Fowler rips Tepper

[Mr. Scot]

Another volley in the rivalry between Fowler and Tepper...

Excerpts:

David Tepper fell out of love with another head coach Wednesday, which is more or less an annual occurrence.

If a coach manages to last three full seasons under Tepper, I’m going to buy that man a beer and ask him how in the world he did it. This time Tepper — the mercurial, impatient, gregarious and occasionally infuriating billionaire owner of both the Carolina Panthers and Charlotte FC — got rid of Christian Lattanzio, which means the Queen City’s Major League Soccer team has now played for two seasons and gone through two coaches.

One head coach a year is about the average for the Panthers, too, if you count the interim coaches, which I do because it’s technically accurate and definitely more fun.

...

I was out of town Wednesday morning, taking my 16-year-old daughter on a trip to visit a couple of colleges. When I heard that Tepper had fired another head coach, my first reaction wasn’t surprise. There have been too many of them for that.

I just asked, wearily: “Which one?”

Tepper really wants to be handing out championship rings some day.

Instead, he keeps handing out severance packages.

Of course, it’s Tepper’s money, he has more of it than most of us put together, and he can do what he wants with it. What’s frustrating is that Tepper either keeps choosing the wrong guys to lead his teams or he wouldn’t know a Bill Belichick or Don Shula if one appeared at his doorstep tomorrow.

...

With a fully engaged Tepper, the Panthers have gone 30-60 in 5-plus seasons. They haven’t had a winning season, they are losing two games out of every three and they haven’t made the playoffs.

Charlotte FC did make the playoffs this year, very briefly, but also has had two losing records in two seasons. Maybe it’s time for Tepper to try something different, particularly with the Panthers. The team believes it has found its quarterback now in rookie No. 1 pick Bryce Young, whom Tepper predicted in April would lead the team to “Super Bowls.” Yes, it was plural.

...

So the Panthers’ big problem has been “solved,” even though the results aren’t showing that yet.

But if that’s the case: Tepper can just sign the checks and otherwise stay out of football. Just run the business side. Just for one season. For the soccer team, help hire the head coach. And then let that team find its footing on its own.

Because what’s going on now, with FET (Fully Engaged Tepper) for both the Panthers and Charlotte FC? It’s just not working. Not even close.

...

A year ago, when Tepper and I had that awkward televised exchange in which he came off as somewhat abrupt, I wrote in a column that I didn’t want or need an apology from him.

I just wanted him to become a better owner.

I’m still waiting.

I bet you are too.

[ThPantherFan]

16 minutes ago, Mr. Scot said:

I just wanted him to become a better owner.

I’m still waiting.

I bet you are too.

I agree with that.  Tepper needs to back away for at least a year and see if there is an improvement.  I bet there will be.

[Mr. Scot]

1 minute ago, ThPantherFan said:

I agree with that.  Tepper needs to back away for at least a year and see if there is an improvement.  I bet there will be.

The absolute biggest obstacle between the Panthers and success is David Tepper's ego.

[4Corners]

Flower injecting himself in the story. Making sure to get himself some publicity. Bad journalism IMO. 

[top dawg]

Yeah, this is about as pointed a piece that I have seen any writer ever write about Jerry Richardson or Tepper and the state of the team. All the---shall I say---understated innuendo pertaining to Reich and maybe even Bryce Young. He essentially called Tepper a meddler. I could take it that Tepper is a bungling idiot in reference to both the sports and should just run the business side. 

Tepper deserves all of it. He's sold fans a bill of goods thus far, probably because he has surrounded himself with a bunch of yes-men. 

Edited November 9, 2023 by top dawg

[top dawg]

Just now, 4Corners said:

Flower injecting himself in the story. Making sure to get himself some publicity. Bad journalism IMO. 

Injecting yourself into the story doesn't make for bad journalism.

[frankw]

I don't care for Fowler's work but I completely agree with him about David Tepper.

It's honestly sad out of all the local people he's the one with the cajones to actually directly call out this buffoon.

If we were in a bigger market Tepper would be getting scorched from all angles.

[The Lobo]

Not defending Dave, I read comments in twitter that there is a high turnover in MLS, so according to that it isn’t a shock to see HCs there get fired. I have no idea how true that is, I don’t watch soccer what so ever. I mean we all know Dave sucks, but why do we care what he does with his soccer team? 

[Mr. Scot]

8 minutes ago, top dawg said:

Yeah, this is about as pointed a piece that I have seen any writer ever write about Jerry Richardson or Tepper and the state of the team. All the---shall I say---understated innuendo pertaining to Reich and maybe even Bryce Young. He essentially called Tepper a meddler. I could take it that Tepper is a bungling idiot in reference to both the sports and should just run the business side. 

Tepper deserves all of it. He's sold fans a bill of goods thus far, probably because he has surrounded himself with a bunch of yes-men. 

Stephen Holder is a long time Colts beat writer who's considered a pretty credible source.

He's the one who said a few weeks back that it was "well-known around the league" that Tepper heavily influenced this year's quarterback draft decision.

If that's true, Tepper really isn't in a position to blame anyone else but himself for problems related to that choice.

[Mr. Scot]

1 minute ago, The Lobo said:

Not defending Dave, I read comments in twitter that there is a high turnover in MLS, so according to that it isn’t a shock to see HCs there get fired. I have no idea how true that is, I don’t watch soccer what so ever. I mean we all know Dave sucks, but why do we care what he does with his soccer team? 

In as much as it's a reflection of who he is, i do.

As far as the soccer side, I don't know Jack sh-t about it but there are people on here who do. I'd defer to them for any analysis on that front.

[mrcompletely11]

1 minute ago, Mr. Scot said:

Stephen Holder is a long time Colts beat writer who's considered a pretty credible source.

He's the one who said a few weeks back that it was "well-known around the league" that Tepper heavily influenced this year's quarterback draft decision.

If that's true, Tepper really isn't in a position to blame anyone else but himself for problems related to that choice.

I believe he said that frank told him at the combine who he liked or something to that effect.  

[TheBigKat]

39 minutes ago, 4Corners said:

Flower injecting himself in the story. Making sure to get himself some publicity. Bad journalism IMO. 

Met him before, total prick and a mug smile that you’d love to wipe off his face

[WarHeel]

The futbol side of the house was absolutely justified. Not mad at this one.  Not really mad at firings in general. More upset they can’t get the right personnel to begin with.

[Mr. Scot]

3 minutes ago, TheBigKat said:

Met him before, total prick and a mug smile that you’d love to wipe off his face

Even if he is, it wouldn't make him wrong.

As far as this story goes, he isn't.