The National Football League moved to fine Carolina Panthers chairman David Tepper on Tuesday following an incident on New Year’s Eve.
Tepper traveled with the Panthers to their game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. While he was there, he got into an incident that a fan recorded on their cell phone. Tepper appeared to throw a drink on a Jaguars fan who was seated outside of the luxury box the Panthers’ chairman stood in.
After he appeared to toss the drink on a fan, Tepper left the scene. There was a lot of silence on the issue since it happened but obviously, the NFL had indeed focused on it.
NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported on the fine, which was worth $300,000.
“The National Football League today fined Carolina Panthers’ chairman David Tepper $300,000 for his unacceptable conduct in Jacksonville during Sunday’s game,” Pelissero posted. Pelissero broke the news on X, the popular website formerly known as Twitter.
The National Football League today fined Carolina Panthers’ chairman David Tepper $300,000 for his unacceptable conduct in Jacksonville during Sunday’s game, the league announced.
“All NFL personnel are expected to conduct themselves at all times in ways that respect our fans… pic.twitter.com/qmjcas7Hus
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 2, 2024
Granted, a six-figure fine for a guy like David Tepper looks like a drop in a bucket. It’s probably ineffectual to only fine someone six figures when they make the kind of money that Tepper does. The league may have a set structure for fines, but it feels like that might need to be looked over. Fining Tepper is better than any kind of inaction. However, it begs the question of what you’re looking to accomplish.
About Chris Novak
Chris Novak has been talking and writing about sports ever since he can remember. Previously, Novak wrote for and managed sites in the SB Nation network for nearly a decade from 2013-2022