David Tepper Fined $300K For Childish Outburst
In case you missed it, Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper had a remarkable display on Sunday when his team played the Jacksonville Jaguars. Amid getting shut out 26-0, the 56-year-old had a tantrum and threw a drink at a Jacksonville fan. Check out the hideous display yourself:
You would think a guy with a net worth of over $20 billion would conduct himself a little better than that. However, this incident is the latest in a sad tenure for the hedge fund owner. The NFL has brought the hammer down and fined him $300,000, even more than when then-Titans owner Bud Adams made an obscene gesture towards a fan. While there’s no place for that, there’s even less of one for a physical gesture like what Tepper did.
Carolina Blues:
Since buying the team in 2018, you can argue Tepper has been the worst owner in sports. The Panthers have not had a winning season and they have cycled through head coaches and executives freely. You could argue, however, that here and now is rock bottom, and the road to this point has not been a pretty one.
The Matt Rhule firing in 2022 was a pretty big embarrassment. Then, trading up to the 2023 No. 1 pick to select Bryce Young was risky, especially when C.J. Stroud has had a better rookie year by miles. Even more risky when you give up your own first-round pick for 2024 and have the worst record in football right now.
Did we even mention Frank Reich? It did not go too well for him either. The best next step is for Tepper to admit he failed and sell the team to owners who actually care and want them to succeed.
David Tepper is a horrible owner and the incident on Sunday arguably deserves more of a fine than $300,000. Maybe he will come to his senses and realize he’s in the wrong place. It feels like his actions are a culmination of all of the mistakes he’s made.
