Panthers news: David Tepper, Cam Newton, Pro Bowlers and Bryce Young

Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper lambasted

If David Tepper thought his measly fine coupled with a three-sentence statement would make all the criticism and ridicule go away, he was sorely mistaken. The Carolina Panthers owner remains a laughing-stock. He continues to bring shame to the franchise. His reputation is tarnished almost beyond repair right now.

It's not just the regional media going in on Tepper. He was the hot topic of discussion during a segment on ESPN's First Take on Wednesday. This began with Chris 'Mad Dog' Russo pulling no punches on the incompetent owner via The Spun.

"This guy is a clown. Let's be honest, this is a disaster for the NFL. He fired [Frank] Reich, he obviously interfered as far as the Bryce Young scenario is concerned. Now he's on board saying, 'We all wanted Bryce Young.' Half the offense wanted C.J. Stroud, who they should have taken but took Young instead. If you go work for this guy, you're nuts. He's a disaster. I wouldn't go near him if I was a halfway decent coach."

- Chris Russo via The Spun

Stephen A. Smith also made a good point…

Former NFL defensive lineman Marcus Spears highlighted the arrogance in Tepper's statement - which failed to produce an apology - as the thing that annoyed him most. The hedge fund manager is hoping this will blow over heading into the head coaching cycle. Whether it's enough to convince coveted targets such as Ben Johnson that this is a project worth taking on is the big question.