TEPPER (and TABOR) -- ON REICH; YOUNG; & NECESSARY CHANGES

Panthers owner David Tepper addressed the media today amid a storm of disapproval over the Panthers team and their lack of direction. He has faced a lot of vitriol among Panther fans and NFL media as the Panthers struggle to put right a bunch of stuff that seems only to get worse.

Here's the actual convo...

HERE is Chris Tabor's first presser as new Interim HC...

HERE is Chris Tabor doing a 1-on-1 interview with Panthers' Anish Shroff.

I couldn't even listen to Tepper. After his third or fourth, "I'm not going to address that, use your imagination", turned the channel. Made me sick at my stomach. Did he not expect to be asked those questions?

Nope. He needs an AA from John Cena!

I'm liking me some Chris Tabor.  I like his attitude. I like the way he thinks. I like the way he talks.  We will see if any of that translates to the gridiron. Wishing him well for the next 6 games.

I hear u hobbit. Don’t care who calls what. Run the ball, nastily. Do that again. Pa, roll out. Bryce scramble. Seems easy enough if Chuba n Miles are up for it (n Shenault n Blackshear). Let TMJ play.

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Just mho.

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Let it all hang out!

I'm liking me some Chris Tabor.  I like his attitude. I like the way he thinks. I like the way he talks.  We will see if any of that translates to the gridiron. Wishing him well for the next 6 games.

Agreed.  I like his attitude and no-nonsense demeanor.  He doesn't seem like one to get side-tracked by all the politics and b/s going on around him

I'm liking me some Chris Tabor.  I like his attitude. I like the way he thinks. I like the way he talks.  We will see if any of that translates to the gridiron. Wishing him well for the next 6 games.

Agreed.  I like his attitude and no-nonsense demeanor.  He doesn't seem like one to get side-tracked by all the politics and b/s going on around him

Agree with you both!

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It is no secret...everyone in the world knows that Tepper is a terrible owner and knows nothing about running an NFL team (except running it into the ground).  He was a minority owner in Pitt and talks about wanting that kind of success/stability but has done nothing toward that end. Did he have any football friends in Pitt?  Is there anyone you think he might reach out to for some advice?  My impression is that since he is a very successful hedge fund manager, he thinks he is good at everything.


The Athletic said this:

For all of their business success, many NFL owners have no idea how to run their teams, and in general they’re awful when it comes to hiring head football coaches. That’s why we see so many ill-fitting marriages, such fruitless efforts and short tenures.

Yes, there are some owners who know how to evaluate talent or can identify potential coaches with strong leadership, communication, organizational, motivational and strategic skills.

But the majority? Shoot. Most owners are nothing more than billionaires playing real-life fantasy football. They guess here, follow popular opinion there. Then they roll the dice and hope they’ve gotten it right.

Tepper perfectly embodies the problem with NFL owners. The highly successful hedge fund manager had learned a little about the league during nine years as a minority owner of the Steelers. But that knowledge obviously was limited, because in his six seasons as the Panthers’ majority owner, Carolina has exhibited not one ounce of the stability and shrewd decision-making for which the Steelers are known.

Tepper’s mistakes continue to mount, but by nature of the job, he has no one to answer to. He’ll simply pay Reich not to work and this offseason will write another check for a new coach with no assurances that said hire will fare any better than his two previous selections.

It’s the way of an NFL owner.

We saw it happen in Denver, where the Broncos hired Hackett, who had a limited track record but a good relationship with Aaron Rodgers, who at the time faced an uncertain future with the Packers. The Hackett move backfired badly: Rodgers remained in Green Bay for another season, and Denver slogged through a year of ineptitude.

We saw a similarly botched hiring the year prior in Jacksonville, too, as Shad Khan hired Meyer for his Jaguars, only to watch the celebrated former college coach create a toxic culture and commit one embarrassment after another.

Each time, the owners erred in a couple of key areas: either they made terrible evaluations regarding those coaches’ abilities to connect with their players and elevate their organizations, or they didn’t adequately support and position those coaches for success by giving them time and resources to turn the teams around.

And, so, the futility — and the coaching carousel — continues.

It’s rare, but most NFL teams would be much better off if their owners entrusted a sharp team president to run the organization, including the hiring of the general managers and head coaches and selection of players. If they could keep their fingers out of things and let the true experts work together without the threat of meddling or fear-induced power struggles, then maybe, just maybe, the owners would receive a greater return on their investments.

But “that’s no fun,” one AFC front-office exec said, when asked why so few owners utilize such an approach.

You know what is fun, though? Winning. And winners are rarely built by owners who overstep boundaries and have little to no patience. History never lies. Owners who can’t get out of their way simply spin their wheels — for decades and maybe even generations.

Time will tell if Tepper eventually takes a backseat after hiring someone to clean up his mess. But the history, both in Charlotte and beyond, isn’t kind — not to NFL head coaches, not to players and certainly not to long-suffering fans.

https://theathletic.com/5093588/2023/11/...-panthers/


Does not sound encouraging for us fans.