NFL shows it could care less about Panthers dysfunction with latest act
The NFL fined Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper a measly $300,000 Tuesday. It was a disciplinary move for throwing a drink into the stands where apparent Jacksonville Jaguars fans were sitting. But the league should have done so much more. "All NFL personnel are expected to conduct themselves at all times in ways that respect […]
The NFL fined Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper a measly $300,000 Tuesday.
It was a disciplinary move for throwing a drink into the stands where apparent Jacksonville Jaguars fans were sitting. But the league should have done so much more.
"All NFL personnel are expected to conduct themselves at all times in ways that respect our fans and favorably reflect on their team and the NFL," the league said in a statement.
It was a cut-and-dry disciplinary case. Even Tepper responded by taking accountability for his actions.
"I am deeply passionate about this team and regret my behavior on Sunday," he wrote. "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."
Still, what resonates is the reality that the NFL could have done more.
No, the league wasn't going to force Tepper to sell the team, but it could have taken a stance that it wasn't going to stand for the level of dysfunction his tenure as owner has created.
Even when the Cleveland Browns were the laughingstock of the league, it never felt like a reality television show where everyone was waiting to see what happened next — well, at least most of the time.
Under Tepper, the Panthers have been completely inept. Carolina hasn't played a single playoff game while he's signed the checks for the franchise. He has gone through poor coaching hires repeatedly. Several great offensive and defensive coordinators turned down the Panthers' job, namely Ben Johnson of the Detroit Lions.
That isn't even touching on the Panthers trading the franchise's future to draft Bryce Young as No. 1 overall, and then it turns out that the move gifts the 2024 top pick to the Chicago Bears.
When an NBA owner kept mortgaging a team's future with poor decisions, the league came up with the Ted Stepien rule, where teams can not trade consecutive first-round picks in back-to-back seasons.
Simply put, the NFL didn't do enough to punish Tepper. The league's punishment is the equivalent of fining an employee making $50,000 a year $0.75.
But more than anything else, Tepper is the posture child of what the league only cares about — Money.
Maybe it is time for the NFL to conjure its version of the Tepper rule. Anyone who is a fan of good football wouldn't be complaining.
David Tepper’s latest actions show it’s time for him to sell the team
It has been a difficult season for the Carolina Panthers all around.
