David Tepper Throws Tantrum Over Restaurant Sign’s Gentle Draft Suggestion
Pissbaby Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper has only been in charge of his team for six seasons, yet he has shown a real drive and determination to distinguish himself as the most personally annoying of his cohort. Tepper came into the league with unearned goodwill for taking over from racist dingdong Jerry Richardson—goodwill he quickly squandered by firing handpicked coach Matt Rhule less than three seasons into a seven-year deal; pissing off the locker room and fanbase by passing over Rhule's successful interim successor Steve Wilks for Frank Reich and being a smug dick about it; claiming to have introduced live music to Charlotte; personally involving himself in disastrously trading the draft pick that would become Caleb Williams just to pick Bryce Young over C.J. Stroud; firing Reich after a utterly predictable 1-10 start; and throwing a drink on some fans. What a sensitive baby!
Some advice for Tepper: If you are worried about your reputation as a thin-skinned, meddlesome owner, I would say the smartest thing you can do is pound the pavement and personally ensure fans that you are taking things seriously. Surely, a grand gesture is just the thing to win back jaded Carolinians who had to watch their team go 2-15 while Stroud broke records and won a playoff game in Houston. Let them know!
That's what Tepper did. Matt Wohlfarth, owner of the apparently very popular Dilworth Neighborhood Grille in Charlotte, put a big sign out front of his grille, jokily calling on Tepper to "Please Let The Coach [and] GM Pick This Year." Tepper drove by, stopped into the Grille, and put on his best middle-school vice principal act, grilling (grilleing?) a Dilworth employee about the sign. He even removed the employee's Eagles hat before leaving after about 45 seconds.
Wohlfarth told the Charlotte Observer that Tepper was friendly, though he also said it wasn't the first time Tepper has stopped in to complain about a sign Wohlfarth has put up making fun of the Panthers owner. From the Observer:
Just after [the] season ended, in mid-January, Wohlfarth said he posted a message on his property—that is visible from East Morehead Street—“Meddling owners never win. Run from Jerry Jones.”
“And he was sorta pissed off about that one,” Wohlfarth said.
Why?
“Well, he’s a meddling owner,” Wohlfarth said.
Charlotte Observer
Wohlfarth stressed that the Panthers' misfortune is also his misfortune, as he drew significantly fewer customers to his grille this past season, as the team spent the campaign embarrassing itself and depressing its fans.
Fear not: Brighter days are head! The team signed new head coach Dave Canales to a six-year deal this offseason, and the coach and GM did make the pick this year. No, not the first overall pick they would have had if the Panthers hadn't made one of the most ruinous trades in recent memory one year ago; the 32nd pick, for which they gave up the 141st in order to move up one spot into the first round. That's the sort of praiseworthy move one can expect will motivate Tepper to go back to Dilworth and demand more laudatory signage.
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