And by game, I mean negotiations with the city over a stadium refit. Yes, a deal which involves the city providing $125 million for Bank of America Stadium upgrades was agreed to Monday night. But check out what Erik Spanberg Carolina Business Journal reported on Monday early evening, so just before Jerry Richardson and Danny Morrison gave their presentation to Charlotte City Council:

The city of Charlotte has ample motivation for making a deal with the Carolina Panthers — and it starts with succession plans for majority owner Jerry Richardson. A source close to the team tells me that Richardson, 76 years old and four years removed from heart-replacement surgery, has mandated the NFL franchise be sold two years after his death.

That’s about as hardball as it gets, especially given the city’s known fear that the team might relocate after Richardson is no longer in charge.