NFL Panthers Owner David Tepper said his goal with the team is to "increase the probability of winning." Speaking during halftime of the team's game against the Dolphins on Friday, Tepper said, "Whether it’s an indoor practice facility at some point, whether it’s not having to practice out in a sleet storm before playoff games, whatever increases that probability (of winning)." Tepper said his leadership style is about "discipline." He said, "It’s discipline and not making mistakes on things you can control. There are a lot of things you can’t control in what I do, and also a lot of things you can’t control out there. You don’t make mistakes on things you can control. If you do that you win more.” Tepper indicated the Panthers are going to expand their presence in the North Carolina community through an organization in the Greensboro area, which is about 90 minutes northeast of the team's home in Charlotte. He said the Panthers will be "doing a couple things here at the beginning of the season" that have not been announced yet. Tepper: "They’ll be pretty exciting to people once they hear about it. We’re just getting started, so you’ll hear about that in the next couple of weeks." He added it will be a "pretty decent-sized deal" and it will be "across the whole state eventually" as well as South Carolina (“Dolphins-Panthers,” WCCB-CW, 8/17). NBCSPORTS.com's Peter King writes Tepper's comments on an indoor practice facility may mean the Panthers could build a "combo new football/office facility in suburban Charlotte (possibly over the border into South Carolina), which would also mean the move of training camp" from Wofford College in Spartanburg, S.C., "closer to Charlotte" (NBCSPORTS.com, 8/20).
NEW STYLE: In Charlotte, Mike Reader noted Tepper prior to Friday's game was "spotted around the stadium tailgating with fans, including local booster group Roaring Riot." Some Twitter users gave Tepper a "new nickname, 'Tepcat.'" A video of Tepper "dancing at midfield with the team mascot" also appeared online (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 8/18).
