The 2023 season has been a rather disastrous one for the Carolina Panthers. After trading up in the draft to select Bryce Young at No. 1 overall, they have bottomed out with the NFL’s worst record at 2-14, ensuring the 2024 pick they send to Chicago will be this season’s first overall selection.
The Panthers hired and fired Frank Reich as head coach, have had little in the way of bright spots on the field, and enter this upcoming offseason with a long list of upgrades needed if they’re going to take any strides forward in 2024. Sunday brought the Panthers their latest loss, losing 26-0 to the Jaguars in Jacksonville, despite the Jags starting backup CJ Beathard at quarterback. It was yet another demoralizing loss as the offense looked completely aimless, with plenty of blame to go around for their lackluster performance.
A fair portion of the blame for the Panthers struggles belongs with owner David Tepper, who by all accounts has his hands in the day-to-day football operations of the team. Tepper is now on his sixth head coach (including interims) since buying the team in 2018, and was among the driving forces in selecting Young first overall. The losing streak has apparently been wearing on Tepper, who did not enjoy his afternoon in Jacksonville and ended his day by tossing his drink at fans below his luxury box.
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
This is definitely a first that I’ve ever seen, as there have certainly been owners and fans that have shared words before but I can’t ever recall an owner tossing a drink (or anything else) at someone. Tepper will almost assuredly get a response from the NFL for this one, and while I’m sure the Jags fans in front of his box were enjoying themselves and giving him some grief during the game, there’s really no excuse for this kind of action from a clearly frustrated owner — although he has set himself up well for a new starring role on a Real Housewives spinoff in Charlotte.
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