NFL Insider: Panthers’ David Tepper Received a Lot of Advice to Stay Out of Business
Joseph Zucker@@JosephZuckerFeatured Columnist IVJune 16, 2024
Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images
The Carolina Panthers’ efforts to obtain public funds help to pay for renovations to Bank of America Stadium might be helped by having team owner David Tepper remain out of the limelight, according to the Charlotte Observer’s Scott Fowler.
“It has been wise for Tepper to stay in the background and let the executive team directly under him be the faces of this proposal,” Fowler wrote Saturday. “Tepper has gotten a lot of advice â including in this corner â to stay out of the fray more often because he’s hurt himself and his reputation in Charlotte several times when he wades in. Let the coaches coach and the GMs draft. Let the team execs do the stadium deal. He’s doing all that now, for the moment, and the proposal likely has a better chance to pass because of it.”
The Panthers laid out their plans in early June, which carry a total price tag of $650 million for the city of Charlotte, North Carolina. Having already put $117 million toward the project, Tepper Sports & Entertainment has for its part pledged another $571 million.
When pursuing a venture of this scale â one that requires more than a half-billion dollars in public money â having built a level of goodwill can go a long way.
Unfortunately for Tepper, he has generally done the opposite. The Panthers have been a mess on the field, with the owner the common denominator so far. His April exchange with employees at a local restaurant over a message on the establishment’s marquee symbolized how he seemingly bristles at even light criticism as well.
WBTV News @WBTV_News’LET THE COACH AND GM PICK’ đ: Surveillance footage captured the moment @Panthers owner David Tepper walked into a Charlotte restaurant after a sign was put up prior to the NFL Draft.
Full story: https://t.co/tYPhlekttU pic.twitter.com/tc0eihPAkT
Brock Saturno @Bsaturno9Panthers Owner David Tepper just stopped inside to have a word with the owners about the sign out front. This is not a joke #Panthers pic.twitter.com/SYI0AyOlk4
To that end, it’s certainly in the Panthers and Tepper’s best interest to minimize his outward presence in the push for the stadium renovations as much as they can.
