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'That’s how you lose a fan base': Cam Newton cautions Panthers owner David Tepper to learn to take criticism from fans better
Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

It’s hard to be a fan of the Carolina Panthers, that is the unfortunate truth. It has been a long time since the team was last relevant and considered a serious threat in the NFL. Fans have since begun to blame the ownership for how the Panthers are being run. Owner David Tepper is not the most loved person as his notorious reputation for wanting to have the final say and complete autonomy in terms of decision-making has not turned out well for the franchise.

Recently, David Tepper made a surprise visit to a restaurant in Charlotte just hours before the NFL Draft. This particular business had a sign saying, “LET THE COACH AND GM PICK,” a jibe directed at Tepper and based on the notion that the owner does not take into account the advice with respect to drafting fresh talent. The owner walked into the store and asked the cashier who was responsible for the sign. He then seemed to be rather pleasant about the entire situation.

Cam Newton, the former quarterback of the Carolina Panthers, watched the video of Tepper confronting the owner.

David Tepper, my man, you can't do that. I will tell you this, y'all think this dude crazy. Tepper, he ain't crazy...he know who to try, he know whose hat to take off and whom to throw a drink on...but on a serious note, you can't do that, if I responded to every person that said something in regards to me...when are we going to hear the good in David Tepper? I would challenge David Tepper to go this whole football season without getting in trouble...That ain't it, that's how you lose a fanbase. Cam Newton said via 4th and 1 show

Newton is not wrong with this take. Tepper’s antics do not suit a person who owns an NFL team.

David Tepper has gotten into altercations with fans on previous occasions

The owner of the Panthers has a history of going at it with fans. This season, he made headlines for all the wrong reasons after he angrily threw his drink at a fan. In this particular instance, as David Tepper went into the restaurant, he took the hat off from one of the employees’ head.

As fans saw this video, they were infuriated by it but it was later revealed that the employee was wearing a hat repping the Philadelphia Eagles, which is why Tepper took it off and kept it on the counter.

Cam Newton, based on his experience, made it clear that Tepper is a man who understands whom to stand up to and whom to stand back from. His advice to him was that given his stature and how valuable his time is, he should not take the trouble of personally responding to every critic. When a person is in a position of responsibility such as Tepper, fans will criticize him and be harsh towards him, but that does not mean that he continues to respond to them individually.

Nonetheless, Tepper remains one of the more outspoken owners. He is similar to Jerry Jones in many ways, as he wants the credit for decisions taken by the team. However, he does tend to lose his temper easily and can lash out at fans when confronted with a disappointing opinion.

This article first appeared on FirstSportz and was syndicated with permission.

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