Panthers owner David Tepper met the media on Tuesday, a day after firing coach Frank Reich. Tepper bravely took all questions, even from the most critical of reporters and columnists.
Oh, wait. He didn’t.
Scott Fowler of the Charlotte Observer, who wrote a column on Monday advocating for Tepper to fire himself, didn’t get a chance to pose a question to Tepper.
“I’m very unhappy w/the Panthers for getting frozen out of asking a question at the David Tepper press conference,” Fowler tweeted. “Sat in front row; raised hand high; wasn’t called on; protested to no avail. Felt like it was purposeful.”
It probably was. Tepper doesn’t want to be challenged. He doesn’t want to be tested. Those who are assigned with protecting him probably don’t want to get chewed out after the fact for giving (as Tepper might say) “that asshole Fowler” a chance to try to embarrass Tepper publicly.
Fowler’s column said, among other things, that Tepper is a “hedge-fund billionaire with no clue as to how to run a football team.”
Fowler is right. Based on the reaction to the video we posted on Monday regarding the Reich firing, many Panthers fans agree.
And that’s the thing to remember before fans complain about Fowler’s complaint. Fowler is trying to get the answers to the questions the fans would ask. By snubbing Fowler, the Panthers snubbed their own fans.
Their own fans — and the rest of the citizens of the Charlotte area — should consider that when Tepper expects taxpayers to fund a new or renovated stadium. Of course, that would simply set the stage for Tepper to move the team to a place where they’ll surrender their money and swallow the B.S. that goes along with it.
At some point, that might be the only want to free Panthers fans from their current sports purgatory. Move. Go away. Let them pick another team to support. One that has a good owner, and everything that flows from having a good owner.