2023 has not been a good year for Carolina Panthers team owner David Tepper.
The billionaire hedge fund manager was hoping for his first winning season since purchasing the franchise in 2018. He traded away multiple first and second round picks, along with star wideout DJ Moore, for the right to select Bryce Young with the first overall pick of last spring’s draft. He hired Frank Reich as head coach in order to develop his prized young passer. And, despite a lack of depth, Tepper set his sights upon contention in a weak NFC South.
This is not what has happened. The Panthers have slumped to the NFL’s worst record. Reich was fired after flip-flopping on offensive play calling and subtlely hinting the coaching staff wanted to draft presumptive offensive rookie of the year CJ Stroud over Young, only to be overruled by Tepper. There’s no silver lining to being this bad, either; the Chicago Bears own Carolina’s first round pick — a pick that’s certain to be first overall after Sunday’s defeat to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
It’s a loss Tepper didn’t seem to handle well.
A bit different of a mood from him after the game https://t.co/DP68vKx1U5 pic.twitter.com/llOqHXS4yI
— Med (@Kahuna_Med) December 31, 2023
That’s Tepper, in a luxury box at EverBank Stadium, winging a drink through the open window and toward a crowd of Jaguars fans late in Sunday’s 26-0 loss. Regardless of his intention, it’s a bad look for an owner who has developed a reputation as an obstinate and hotheaded presence who clashes with his personnel when it comes to team matters. And, since it was caught on video, it quickly made Tepper a trending topic.
Panthers owner David Tepper threw his drink at a Jags fan today…
Yikes.pic.twitter.com/S5LGeEteuo
— The 33rd Team (@The33rdTeamFB) December 31, 2023
if David Tepper is doing this in a public setting, imagine how he treats people behind closed doors https://t.co/IAz0G584Gb
— Josh Norris (@JoshNorris) December 31, 2023
The more I learn about David Tepper the more I'm sad for the Panthers fans that are going to be held hostage by him for the next 20 years. https://t.co/6npHwvQb9Q
— Brett Kollmann (@BrettKollmann) December 31, 2023
You could charge David Tepper for assault for this because a decaying hedge fund manager's disgusting alcoholic backwash probably burns your skin like Alien blood https://t.co/6yNmRfMZIA
— Motivational Pictures With Reality Deep Meaning (@doulbedoink) December 31, 2023
This behavior by David Tepper should not be tolerated and the NFL should force him to sell the #Panthers 😏 pic.twitter.com/rENIipQjRi
— Edgar Salmingo, Jr. ✌🏽 (@PanthersAnalyst) December 31, 2023
Panthers owner David Tepper appears to throw a drink into the crowd at EverBank Stadium.
Bad, bad look. https://t.co/bgIPZYlfic— Joe Person (@josephperson) December 31, 2023
David Tepper YIKES pic.twitter.com/Kmc3VreZPq
— The GOAT House (@GoatHouseNFL) December 31, 2023
David Tepper the latest in a long line of "got rich moving numbers around on a spreadsheet" owners who thought they would come in and take the league by storm and instead got shut out by C.J. Beathard https://t.co/TKR65lDd7h
— Patrick Daugherty (@RotoPat) December 31, 2023
Me faking my injury the instant David Tepper’s drink hits pic.twitter.com/iP804vRhUU
— paul (@paulwillFGP) December 31, 2023
David Tepper when he was done with his drink pic.twitter.com/URiYonRMiQ
— Zach Brook (@ZBrook) December 31, 2023
Panthers Owner David Tepper might be the new Dan Snyder pic.twitter.com/V7b5Q5vRaR
— Cowboys Nation (@CowboysNation) December 31, 2023
#Panthers owner David Tepper appears to toss some of his drink/ice at Jaguars fans. I've reached out to the team for comment. The person who took the original video, and gave us permission to use it says Jags security asked to see it as well. https://t.co/PznHql4Eqy
— Nick Carboni (@NickCarboniWCNC) December 31, 2023
After watching David Tepper threw his drink onto Jaguars fans, Scott Fitterer looks like he's questioning his life decisions pic.twitter.com/ieLXItE5F2
— Edgar Salmingo, Jr. ✌🏽 (@PanthersAnalyst) December 31, 2023
I hope David Tepper becomes the first billionaire to receive an immortality drug so he can own the Carolina Panthers for all of eternity https://t.co/RJ9XPMjBT6
— Evan Saacks (@evansaacks) December 31, 2023
I REALLY thought Jim Irsay would be the new Dan Snyder, but David Tepper said "Hold my beer" then proceeded to throw it at someone https://t.co/2szMEmb2xS
— Balakay (@Balakay) December 31, 2023
