Tag: David Tepper

Panthers HC Dave Canales asked if David Tepper played a role in decision to bench Bryce Young

Panthers HC Dave Canales when asked if owner David Tepper was in on the decision to bench QB Bryce Young: “I wanna keep that private.”

Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales hasn’t kept his close relationship with owner David Tepper much of a secret. But he still doesn’t plan on divulging many, if any details about their interactions—especially today.

On Monday, Canales announced the team’s decision to bench second-year quarterback Bryce Young. Young, who will give way to veteran Andy Dalton beginning in Week 3, has struggled to start the 2024 season—as he’s passed for just 245 yards, no touchdowns and three interceptions over two blowout losses.

When taking questions, Canales was asked if Tepper had any role in the move.

“I wanna keep that private,” Canales replied. “What I would like to say though is this is something after I watched the film. I looked at it, had a thought, starting working on talking to the guys that we make decisions with. Certainly, a lot of parties involved there. And ultimately, this comes on me, and my No. 1 responsibility is to help the Panthers win. And so this move, I believe, puts us in the best chance to do that this week.”

Tepper, of course, has garnered quite the reputation of being a bit hands-on as an owner. He helped complete perhaps the biggest move in franchise history last spring, when they traded up to the 2023 draft’s No. 1 overall pick in a massive deal with the Chicago Bears.

Unfortunately, that investment has failed to pay off. The Panthers have gone 2-16 in games started by Young, who is now averaging 173.4 passing yards per game with 11 touchdowns and 13 interceptions in his NFL career.

Canales told reporters that he spoke with coaches as well as president of football operations/general manager Dan Morgan and executive vice president of football operations Brandt Tilis before making the decision.

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Panthers HC Dave Canales says he met with owner David Tepper after Week 1 loss

Panthers HC Dave Canales says he met with owner David Tepper following Sunday’s 47-10 loss to the Saints.

Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales wants to continue to build a pretty important relationship with a pretty important pair of people—even on his bad days.

Canales spoke with reporters following this afternoon’s practice, the first official session since his rough head-coaching debut on Sunday. He was asked if he’s had the opportunity to speak with owner David Tepper after his team’s 47-10 loss to the New Orleans Saints.

“Yeah, absolutely,” Canales replied. “I talked to him. And, of course, these are people that I wanna make proud of what we’re doing here and what we’re building. So, it means a lot to me to make sure that I connect with him, to connect with Nicole [Tepper]—to be able to talk about just the state of our organization, just kinda following up on games.

“I look forward to that process. So we had some good times to connect after the game. Those are private conversations that I’ll keep to myself. But a lot of support.”

This shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. After all, the Panthers—in their official announcement of his hiring, in fact—stated that Canales would report directly to Tepper.

Anyway, Dave also had a special message for David.

“Happy birthday, by the way, David,” Canales later added while looking into the hard camera from the presser. “I hope you’re having a great time with the family.”

Tepper turns 67 years old today.

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WATCH: ‘Hard Knocks’ shows moment when Panthers, Giants agree on Brian Burns trade

Here’s the very moment in which Brian Burns was no longer a Carolina Panther:

We can actually pinpoint the second where the hearts of Carolina Panthers fans ripped in half this offseason.

The latest episode of HBO’s Hard Knocks gave us an inside look into the very moment in which fan favorite Brian Burns was traded to the New York Giants.

Watch as cameras document Giants general manager and former Panthers scout Joe Schoen navigating his way through negotiations with Carolina president of football operations/general manager Dan Morgan:

As shown, Daniel Thomas Morgan agreed to send the two-time Pro Bowl pass rusher off for 2024’s 39th overall pick, a 2024 fifth-round pick swap and a 2025 conditional fifth-round pick. The painful departure came after Burns and the Panthers were unable to reach a long-term pact, one he’d promptly receive from the Giants upon the completion of the deal.

Morgan, a few weeks later, explained why the tough decision had to be made.

“You know, those are always difficult conversations and, and decisions that you have to make from the seat that I’m in,” he said, at the NFL Annual League Meeting in late March. “We love Brian. The player he is, the person he is, but sometimes you’ve got to make tough decisions, and the salary cap along with draft capital that we got, we felt like it was, you know, time to pull the trigger and make a move.

“We felt like the timing was right. And yeah, those are always tough decisions, but we had to make it, and we feel OK about it.”

Well, by the looks of that clip, we know Schoen and the Giants were certainly OK about it, too.

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Panthers HC Dave Canales gives early impressions of owners David, Nicole Tepper

Panthers HC Dave Canales on the Teppers: “I see a couple who is really passionate about their team.”

So, what is it like working for the Teppers?

New Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales was the featured guest on Tuesday’s episode of The Season with Peter Schrager. Host Peter Schrager (obviously) asked Canales about the early stages of his working relationship with team owners David and Nicole Tepper.

“That’s been fantastic,” he replied. “I see a couple who is really passionate about their team. And sometimes, Nicole more than David—she just like absolutely loves Panthers football. And the whole thing, the community—she’s like so fired up to serve and find, like, ‘Who can we bless? Who can we go and spread this . . . ?’ Her deal’s like, ‘I just wanna come out to practice and enjoy the energy of what I’m seeing.'”

The feeling seems to be mutual with Nicole, who has previously lauded Canales for his energy and his attention to detail.

And what about David?

“And with David—to be able to be with him and pick his brain and, like, lean on the successes that he’s had. He’s unbelievably successful in terms of like when we think of leadership and all those things. I’m able to kinda sit with him and watch him just, like, courageously bring us together. ‘Ok, let’s evaluate free agency. Let’s evaluate the draft process. How did that go, guys? How was it? What went well? What didn’t go well? Why not?’

“And there’s no blame, there’s none of that. It’s just like can we speak the truth? Can we go into things with our eyes open and courageously say, ‘Ok, this didn’t work, let’s fix it, let’s move forward?'”

Dave is David’s third head-coaching choice over the last five years.

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Panthers owner David Tepper issues statement on approval of stadium renovation

We know of one guy who was probably happy on Monday night . . .

David Tepper may have been the butt of a joke or two on Monday night, but it was he who had the last laugh.

This evening, the Charlotte City Council—by a vote of seven to three—approved plans for the massive renovation of Bank of America Stadium. The Carolina Panthers and Charlotte FC owner issued the following statement shortly after the passing of the proposal:

“Today’s vote by the Charlotte City Council is the culmination of many thoughtful discussions with city officials, local leaders, and our fans to create a shared vision for Bank of America Stadium. Nicole and I are grateful for the collaboration and support of the project, as well as our ongoing partnership between Tepper Sports & Entertainment and the city.”

“For nearly 30 years, Charlotte has been the home of the Carolina Panthers and, more recently, Charlotte FC. We are proud to be in the Carolinas and look forward to delivering a venue that meets the needs of our community, players, and fans for years to come.”

The city is now set to invest $650 million into the project, which is expected to begin work in 2026.

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WATCH: Charlotte council member takes swipe at Panthers owner David Tepper at stadium renovation discussion

Charlotte City Council member Tiawana Brown on David Tepper: “The behavior of someone that’s asking us for $650 million is ridiculous.”

At least a few members of the Charlotte City Council aren’t fully in on the expensive facelift for Bank of America Stadium.

On Monday night, the council convened to openly discuss the proposed renovation plans for the home of the Carolina Panthers and Charlotte FC. Council member Tiawana Brown—who not only represents, but has lived in District 3 for her entire life—had some strong words of skepticism about handing over $650 million to Panthers owner David Tepper.

“It sounds good, don’t it?” Brown said of the projected economic growth of the project. “It sounds real good until we get Mr. Tepper angry again at [Tepper Sports & Entertainment]. And then he might throw something at city council. I’m being very, very honest. The behavior of someone that’s asking us for $650 million is ridiculous.”

Brown, of course, is referencing the incident involving Tepper in Week 17 of this past season—when he appeared to toss the contents of a cup towards fans inside EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. Tepper was fined $300,000 by the NFL for those actions.

She continued, stating that the plan’s lack of transparency has given her pause.

“When you send me an email, as your servant in this seat—’cause it’s not mine. I’m sitting in this seat that’s elected for the people, by the people. If I lose this seat, it’s because the people don’t want me here anymore,” Brown added. “But I’m going to do the best that I can do, standing in my truth, trying to figure out what we can share on this deal. I don’t have enough information, I don’t feel comfortable moving forward with it at this level.”

By the completion of her piece, Brown was the third council member to oppose the project.

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Panthers, Charlotte could have discussions about new stadium by 2037

The city of Charlotte may be eyeing a new stadium for the Carolina Panthers in 2046.

The proposed renovations for Bank of America Stadium may only be a temporary fix for the Carolina Panthers.

As reported by WSOC-TV’s Joe Bruno earlier this afternoon, the city of Charlotte could be eyeing a brand-new home for the Panthers and soccer club Charlotte FC. A provision in the Charlotte City Council meeting’s agenda on Monday, when the group is expected to vote on the Bank of America Stadium renovation project, proposes that the city could start talks towards a new stadium with Tepper Sports & Entertainment by April 1, 2037.

But hold those horses. This facility is not set in stone.

Here, per Joe Person of The Athletic, is a comment on the provision from a city spokesman:

This language does not establish that there will be a new stadium in 2046 but an acknowledgement that Bank of America stadium will be 50 years old at the end of the current proposed agreement and that the two parties will need to address that. It is also a protective measure for the city that establishes the soonest the two parties would begin those discussions and creates a forecast and timeline for future city staff and ownership. A similar provision has been included in agreements with the Hornets related to the Spectrum Center renovations and is a common stipulation in stadium/arena agreements.

In short—if the city okays the fixed $650 million investment proposed by the Panthers on Monday, then a discussion about a new stadium will happen.

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New Orleans Saints game previews: Week 9 at Carolina Panthers

New Orleans Saints game previews: Week 9’s midpoint brings a rematch against the Carolina Panthers at Charlotte’s Bank of America Stadium

We’re almost to the back half of the New Orleans Saints’ 2024 schedule — which starts with a rematch against their Week 1 opponent, the division-rival Carolina Panthers. And this game should be much more challenging than that season opener.

Any hiccups and hurdles slowing down Bryce Young should be well behind the young quarterback once November rolls around. The Panthers are introducing their third head coach in three years after David Tepper bought the team, having fired Matt Rhule and Frank Reich before turning to Dave Canales. Canales has a reputation as someone who can get the most out of his quarterbacks, and helping Young live up to his draft status as the 2023 first overall pick will be his top priority.

On top of that, this game is kicking off from Charlotte’s Bank of America Stadium. The Panthers reported stronger home attendance numbers than the Saints did in 2023, and it’s likely to be a hostile environment, especially if Young and Canales are giving fans a good reason to show up. The Saints do own a 31-28 lead in the all-time series history with their NFC South rivals, but they’ve lost two of their last three games in Carolina, and only escaped with a 3-point win last season. This isn’t going to be a matchup they can take lightly, but it is one they should win.

  • Game information: New Orleans Saints at Carolina Panthers
  • Location: Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, N.C.
  • Date: Nov. 3
  • Time: Noon CT / 1 p.m. ET
  • TV Channel: CBS

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Panthers great Cam Newton comments on David Tepper’s hat-snatching visit to local bar

Cam Newton on David Tepper’s recent to Charlotte bar: “That’s how you lose a fanbase.”

We’ve learned that it’s pretty hard to get Cam Newton’s hat off of his head. So maybe he’s somewhat qualified, especially as a local legend, to speak on David Tepper’s cap-snatching visit to a popular Charlotte establishment.

Well, he did exactly that—on this week’s episode of 4th & 1 with Cam Newton. The former Carolina Panthers quarterback commented on the Carolina Panthers owner’s recent stop into Dilworth Neighborhood Grille, which displayed a less-than-flattering sign regarding Tepper leading up to the 2024 NFL draft . . .

Here’s the clip from Cam:

As first reported by Alex Zietlow of The Charlotte Observer, Tepper walked into the bar and restaurant last Thursday after seeing the sign. Surveillance video of the visit showed Tepper seemingly speaking about the sign with two employees, one of which had his Philadelphia Eagles hat removed by the billionaire owner.

The exchange ended with a handshake, so Tepper’s latest eyebrow-raising incident wasn’t all that hostile. But hopefully, he takes Cam up on that challenge.

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Panthers thin-skinned owner David Tepper trolled (again!) by a local Charlotte restaurant sign

Sign 2, David Tepper 0

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.

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.