David Tepper is a lot of things: billionaire, hedge fund manager, NFL owner, philanthropist and, more increasingly, a sore loser.
Is it a surprise that a guy who can purchase just about anything he wants doesn’t like it when things don’t go his way? Absolutely not. Nor is it a surprise that he has a toddler-like grasp on his own temper.
But the thing about being in a position like Tepper’s is that there are always cameras watching. You don’t, say, expect no one to notice you throwing your drink at fans who actually paid to watch the putrid Carolina Panthers in person.
You also don’t get to storm into a restaurant and accost the host because a sign they put up hurt your feelings, as Tepper did last week when a Charlotte bar begged the Panthers owner to let the GM and coach make this year’s draft picks. Tepper reportedly forced Charlotte to draft Bryce Young instead of C.J. Stroud last spring.
Tepper walked into the bar, removed a hat the host was wearing and voiced his displeasure.
So of course the bar put up another sign this week making fun of Tepper’s tantrum.
David Tepper’s “favorite Charlotte restaurant” has a new sign in front 😂
(via @DavidSc17628255) pic.twitter.com/DiH0eUYRsD
— Action Network (@ActionNetworkHQ) May 1, 2024
Tepper’s biggest flaw here may be letting everyone know how much this all gets to him. It’s the most widely known anti-bullying tactic.
He messed up big time by letting the restaurant know he drives by and views their signs. Do you know how many sports bars in this country wish they had a direct line to a team owner in their city? All of them. Every single one.
But because he has money and some semblance of power, Tepper believes there’s no situation he can’t bend to his will. Maybe that’s true in some industries, but not all of them. So if Tepper really wants to silence the fans who boo his teams and question his decisions, he might spend a little less time angrily storming into pubs and a little more time hiring people to win football games for him.
So long as he doesn’t try to tell them who to draft.
