JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The NFL fined Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper $300,000 for tossing a drink at fans in Jacksonville toward the end of a game on Sunday.
The league called Tepper’s conduct “unacceptable.”
WATCH: Billionaire Panthers owner David Tepper tosses drink at Jaguars fans
“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 statement said.
On Wednesday, News4JAX spoke to a man who was arrested and banned for life from Jaguars games after he ran onto the field in 2022 wearing only a pair of jorts. He laughed at the punishment Tepper received.
“It’s hilarious. Of course they didn’t do [expletive] to him,” he said.
“They [expletive] me hard,” he wrote in a statement to News4JAX. “When I first got arrested these mother [expletive] were like…the NFL people were like give him the harshest punishment possible.”
He said the NFL wanted to charge him with a felony but he was eventually charged with a misdemeanor.
Tepper, a hedge fund manager, reportedly has a total net worth of around $20 billion, meaning $300,000 would be a drop in the bucket.
For example, if someone with a total net worth of $100,000 was fined an equivalent amount, it would be around a $1.40 fine.
Some people said the punishment wasn’t enough, but others disagreed.
“300,000 dollars for throwing a drink on somebody. It seems a bit steep,” one fan said.
“For 300,000 dollars I don’t think it’s enough. I think there were obviously other issues clearly involved. He should have let the security at the stadium handle things,” said fan Richard Kuritz.
Tepper’s reaction came after rookie quarterback Bryce Young threw an interception with less than three minutes to play in a 26-0 loss to the Jaguars.
“I am deeply passionate about this team and regret my behavior on Sunday,” Tepper said in a statement. “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 wasn’t clear whether Tepper was reacting to something said to him or another loss for the NFL’s worst team. The Panthers are 2-14 and won’t even have the No. 1 overall pick in the draft because it was traded to Chicago for the top pick used to select Young.
The punishment was not unprecedented. Other NFL owners have received similar punishments.
In 2009, the NFL fined the late Titans owner Bud Adams $250,000 for making an obscene gesture at Buffalo fans while celebrating Tennessee’s victory over the Bills.
Fans have also been banned from stadiums for throwing drinks at players.
So far, the fan who had a drink thrown at them by Tepper has not been publicly identified.
Multiple people who were nearby or in the adjacent luxury box have come forward but so far News4JAX has not heard from that specific fan.
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