Jason Kelce sounds off at 'disrespectful' Panthers owner David Tepper after he was fined $300,000 by NFL for drink toss
A video of Carolina Panthers team owner David Tepper throwing a drink at a Jacksonville Jaguars fan last week went viral. The incident took place on Sunday in the Panthers' 26-0 loss to the Jaguars at EverBank Stadium.
On Wednesday, during the recent episode of the "New Heights" podcast, Jason Kelce shared his thoughts on the incident with the NFL owner. The Philadelphia Eagles center went on to say how disrespectful a thrown drink is:
"Throwing a drink, or spitting on someone, I'd rather you just punch me in the face. Like I don't know why that is so much more disrespectful to somebody. It's an air of "I'm better than you" in that toss.
"I don't need to disrespect, punching me in the face out of anger is not disrespectful. Throwing a drink on me or spitting on me is disrespectful, you think "did I deserve to have a drink thrown at me? F*ck no, I didn't."
Jason Kelce felt that it wasn't a move out of anger but just pure disrespect and Kelce didn't hold back with his thoughts.
Why did the NFL fine David Tepper $300,000?
On Sunday afternoon, the Carolina Panthers were shut out on the road against the Jacksonville Jaguars by a 26-0 scoreline. This was just the latest development in yet another tumultuous season for the Panthers. Owner David Tepper didn't handle his emotions well and towards the end of the game took his frustrations out on a Jaguars fan.
A video of Tepper taking a drink and throwing it down at a Jaguars fan from his box at EverBank Stadium surfaced. The NFL and Panthers didn't comment or release a statement about the situation until Tuesday afternoon.
The NFL released a brief statement in which it stated that it holds all members of the league to a higher standard. They said that David Tepper's behavior was unacceptable and fined him $300,000 for unacceptable conduct.
The league released the following statement:
"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."
For his part, David Tepper also released a statement after being issued the league fine.
"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."
The Carolina Panthers team owner added that he accepted the fine and would be paying it.