11-30-2023, 11:10 PM -
https://www.sbnation.com/nfl/2023/11/30/...rank-reich
David Tepper has sucked the soul out of the Carolinas
Some excerpts:
it marked the sixth head coach under his [Tepper's] watch since purchasing the Panthers in 2018.
In the 23 YEARS prior to Tepper taking over the Panthers the team only had four head coaches under Jerry Richardson’s ownership. The organization wasn’t often successful, but it was consistent. The friend you had that almost had things figured out, but you loved them even when they failed. The neighbor who would annoy you, but find a way to remain endearing enough that you cared about them anyway.
Tepper fostered the most damaging feeling in sports to permeate a city: Apathy.
With questions raging about Tepper’s decision making, his impatience, and his lack of process — fans needed to hear that this time would be different. They needed a reason to feel like the owner understood, and was ready to turn over a new leaf. Instead Tepper managed to make things much, much worse.
The owner made excuses for his coaching firings, bragging about how in his other businesses he doesn’t have this turnover. Tepper justified his ownership by making ludicrous claims about how he singlehandedly revitalized Charlotte with music. He managed to try and take credit for a sellout of FC Charlotte, his MLS team — which was entirely attributable to Lionel Messi playing in North Carolina, not because of anything Tepper did.
David and Nicole Tepper make no bones about being very hands-on owners. During the draft process they traveled from city to city to meet the top quarterbacks, a job typically assigned solely to the general manager and members of football operations.
Sure, when it comes to brass tacks these are all his prerogatives as team owner. Tepper can do precisely what he likes with his team and be as involved in the process as he wants to be. The problem is that he’s markedly bad at this. All of it. History has shown Tepper is a bad judge of football coaches, he’s bad at communicating with the media, and he’s impatient when his decisions go wrong — leading him to rush into another poorly made David Tepper decision.
It’s impossible to discuss the 180 in ownership this team has seen, to discuss the halcyon days of Richardson by comparison, without cementing that, once again, Richardson turned out to be a massive creep. Behind closed doors he sexually harassed members of staff, the team paid hush money to keep these claims private, and there’s at least one example of Richardson using a racial slur. The man deserved to have his statue removed from Bank of America Stadium — but that doesn’t change that on the football side of things, the on-field element of the Panthers, Richardson still ran things the right way.
Richardson, the “Big Cat” as he used to affectionately be called, placed full and complete trust in two people to run his football team: A team president to handle the business side, and a general manager to oversee football ops. Sure, he met with rookies and had a personal relationship with players — but he never pretended to be the smartest man in the room when it came to decision making.
That era is gone now. It’s been replaced with hollow words and misplaced action. It doesn’t feel good to be a fan of the Carolina Panthers anymore. Not because they aren’t winning, fans have endured plenty of losing seasons before — but because it no longer feels like the team is a part of the city’s DNA. They’re now one man’s vanity project, and we’re just along for the ride.
....and......https://www.morningstar.com/news/marketwatch/20231130508/david-teppers-panthers-tenure-highlights-the-problem-of-investors-turned-nfl-owners
David Tepper's Panthers tenure highlights the problem of investors-turned NFL owners
Points out his similarities to Daniel Snyder. Lovely thought...one I have also had.
David Tepper has sucked the soul out of the Carolinas
Some excerpts:
it marked the sixth head coach under his [Tepper's] watch since purchasing the Panthers in 2018.
In the 23 YEARS prior to Tepper taking over the Panthers the team only had four head coaches under Jerry Richardson’s ownership. The organization wasn’t often successful, but it was consistent. The friend you had that almost had things figured out, but you loved them even when they failed. The neighbor who would annoy you, but find a way to remain endearing enough that you cared about them anyway.
Tepper fostered the most damaging feeling in sports to permeate a city: Apathy.
With questions raging about Tepper’s decision making, his impatience, and his lack of process — fans needed to hear that this time would be different. They needed a reason to feel like the owner understood, and was ready to turn over a new leaf. Instead Tepper managed to make things much, much worse.
The owner made excuses for his coaching firings, bragging about how in his other businesses he doesn’t have this turnover. Tepper justified his ownership by making ludicrous claims about how he singlehandedly revitalized Charlotte with music. He managed to try and take credit for a sellout of FC Charlotte, his MLS team — which was entirely attributable to Lionel Messi playing in North Carolina, not because of anything Tepper did.
David and Nicole Tepper make no bones about being very hands-on owners. During the draft process they traveled from city to city to meet the top quarterbacks, a job typically assigned solely to the general manager and members of football operations.
Sure, when it comes to brass tacks these are all his prerogatives as team owner. Tepper can do precisely what he likes with his team and be as involved in the process as he wants to be. The problem is that he’s markedly bad at this. All of it. History has shown Tepper is a bad judge of football coaches, he’s bad at communicating with the media, and he’s impatient when his decisions go wrong — leading him to rush into another poorly made David Tepper decision.
It’s impossible to discuss the 180 in ownership this team has seen, to discuss the halcyon days of Richardson by comparison, without cementing that, once again, Richardson turned out to be a massive creep. Behind closed doors he sexually harassed members of staff, the team paid hush money to keep these claims private, and there’s at least one example of Richardson using a racial slur. The man deserved to have his statue removed from Bank of America Stadium — but that doesn’t change that on the football side of things, the on-field element of the Panthers, Richardson still ran things the right way.
Richardson, the “Big Cat” as he used to affectionately be called, placed full and complete trust in two people to run his football team: A team president to handle the business side, and a general manager to oversee football ops. Sure, he met with rookies and had a personal relationship with players — but he never pretended to be the smartest man in the room when it came to decision making.
That era is gone now. It’s been replaced with hollow words and misplaced action. It doesn’t feel good to be a fan of the Carolina Panthers anymore. Not because they aren’t winning, fans have endured plenty of losing seasons before — but because it no longer feels like the team is a part of the city’s DNA. They’re now one man’s vanity project, and we’re just along for the ride.
....and......https://www.morningstar.com/news/marketwatch/20231130508/david-teppers-panthers-tenure-highlights-the-problem-of-investors-turned-nfl-owners
David Tepper's Panthers tenure highlights the problem of investors-turned NFL owners
Points out his similarities to Daniel Snyder. Lovely thought...one I have also had.
