely talented athlete, who may or may not be suited to play quarterback or some other position and is certain to bring a swarm of media and protesters if he shows up anywhere near a stadium. And the cloud of a possible four-game suspension doesn't make Vick any more appealing.

Still, I thought there was a chance some owner (Jerry Jones? Al Davis?) might take a shot. Now, I'm thinking there's a very real chance 32 owners will pass on Vick.

(Read full post)

Posted by ESPN.com's Pat Yasinskas

Colleague Matt Mosley posted an item earlier where he speculates about the possibility of Carolina receiver Steve Smith getting shipped to the Cowboys.

Makes sense from a Dallas perspective since owner Jerry Jones seems to like wide receivers who get into trouble. But, from Carolina's perspective, I don't see this happening.

Smith is Carolina's best player and the Panthers have a lot invested in him financially and emotionally. Smith is a favorite of owner Jerry Richardson, although it's probably fair to guess Richardson was disappointed about Smith's fight with teammate Ken Lucas on Friday. The team has suspended Smith for the first two regular-season games and you can bet Richardson and Smith have had a long talk.

It wasn't their first, but Richardson had been pleased with Smith's maturity for several years and I don't think the owner is ready to give up on the receiver. Smith may be down to his last chance with the Panthers. But he's going to get that chance. If he squanders it, then the Panthers might be ready to talk to the Cowboys.