Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper continues to be one of the most unlikable figures in the National Football League. His shenanigans prior to the NFL Draft did not help his case.
The 66-year-old was on a warpath!
Tepper, who is disliked by a majority of Panthers fans and NFL fans (especially after throwing a drink at them last season), was widely criticized over the last few years for being over-involved in his team’s selections. The overwhelming belief was that he drove Carolina’s decision to trade up to No. 1 and pick Bryce Young last April. That trade is now one of the worst of all-time and did not go over well.
A local Charlotte restaurant decided to have some fun at his expense prior to this year’s draft. Dilworth Neighborhood Grille put up a sign that read ‘PLEASE LET THE COACH & GM PICK THIS YEAR.’ It was objectively hilarious and entirely harmless.
Tepper did not agree.
He just so happened to drive by the Dilworth Neighborhood Grille on Thursday afternoon while en route to the team facility. The sign caught his eye.
Tepper pulled over (or told his driver to pull over) and walked into the restaurant with a visible chip on his shoulder. Although the employee said that the owner was pleasant during the exchange, surveillance video tells a different story.
Sure, Tepper had a smile on his face and was rather jovial. However, it is very obvious that he was butthurt. Why else would he stop in and ask to speak with the person responsible for the sign in the first place?
To make matters worse, Tepper removed what appeared to be an Eagles hat from the head of the employee at front of house. He did so without asking. Even in jest, it was a total invasion of personal space and a major overstep.
And once Tepper found out that the employee who created the sign was not there, he bounced.
It really does not get any more lame than that. David Tepper continues to make himself more and more difficult to root for in any capacity.