Report: Pittsburgh native, Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper fined for throwing drink at fans
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper was reportedly fined $300,000 for tossing a drink at fans in Jacksonville on Sunday.
During the Panthers' 26-0 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Stadium, video shows Tepper tossing his drink at fans near the end of the game. Tepper was inside a luxury box and threw the drink at fans outside it.
In a statement on Tuesday, the NFL reportedly fined Tepper for his "unacceptable conduct."
"All NFL personnel are expected to conduct themselves at all times in ways that respect our fans and favorably reflect on their team and the NFL," the NFL's statement said, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.
Tepper's actions came after Panthers rookie quarterback Bryce Young threw an interception late in the fourth quarter.
In a statement of his own on Tuesday, according to Pelissero, Tepper said, "I am deeply passionate about this team and regret my behavior on Sunday. I should have let NFL stadium security handle any issues that arose. I respect the NFL's code of conduct and accept the League's discipline for my behavior."
It is not clear why Tepper threw the drink at fans on Sunday. Heading into the final week of the regular season, the Panthers (2-14) are the league's worst team.
Tepper, a former Pittsburgh Steelers minority shareholder, bought the Panthers in 2018 for $2.3 billion.
David Tepper's Pittsburgh roots
David Tepper grew up in Pittsburgh's Stanton Heights neighborhood and went to Peabody High School.
He went on to continue his education at the University of Pittsburgh and eventually earned his Master of Business Administration from Carnegie Mellon University.
In 2018, Tepper was the keynote speaker for Carnegie Mellon's commencement activities. He said then that he owes much of the change in his life to the education he received at Carnegie Mellon.
"It also was the foundation for everything I have done professionally since then. This place gave me the tools I needed to be successful," he said in 2018.
In 2013, Tepper donated $67 million to Carnegie Mellon, which created the "David A. Tepper Quadrangle" and the home of the Tepper School of Business.