What's The Point of Owning an NFL Team If I Can't Throw Drinks on Fans?

I’m going into 2024 with a new positive attitude. It feels like I spend all day scrolling various timelines and newsfeeds just looking for things to make me angry. That’s 2023 behavior. This year, let’s relax and realize none of these things are super important and the stakes are super low, more often than not.

Unfortunately, new Carolina Panthers owner, David Tepper, has not adopted this same attitude who was caught throwing a drink at a Jacksonville Jaguars fan over the weekend.

The NFL has fined Panthers owner David Tepper $300,000 for tossing a drink into the crowd during Sunday’s game in Jacksonville.

pic.twitter.com/6HXH7GBWwg

— Front Office Sports (@FOS) January 2, 2024

The NFL fined Tepper $300,000. Here’s what Tepper said after the fine:

“I am deeply passionate about this team and regret my behavior on Sunday. 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.”

Why is David Tepper so angry?

Perhaps David Tepper is upset about his brand-new Panthers getting ragdolled by a CJ Beathard-led Jacksonville Jaguars team. The Panthers got their ass beat 26-0 to Trevor Lawrence’s backup.

We’re a week away from the end of the 2023 NFL season and Carolina has 2 wins. The Panthers have won two more games this season than I have.

Not only do they only have 2 wins but they haven’t improved at any point in the year. If anything, they look worse in Week 17 than they did Week 1.

Of course, Tepper is pissed.

He spent $2.2 billion in 2018 for an NFL team and that team has a 31-67 record since the purchase. I imagine he didn’t buy this team to be surrounded by drunk, happy Jaguars fans.

I feel like if I own a struggling team, I should be allowed to pour a drink on any fan I choose, at least once a game. You don’t want me to throw my bud light at the back of your head?

Now, I know the game took place in Jacksonville but the owner should be rewarded for traveling down to Florida with the squad Most owners stay home. And don’t even get the chance to throw anything. I prefer my boss out there pissed off and caring about the outcomes of these games.

How did the Carolina Panthers get this bad?

Last offseason, the Panthers drafted one of the tiniest quarterbacks in NFL history with the No. 1 overall pick. The No. 2 overall pick, CJ Stroud, has had one of the best rookie seasons in NFL history prior to being kept out recently due to concussion problems.

Meanwhile, no matter who the opposing quarterback is, Bryce Young looks worse than them. My guy was just outplayed by CJ fucking Beathard. I cannot stress that enough.

Every time he drops back to pass, I feel like a defensive lineman is going to bat it out of the air because Bryce can’t see over the line of scrimmage.

Bryce was so bad that the newly hired head coach, Frank Reich, didn’t even make it through a whole season before being fired at the end of November. The team was 1-10 under Reich.

But the day after firing Reich, David Tepper wanted to set the record straight on which quarterback the team actually wanted to draft:

#Panthers owner David Tepper confirms they were supposed to trade to No. 2 and take CJ Stroud because they believed Houston would’ve taken Bryce Young at No. 1.

Tepper says everyone in the building wanted Young.

“We are totally confident in that pick.”pic.twitter.com/csmpxlkbig

— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) November 28, 2023

From what I can gather, Reich wanted CJ Stroud but lost a vote to the other 4 people in the room and/or David Tepper used his veto powers to select Bryce Young and Reich was fired for his inability to make Bryce Young look like he belongs in the NFL even though he absolutely does not. Certainly not as a starter. He’d probably be incredible on the practice squad. But you shouldn’t draft practice squad quarterbacks with the no. 1 overall pick. Like, ever.

How to fix the Panthers?

Well, you can’t tank for a Bryce Young replacement because not only did Carolina draft a bum with the no. 1 overall pick last year, they traded their 2024 first-round draft pick to Chicago so every game they lost this season just helps the Bears draft position.

Always a good idea to trade a bunch of future draft capital for a guy who doesn’t look old enough to buy an energy drink.

The Panthers didn’t have any players in the top 10 at their positions after the final round of Pro Bowl fan voting.

— Joe Person (@josephperson) January 3, 2024

This team is so void of talent that no one of their roster finished in the Top 10 in Pro Bowl voting at any position. They don’t even have a Top 10 long snapper.

Nah, let this man throw drinks this weekend.

The Panthers have the 31st-ranked offense and 30th-ranked defense. It’s either throw a temper tantrum or take accountability for the team you put together. You can attack opposing fans or you can ask yourself why you traded away Christian McCaffrey for peanuts when that man might end up winning the MVP this year.

I choose to throw drinks every time. That’s the point of accumulating billions of dollars. You get to be mean to Jaguars fans.