In the latest episode of the “New Heights” podcast, Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce did not mince words when expressing his disgust at Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper.
In case you’ve been living under a rock, Tepper was caught tossing a drink at a taunting Jacksonville Jaguars fan last week … An action that made him $300,000 poorer. (He can afford it.)
Looks like Panthers owner David Tepper threw a drink into the crowd…pic.twitter.com/dP9zEmbyrz
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) December 31, 2023
Kelce, known for his outspoken nature, didn’t hold back in sharing his thoughts on the incident. He expressed a strong preference for physical confrontation over the disrespectful act of tossing a drink at someone.
“Throwing a drink, or like spitting on somebody is just like – I’d rather you just punch me in the face … I don’t know why that is so much more disrespectful to somebody. There’s an air of like, ‘I’m better than you’ in that toss,” he said.
Jason Kelce ripped Panthers owner David Tepper for throwing a drink on Jaguars fans, with the Eagles center saying he'd rather take a punch than have a drink thrown at him.
Which one are you taking? The punch or the drink?
Read: https://t.co/QFCgJciYrE pic.twitter.com/GqCEU70IUf
— OutKick (@Outkick) January 3, 2024
“Punching me in the face out of anger is not disrespectful. Throwing a drink on me or spitting on me is disrespectful. Does that make sense?” he continued.
I think we all know what Kelce’s getting at, and he makes a very strong point.
His brother, Travis (have you heard of him??), echoed Jason’s sentiments and labeled Tepper’s actions as “snooty.”
Tony Kornheiser rippin Tepper to shreds. pic.twitter.com/caoUCW0oC1
— Michael Rimmer (@avl_mike) January 3, 2024
In response to the backlash, Tepper issued an apology on Tuesday night, acknowledging his regret over the incident.
“I am deeply passionate about this team and regret my behavior on Sunday,” Tepper stated. “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 David Tepper situation in Carolina is fascinating..
We all know what would happened if a player did something similar" ~ @JJWatt #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/lwj6QWXCxe
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) January 3, 2024
Of course, many feel that Tepper’s punishment was way too light.
After all, $300,000 is absolutely nothing to a man worth $20 billion.
"David Tepper is always looking for somebody to reaffirm what he thinks..
He's gotta find somebody with enough guts to tell him that he needs a plan to turn this team around" ~ @mlombardiNFL #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/AqSfoPDfrn
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) January 3, 2024
What are your thoughts on the incident?
How about the punishment – Was it too light? … What should it have been?
As far as Kelce’s statement, do you agree that it’s more acceptable to be punched in the face than have a drink tossed at you???