On Tuesday, the NFL imposed a $300,000 fine on Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper for an incident during the team’s 26-0 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday. Tepper had thrown a drink at fans near the end of the game.
Despite the incident gaining attention, the Panthers refrained from commenting for two days. However, on Tuesday evening, the team issued a brief three-sentence statement from Tepper, which notably lacked an apology for the incident.
“I am deeply passionate about this team and regret my behavior on Sunday,” expressed Tepper in the statement. He acknowledged that he should have allowed NFL stadium security to handle any issues that arose, expressing respect for the NFL’s code of conduct. Tepper concluded by accepting the league’s disciplinary action for his behavior. the NFL imposed
While the $300,000 fine may seem significant, it represents only a fraction of Tepper’s considerable wealth, constituting well less than one percent of his $20.6 billion net worth. In contrast, fans in the past have faced lifetime stadium bans for incidents involving the throwing of drinks at players. Some observers had speculated that the league might suspend Tepper for at least one game, considering the NFL’s characterization of his conduct as “unacceptable.” However, this turned out not to be the case.
All NFL personnel are expected to conduct themselves at all times in ways that respect our fans and favorably reflect on their team and the NFL,” the league said in a statement.
A Jaguars fan posted video Sunday of Tepper tossing the contents of a cup into the stands from the visiting owner’s suite at EverBank Stadium. The video shows Tepper standing alongside general manager Scott Fitterer when the incident occurred after rookie quarterback Bryce Young threw an interception, allowing the Jaguars to run the final three minutes off the clock.