The Carolina Panthers suffered a 14th defeat of the season on Sunday as they were shutout by the Jacksonville Jaguars, losing 26-0; a fan video showed owner David Tepper throw the contents of a drink at fans in the stand, which he has since apologised for
Wednesday 3 January 2024 13:03, UK
Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper has been fined $300,000 for "unacceptable conduct" after appearing to throw a drink at fans during their 26-0 shutout loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday.
In a video posted by a fan on social media, Tepper is seen emptying the contents of a drink in the direction of the stands from his open-air suite, where he was stood beside Panthers general manager Scott Fitterer.
The incident occurred after quarterback Bryce Young was intercepted in the final three minutes of the game, ultimately closing out Carolina's 14th loss of the campaign. The Panthers have the worst record in the NFL heading into the final week of the regular season.
Tepper has apologised for his actions and says accepts the fine dished out by the league. "I am deeply passionate about this team and regret my behaviour on Sunday," the 66-year-old said.
"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 behaviour."
In announcing Tepper's punishment, the NFL said in a statement: "All NFL personnel are expected to conduct themselves at all times in ways that respect our fans and favourably reflect on their team and the NFL."
Sunday's result continued another tumultuous season for the Panthers under Tepper, who replaced Jerry Richardson as Panthers owner in 2018.
Tepper first-year head coach Frank Reich at the end of November, while No 1 overall pick from the 2023 Draft, Young, has endured a miserable rookie campaign surrounded by limited talent.
Young has been sacked 59 times on the year while throwing 11 touchdowns to 10 interceptions after being drafted out of Alabama last April.
"Yeah, not fun. Not fun at all," said Young. "It's on us. It's what we put out. It's our tape. It's what we did. We own it, accept it. It is what it is, but it's not fun."
With the defeat the Panthers secured the No 1 overall pick for the Chicago Bears, having traded their 2024 first-round selection away as part of a deal to move up for Young.
"I'm disappointed, obviously, and that's a pretty generic answer," said interim coach Chris Tabor said. "Did not see it coming. I will tip my hat to the Jaguars. The way we were trending, I did not see this performance coming down.
"We never got on track. We talked a lot about starting fast this week, and we did not do that. How are you going to deal with it? There's only two choices: It's either character or compromise. Those are questions for everybody."
Young was sacked six times and threw for just 112 yards Sunday, while another drab day was capped when defensive lineman Derrick Brown was ejected after an altercation with Cam Robinson.
"Missed opportunities. Just execution top to bottom," Young said. "There's a long list of stuff I've got to do better, and then offensively we all take responsibility. We all look in the mirror, and I think 'disconnected' is a good word.
"Just wasn't executing, wasn't translating, and as far as the offense, that's on me."
The Panthers have recorded six-straight losing seasons since Tepper took over the organisation. Last year he also fired head coach Matt Rhule in the third-year of his fully guaranteed seven-year contract.
