The Carolina Panthers are making headlines this season for all the wrong reasons. On Sunday, they clinched the NFL’s worst record and the top pick in the draft, but that pick actually belongs to Chicago after Carolina traded up for Bryce Young in the 2023 draft.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/pmn/HSUWI7G25VB2TB7DLLQN42ZC7Y.jpg)
Owner David Tepper made things even worse, with a video posted on Instagram appearing to show him throwing a drink on fans in Jacksonville from his suite at EverBank Stadium during the loss.
On the New Heights podcast, Travis and Jason Kelce blasted Tepper for his “disrespectful” drink throw.
A bit different of a mood from him after the game https://t.co/DP68vKx1U5 pic.twitter.com/llOqHXS4yI
— Med (@Kahuna_Med) December 31, 2023
“Throwing a drink, or spitting on somebody, I’d rather you just punch me in the face,” Jason said on the show. “That is so much more disrespectful to somebody. Do you think that’s accurate? There’s an air of ‘I’m better than you’ in that toss, is that fair to say? Or am I being too harsh?”
“I think you’re on to something, I’m kind of with you on this,” Travis responded. “It’s almost like a snooty, like, ‘Dude, [bleep] you, I’m higher up than you.’ Spitting on someone, throwing a drink on someone.”
The NFL released a statement on Tuesday condemning Tepper’s “unacceptable conduct” and fined him $300,000 for his actions.
Tepper released a corresponding statement expressing regret and saying he “should have let NFL stadium security handle any issues that arose.”
The incident occurred after a fourth-quarter interception from Young. It’s unknown whether there was an inciting incident from the fan or if Tepper’s actions were a reaction to the play.
“I’d rather you just punched me in the face,” Jason said. “Let’s just settle it, I don’t need the disrespect. Punching me in the face out of anger is not disrespectful, throwing a drink on me or spitting on me is disrespectful.”
“Might have a moment of reflection right there, like ‘Why did I just get punched in the face?’” Travis responded.
“Did I deserve that?” Jason said. “But at no point are you like, did I deserve to have a drink thrown on me? [Bleep] no I didn’t.”
You can listen to the full podcast here.
