How Dave Tepper continues to alienate the Carolina Panthers fanbase

Dave Tepper has had a tough start to his ownership of the Carolina Panthers and may have further alienated sections of the fanbase this offseason.

In the summer of 2018, after Jerry Richardson’s scandals involving workplace misconduct. Hedge Fund billionaire and Steelers minority owner David Tepper bought the Carolina Panthers for $2.275 billion – an extraordinary deal at the time and one that brought some real hope things could start trending in the right direction once again.

Tepper came into the organization with a winning mindset, with a clear intent to put Carolina among the industry leaders both on and off the field. Something he made abundantly clear during his opening press conference.

"“Winning is the most important thing both on the field and in the community, and I am committed to winning a Super Bowl championship together.”"

Talking about delivering Super Bowls to the Carolinas is all well and good. But since Tepper took over as team owner, the Panthers have struggled to win games. The team has posted a 22-43 regular-season record and the billionaire has yet to bask in the glory of a winning campaign.

There is no question of Tepper’s commitment to winning. But his tenacious drive for success seems to hurt the team at times.

Tepper’s hiring of Matt Rhule and particularly the contract offered to him is hurting the team. His coaching career has not gone according to plan so far and has reportedly left the owner red-faced, according to Joe Person of The Athletic.

Even with Tepper feeling this way, he is still holding onto Matt Rhule for a third season. Additionally, at the top of the organization, he has shown a heavy influence on coach and player personnel decisions. Which usually complicates things.

There is a growing sense of disenchantment between the franchise and the fanbase. And Tepper’s silence is only causing further confusion.