Panthers players said Tepper was very open with them during their training camp meetingGETTY IMAGES
New NFL Panthers Owner David Tepper is "approachable and down to earth" despite a net worth of $11B, and nothing he has done so far at training camp has "changed that perception," according to Joseph Person of the CHARLOTTE OBSERVER. Tepper spent two days at Wofford College in Spartanburg, S.C., "addressing the team on reporting day," visiting with coach Ron Rivera and GM Marty Hurney and "attending the first practice." Panthers DE Wes Horton said of Tepper, "He's a great dude. I think we all really enjoyed him talking to us the other night. He opened up. We got to know him on a personal level, got to know his background." Players said that Tepper "encouraged them to ask him anything." Panthers QB Cam Newton said, "He was an open book for us, and I think that's extremely important because it's been a lot of unknowns (with) him." Person noted there have been "several changes on the business side" since the sale of the team closed three weeks ago. But Rivera said that Tepper has not "issued any directives on the football side since taking over." Horton: "He wants to be hands-on with us. I think he's going to be around. ... He's just the type of dude that just seems like a down-to-earth guy. For a guy that has that much money, he seems like he's very down to earth and can relate to us" (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 7/30).
WELCOME TO THE CLUB: Falcons Owner Arthur Blank, on what advice he would provide to Tepper, said, "Stay the hell out of the way and let someone bigger and stronger forge peace when needed." Blank added of what Tepper might be experiencing as a new owner, "The media scrutiny and over-analysis of everything you say or do is immense, unlike anything I had experienced prior." Blank added, "The fans are smart and they know that owners don't necessarily know the football side that well so it's easy to get into trouble trying to be an expert, especially when it comes to personnel, game planning, etc." (SPORTS BUSINESS JOURNAL, 7/30 issue).
CLOSING UP SHOP: Steelers President Art Rooney II noted Tepper "didn't sell" his 5% stake in the Steelers yet. Rooney: "They're in a trust and for a temporary time he's owner of two football teams. But we'll handle that over the next several months. I'm not concerned about it. We'll get it done. We've been through this before so I don't expect any problems" (POST-GAZETTE.com, 7/28).
