Billionaire Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper received a slap on the wrist from the NFL Tuesday evening for his “unacceptable conduct” during the Panthers’ 26-0 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Tepper was fined $300,000 by the league after video surfaced of him throwing a drink at Jaguars fans from his owner’s suite in Jacksonville’s EverBank Stadium.
“All NFL personnel are expected to conduct themselves at all times in ways that respect our fans and favorably reflect on their teams and the NFL,” the league said in a statement, according to ESPN.
Tepper released a statement on Tuesday after the punishment was levied against him, and an apology was notably absent.
“I am deeply passionate about this team and regret my behavior on Sunday,” Tepper wrote in the statement, per The Athletic’s Joe Person. “I should have let NFL stadium security handle any issues that arose. I respect the NFL’s code of conduct and accept the League’s discipline for my behavior.”
The Appaloosa Management hedge fund manager and former Goldman Sachs analyst is worth an estimated $18.5 billion, according to Forbes. Tepper purchased the Panthers in July 2018 for a record $2.4 billion. Since his takeover, the team is 31-67, has featured eight different starting quarterbacks, and is set to hire their fourth head coach this offseason.
The Tepper Tantrum is just the latest in a long history of petulant owners. He also isn’t the first to go after opposing fans. The late Tennessee Titans owner Bud Adams was fined $250,000 in 2009 for flipping off Buffalo Bills fans during a 41-17 win. While suspending owners from game attendance is precedented, neither Tepper nor Adams was suspended for directly antagonizing opposing fans.
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