A newspaper columnist is fuming after not being allowed to ask a question to David Tepper — a day after he trashed the Carolina Panthers owner.
Tepper held a press conference Tuesday after he fired head coach Frank Reich on Monday, one day after the Panthers’ loss to the Titans dropped them to an NFL-worst 1-10.
Charlotte Observer columnist Scott Fowler, who wrote in a Monday column that Tepper has “no clue” how to run an NFL team, was not picked to ask a question to Tepper during the 14-minute press conference.
“I’m very unhappy w/ the Panthers for getting frozen out of asking a question at the David Tepper press conference,” Fowler wrote on X. “Sat in front row; raised hand high; wasn’t called on; protested to no avail. Felt like it was purposeful.”
The headline on Fowler’s column read: “Panthers owner David Tepper fired another head coach. He should fire himself instead.”
Fowler also wrote that Tepper “is not only impatient, he’s not good at hiring head football coaches either.”
Reich’s firing marked the second straight year Tepper fired a head coach in the middle of the season; Matt Rhule was fired five games into the 2022 campaign.
Tepper previously fired longtime coach Ron Rivera in the middle of the 2019 season.
Special teams coordinator Chris Tabor took over for Reich as interim head coach.
The owner hoped Reich would be able to develop this year’s No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young into an elite quarterback, but Young has had a rocky rookie season, throwing for 1,877 yards, nine touchdowns and eight interceptions in 10 games.
Meanwhile, No. 2 overall pick C.J. Stroud has been rising up the MVP odds boards during his strong rookie season for the Texans, throwing for 3,266 yards, 19 touchdowns and five interceptions in 11 games.
The Panthers traded their 2024 first-round pick to the Bears to move up to select Young, so they won’t even benefit from being potentially the worst team in the NFL this season.
Tepper threw his support behind Young on Tuesday.
“We are totally confident in that pick,” Tepper said.