A silly little sign outside a local restaurant and bar sparked an interesting pre-draft visit from Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper.
Per Alex Zietlow of The Charlotte Observer, Tepper stopped in at Dilworth Neighborhood Grille just hours before the first round of the 2024 NFL draft. The surprise pop-in on Thursday evening can apparently be attributed to a message outside of the establishment, which read “PLEASE LET THE COACH & GM PICK THIS YEAR.”
Panthers Owner David Tepper just stopped inside to have a word with the owners about the sign out front. This is not a joke #Panthers pic.twitter.com/SYI0AyOlk4
— Brock Saturno (@Bsaturno9) April 25, 2024
WBTV would later obtain surveillance footage of Tepper’s interaction with the bar’s employees:
'LET THE COACH AND GM PICK' 🏈: Surveillance footage captured the moment @Panthers owner David Tepper walked into a Charlotte restaurant after a sign was put up prior to the NFL Draft.
Full story: https://t.co/tYPhlekttU pic.twitter.com/tc0eihPAkT
— WBTV News (@WBTV_News) April 26, 2024
Zietlow spoke with the bar’s owner, Matt Wohlfarth.
“It sounded a bit more on the joking side,” Wohlfarth said. “But also a bit mad. Otherwise he would’ve stopped in and had a drink.”
Wohlfarth told Zietlow that this wasn’t Tepper’s first visit to his place. He claims the billionaire owner also stopped in back in mid-January, when the sign outside read “MEDDLING OWNERS NEVER WIN. RUN FROM JERRY JONES.”
Tepper has gained a reputation as a hands-on owner, one that really came into focus following last year’s selection of quarterback Bryce Young. While many seem to believe Tepper had a major influence on taking Young with 2023’s No. 1 overall pick, the Panthers have maintained that the decision was a collaborative effort.
Tepper is also no stranger to confrontation with fans, as he was captured tossing a drink toward the Jacksonville Jaguars crowd at the end of his team’s Week 17 loss this past season. The NFL fined Tepper $300,000 for the incident.
