Fifteen years ago, it cost an owner $250,000 to show his middle fingers at a game. Today, the price has been set for pouring a drink on fans at a game.
The $300,000 fine imposed on Panthers owner David Tepper is laughable. He’s worth $20.6 billion. The fine equates to 0.00146 percent of his entire net worth.
Putting that in context, it’s the equivalent of fining someone worth $1 million dollars the staggering sum of (checks math again) $14.56.
It’s a joke. It’s a disgrace. It’s the latest sign of the double standard that applies to players and to owners.
The Patriots and Panthers have banned fans from their stadiums who threw drinks. That’s a real punishment. A short-term suspension of the owner would be a real punishment. Dipping into the pockets of one of the richest men in the NFL for the fart-in-the-breeze sum of $300,000 does nothing to truly punish Tepper for acting like a spoiled brat.
The situation underscores the reality the NFL faces, at a time when franchise values are skyrocketing. The only test for joining the club is whether you can afford the team. There’s no requirement to know anything about football. There’s no requirement to be not a jerk.
Think of it this way. For all the anti-social things Daniel Snyder did during his time as an NFL owner, even he didn’t throw a drink on the league’s customers. That’s where Tepper is.
Without a true correction on his conduct, he won’t stop. Maybe, at some point, he’ll do something that forces the league to force him out of Club Oligarch. Until that happens, however, Panthers fans will be stuck with someone who would, under the right (or wrong) circumstances, throw a drink on them and gladly surrender 0.00146 percent of his net worth.
