Another day, seemingly another NFL billionaire asking for a handout from hard-working taxpayers. It’s no secret that David Tepper is easily believed to be one of the worst owners in the league and the Panthers fans haven’t been shy to relay that sentiment. Just when no one thought, he couldn’t sink any lower, he did. Tepper is now asking the people of Charlotte to foot the bill for renovations to Bank of America Stadium.
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As per X(formerly Twitter) account MLFootball, Tepper, and the Panthers’ stadium need $800 million worth of renovations so they don’t have to move out of the city. The owner is worth a whopping $20 billion. But they’ve put up a request to get the money out of the taxpayer’s funds.
This hasn’t gone down well with the fans. Fans are up in arms and expressed their opinions on the matter. A fan asserted that the people and city officials should vote against it and make Tepper sell the franchise.
Others stated given how rich he is, he could build many stadiums using his money but he still wants the people’s hard-earned money. A fan wondered why the NFL let someone like him into the league. A few joked that there is no point in renovations when they finish 2-15 and can’t fill out the stadium.
Others insisted that he should pay for this himself and Tepper is just trying to keep up the appearances and compete with other owners when the stadium is perfectly fine.
However, some people supported the $800 million proposal. They pointed out that the taxes allocated for this purpose come from a fund to which only certain establishments contribute.
Fans pointed out that the team generates revenue for the city and therefore should be allowed to ask the city to foot the bill for renovations. Few of them suggested to just build a new stadium. Fans said,
I hope they vote against it force that man to sell the team
— Casual Sportsball Fan (@CasualBallSport) June 6, 2024
Another chimed in and added,
— ayushjuneja (@Liverpudlian61) June 6, 2024
Fans quipped,
— ayushjuneja (@Liverpudlian61) June 6, 2024
Users wrote,
— ayushjuneja (@Liverpudlian61) June 6, 2024
Others stated,
Might as well just build a new stadium at that point.
— Jake (@Jake62124498011) June 6, 2024
It seems Tepper is willing to go to any length to get the city to pay. Maybe even moving out of the city altogether.
David Tepper Willing to Move the Panthers Out of Carolina
As per AOL, the Panthers are not interested in moving on from Carolina and have already formulated plans for the stadium and are already moving the facility to a better part of the city. But the NFL is a business and owning a franchise is an expensive proposition, the situation could change in an instant.
As per the new proposal, the city would have to release $650 million with $150 million coming from Tepper himself. However, this would keep the franchise bound to the city for another 20 years. The previous lease ended in 2023, so moving out is an option and the team wouldn’t receive any penalties.
Tepper Sports & Entertainment owns the stadium, while the city owns the land. The City Council is expected to vote on the new proposal on June 24 and it would be harder to sell the proposal. The Panthers are one of the worst franchises in the NFL just like their owner. The team hasn’t had a winning season since 2018.
Teams have moved in the past and it won’t be surprising if Tepper moves his team out to greener pastures. But will he get away with all the half hearted attempts to be an NFL owner in another city? Only time will tell.
