Carolina Panthers

Was Diddy successful in his bid to buy the Carolina Panthers? Uh uh, uh uh.

Despite teaming up with Philadelphia 76ers owner Michael Rubin, Diddy's ownership group was NOT selected to purchase the NFL team ... instead, the new owner will be hedge fund manager David Tepper.

Remember, Diddy publicly said he wanted to be the first black owner in the NFL -- and hoped the move would inspire and empower black America.

He even got support from New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft who said, "I'm a big fan of his."

But it was all for naught ... with Tepper reportedly sealing the purchase for more than $2 BILLION from Jerry Richardson, who paid $206 million for the rights to start the team in 1993.

As for Tepper, he's not exactly an outsider ... he was already a minority owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The 72-year-old man who was rescued by Christian McCaffrey and his brother just got hooked up AGAIN -- this time the NFL star sent AWESOME Panthers gifts to celebrate being discharged from the hospital.

As we previously reported, Christian -- along with his brothers and friends -- spotted 72-year-old Dan Smoker, who had suffered serious injuries after falling 20 feet during a hike in Colorado.

Christian's group rushed to help -- with one of McCaffrey's friends performing chest compressions when the inured man stopped breathing. Christian called 911 and prayed with the man and his grandson until help arrived.

Smoker suffered major injuries -- including several broken bones and bleeding on the brain -- but he's made a spectacular recovery and was recently released from the hospital.

To celebrate, Christian sent Dan and his family a gift basket with autographed jerseys and an invite to a Panthers home game!

Gotta love a story with a happy ending!

Cam Newton did a really cool thing in Atlanta on Thursday ... rolling through a DICK'S Sporting Goods store to help a bunch of Special Olympics athletes crush a $200 shopping spree!!!

We're told there were 17 athletes at the store -- all local kids (from the same area where Cam grew up) ranging in age from 5 to 18.

Each athlete got $200 to spend in the store ($3,400 in total) -- from shoes to training gear or jerseys -- and Cam made sure each kid got the best stuff!

In fact, when one of the athletes (a Golden State Warriors fan) was having trouble deciding between a Steph Curry jersey and a Kevin Durant jersey ... Cam helped the guy make up his mind.

Wanna guess which one he chose?

TMZ Sports has obtained the harrowing 911 call Christian McCaffrey made to help save a stranger's life ... and it details how serious the accident was.

Christian, a friend, and his brother, Max -- a 49ers WR -- were hiking at Castle Rock, Colorado on March 3 when they spotted a 72-year-old man fall off a cliff ... landing on a rock 12 feet below.

McCaffrey sprang into action ... personally calling 911 and pleading for help to arrive ASAP.

The situation was clearly dire with CM telling the operator, "He's breathing barely."

While they waited for help, Christian can be heard telling people at the scene ... "Everybody say a prayer."

Diddy says he's 100% serious about buying the Carolina Panthers, and the reason he's doing it couldn't be more important ... 'cause he says it's all to inspire and empower black America.

Puff sat down with the crew on "The Breakfast Club" when he was asked if there were any updates on his efforts to purchase the squad.

Diddy made it clear it's totally real -- he's putting an investment group together -- and told everyone why he thought it was important for the black community to have NFL ownership.

"It was never about me buying the Panthers, it was always about we. It was always about we need a team. I jumped out there to make sure that they understood that they have to consider some black ownership right now with 80%, 70% of the league being African-American. It's just time."

Diddy goes on to say he gets why some people think he won't be able to do it ... there's a lot of yellow tape -- but it's clear he doesn't think anyone can stop him.

T.I. says he does NOT want in on Diddy and Steph Curry's bid to buy the Carolina Panthers ... 'cause owning a team ain't all it's cracked up to be.

The rap star broke it down for us out in Beverly Hills ... telling TMZ Sports he wouldn't wanna blow his bankroll when the league rules with an iron fist.

"I don't wanna spend a bunch of money on something that I can't do what I want, when I want," T.I. said.

"If I spend tens of millions or hundreds of millions, I want full rein and jurisdiction over everything ... you can't do that with the NFL."

The Carolina Panthers are officially for sale now that their season is over ... and Steph Curry says he's willing to do "whatever it takes" to be one of the team's new owners.

After TMZ Sports caught up with the NBA superstar on Friday and asked about joining Diddy in pursuing the Panthers ... Steph doubled down on his serious interest to reporters at Warriors practice on Monday.

"It's a pretty interesting opportunity. I've had conversations with many people about the right way to go about it and different approaches I can personally take."

Steph says he's already had talks with Diddy about the "different opportunities and options" they can pursue together ... but it definitely sounds like Curry is serious about being involved.

The co-founder of the Boston University CTE Center believes Cam Newton suffered a concussion during Sunday's NFL playoff game ... and says Cam's excuse for going back in the game is a joke.

The Panthers QB was rocked in the 4th quarter of the Wild Card game against the Saints -- collapsing while jogging toward the sideline.

He was examined by medical personnel and was cleared to reenter the game. Newton later said he did NOT feel like he had a concussion, but suffered an eye injury from his helmet slipping down.

Sure.

Enter Chris Nowinski, Ph.D. -- one of the most famous and esteemed CTE experts in the world ... who also played college football and wrestled for the WWE.

"This 'Cam Newton's visor poked him in the eye' is the greatest storyline in the history of sports," Nowinski said.

"And I'm saying that as a former WWE wrestler. Watch the video, you don't collapse after that him because you need ice on your face. It's a #concussion."

Diddy has another big supporter in his corner in his quest for NFL ownership -- with Al Sharpton saying the business mogul could fix a BUNCH of the league's PR problems.

"He would be the perfect mixture of business acumen and pizzazz," Sharpton said -- pointing to Diddy's success in music and fashion.

Sharpton also thinks Colin Kaepernick deserves a place at the owner's table -- saying his knowledge as a "football scholar" would pair perfectly with Diddy.

Jay Glazer says the NFL should be rollin' out the red carpet for Diddy -- 'cause they need him more than he needs them.

We got the NFL Insider leaving Craig's in L.A. ... and Jay told us why the league would be lucky to bring on a man of Diddy's diverse talents.

"Great businessman, guy knows sports ... the NFL needs more people like Diddy in the league who can kinda forward think a little bit more and certainly knows how to build a brand," Glazer told TMZ Sports.

So when it comes to Puff potentially buying the Carolina Panthers -- Jay's with Nipsey Hussle.

Nipsey Hussle says Diddy and Colin Kaepernick are about to be the NFL's first black owners -- and he's gonna personally smack anyone trying to hold 'em down!

FYI, a Bay Area newscaster is under fire over a segment mocking Puff's bid to buy the Panthers -- with the reporter saying he looked drunk and high, and claiming the hip-hop mogul was too broke to buy the team.

Nipsey's response?

"F*ck the n***a that was doubtin' them on the news, woofin’ that sh*t. We gon’ catch you and beat yo ass, n***a."

"Got some homegirls for that bitch, too!" the rapper told TMZ Sports outside Catch in L.A.

We also got Nipsey's bro, YG, out at Staples Center ... and it's pretty clear he's got Diddy and Kaep's backs, too.

Diddy just got a huge endorsement from one of the most powerful men in the NFL -- New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft ... who says he's a huge fan of the rap mogul.

It's high praise -- and the timing couldn't be better ... with Diddy publicly declaring his intentions to become the next owner of the Carolina Panthers.

So, when we saw Kraft in Bev Hills with his GF, Ricki Noel Lander, we asked if he thinks Diddy has the chops to crush in the NFL.

"I'm a big fan of Diddy," Kraft tells TMZ Sports ..."He's a good businessman. He's a very good businessman and I have a lot of respect for Diddy."

It's the big question every Carolina Panthers fan is asking -- will the drama surrounding owner Jerry Richardson affect the players on the field?

Who better to ask than a former NFL star who played 10 seasons in the league -- including 1 year with the Dallas Cowboys?

So, when we saw Marcellus Wiley at Compton City Hall giving out toys to kids (salute!) we had to know ... is the Panthers' season doomed, despite their 10-4 record?

7:05 PM PT -- Diddy is weighing in on the Panthers' sale ... and it sounds like he wants to throw his hat in the ring as the next owner.

Well that was fast -- Carolina Panthers owner Jerry Richardson says he's putting the team up for sale at the end of the season ... the same day the NFL said it's investigating him.

Richardson released a statement Sunday saying he was planning to sell the Panthers franchise to new ownership, but wouldn't start the process 'til the very last game.

As we reported ... the Panthers launched an investigation into their owner this week for alleged misconduct in the workplace, including reported cash settlements for at least 4 employees.

According to Sports Illustrated, the misconduct centered around alleged sexual harassment and the use of a racial slur. The NFL also announced Sunday that it was taking over the Panthers' original probe ... which appears to have forced Richardson's hand.

Gotta say ... this reminds us a lot of when TMZ Sports revealed racist comments made by former Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling ... who sold the team after news of his scandal broke.

From Hollywood to the NFL ... now a powerful NFL owner is being investigated for alleged misconduct in the workplace.

The Carolina Panthers have confirmed they have "commenced an internal investigation" into 81-year-old Jerry Richardson. Details of the allegations have not been made public.

"The Carolina Panthers and Mr. Richardson take these allegations very seriously and are fully committed to a full investigation and taking appropriate steps to address and remediate any misconduct," the team said in a statement.

"The entire organization is fully committed to ensuring a safe, comfortable and diverse work environment where all individuals, regardless of sex, race, color, religion, gender, or sexual identity or orientation, are treated fairly and equally. We have work to do to achieve this goal, but we are going to meet it."

As for the NFL ... our sources tell us the Panthers made the league aware this afternoon that they'd launched an investigation.

The scumbag who socked out a 62-year-old man at a Carolina Panthers game has been arrested for assault, cops have confirmed.

The suspect is Kyle Adam Maraghy -- and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg PD says he's currently on his way to jail.

The CMPD says the 26-year-old is the man who was captured on video brutally attacking another man in the stands at Bank of America Stadium during Thursday Night Football.

We did some checking ... this ain't the first time Maraghy's been accused of violence.

He's been arrested for assault at least 2 times since 2013 -- and has claimed to be a victim in 2 other violent incidents. We're trying to find out if Maraghy was ever convicted.