It’s safe to say brothers Jason Kelce and Travis Kelce are not too happy with what Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper did in Week 17.
During the Panthers’ frustrating loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars last Sunday, Tepper went viral after he was caught on camera spilling a drink to a Jaguars fan.
Carolina Panthers Owner David Tepper Punished for Classless Act
Based on the video circulating online, Tepper can be seen in his suite. The Panthers lost to the Jaguars in an embarrassing shutout, 26-0, so it’s no surprise why the Carolina franchise owner was agitated. The Jags even played without their injured QB1 in Trevor Lawrence, making the whole defeat even worse.
Out of anger, Tepper threw his drink to the fans sitting on the bleachers in front of his suite. While it’s not clear where the drink landed, someone actually stood up and looked behind to see where the liquid that hit them came from.
Looks like Panthers owner David Tepper threw a drink into the crowd…pic.twitter.com/dP9zEmbyrz
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) December 31, 2023
Tepper garnered plenty of criticisms as a result, especially since his action is unbecoming of a franchise owner. Sure enough, the NFL quickly took action and punished the Panthers boss for it, fining him $300,000 for his actions.
In a statement to explain the ruling, as shared by Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, the league emphasized: “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.”
David Tepper, for his part, apologized for his action and accepted the league’s punishment without any complaint. He explained that his passion for the team got the better of him, adding that he regrets his actions.
“I am deeply passionate about this team and regret my behavior on Sunday. 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 behavior,” the Carolina Panthers owner shared, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.
Jason Kelce, Travis Kelce React To Carolina Panthers Scandal
In the latest episode of their New Heights podcast, Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce and Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce discussed the incident and didn’t hold back in their comments about David Tepper.
For Kelce, what the Carolina Panthers boss did was utterly disrespectful, noting that it might have been better to be punched in the face.
“Throwing a drink, or like spitting on somebody is just like — I’d rather you just punch me in the face. I don’t know why that is so much more disrespectful to somebody,” Jason explained, as transcribed by FOX Sports.
“There’s an air of like, ‘I’m better than you’ in that toss. Is that fair to say or am I being a little too harsh? … Punching me in the face out of anger is not disrespectful. Throwing a drink on me or spitting on me is disrespectful. Does that make sense?”
Travis, on the other hand, couldn’t help but throw a major shade at Tepper and his team.
“Shout out to the frustrating times that this guy is going through right now just getting heckled by Jaguar fans now,” the Chiefs TE furthered.
It’s unlikely Tepper will respond to the comments made by the Kelce brothers, though it’s definitely easy to see where they are coming from. After all, it’s certainly shocking to see an owner act like Tepper did.
The $300,000 fine might be a slap on the wrist for a billionaire like Tepper. But sure enough, all eyes will be on him moving forward now that he put himself on the public eye even more.
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