Alleged drink-throwing incident sparks NFLPA probe after Carolina Panthers loss

David Tepper didn't cover himself in glory last season. There were countless examples where the Carolina Panthers owner embarrassed himself. None more so than when his frustrations got the better of him and the erratic billionaire threw his refreshing beverage over a fan at the Jacksonville Jaguars.

This brought more ridicule and a $300,000 fine in Tepper's direction. It was just a small drop in the ocean compared to his generational wealth, but the damage to his reputation in league circles was more damaging than giving up this chunk of change.

NFLPA looking into alleged drink-throwing incident after Carolina Panthers' loss in Week 4

History might be repeating itself. The NFLPA is looking into an alleged incident at Bank of America Stadium following Carolina's defeat to the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 4. Running back Chase Brown was filmed walking off the field when what appeared to be a drink fell directly on him.

Brown - who torched the Panthers for 92 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns during the contest - didn't realize what happened until after the fact based on comments via Ben Bay from ESPN. He was probably more concerned about celebrating Cincinnati's first win of the campaign rather than what was being showered upon him from the stands.

"I was walking in [and] I felt the liquid or whatever, and then when I saw the video back, I'm like, 'Damn, that's really what happened'."

- Chase Brown via ESPN

The alleged incident is being reviewed by the league and the NFLPA. Michael Thomas, a player director with the players' association, added they would be investigating the incident. He also condoned this type of behavior, which he believes should never happen regardless of the circumstances attached.

"We'll see if we can identify the person and then we'll go from there. But that should never happen to a player."

- Michael Thomas via ESPN

Emotions can run high. The Panthers haven't enjoyed much success in recent years, so tempers do tend to boil over with struggling franchises more than most. Although the incident is still pending further inquiries, there's no place for this in sport if there's something more to the accusations.

This might not even be a Panthers fan. There's no telling for sure with the footage and information available.

This is the last thing Carolina needs right now. They're having a tough time establishing themselves under head coach Dave Canales despite showing signs of life over the last fortnight. They could do without any unnecessary distractions and unwanted attention due to alleged detrimental fan behavior. After all, the Panthers have enough problems to worry about.

Bank of America Stadium has security cameras in plentiful supply, so expect further developments soon one way or another.

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