When David Tepper took the podium for a press conference on Tuesday — one day after firing head coach Frank Reich — many figured it was only a matter of time until the Carolina Panthers owner engaged in a testy exchange with a reporter.
As it turns out, the Panthers may have acted proactively to prevent exactly that from happening.
Shortly after Tepper’s Tuesday morning press conference concluded, longtime Charlotte Observer columnist Scott Fowler posted on X (formerly Twitter) that he had been “frozen out” from asking the hedge fund manager a question. While Fowler was permitted to attend the presser, he says he wasn’t called on to ask a question, despite his repeated attempts to do so.
“I’m very unhappy w/ the Panthers for getting frozen out of asking a question at the David Tepper press conference,” Fowler wrote. “Sat in front row; raised hand high; wasn’t called on; protested to no avail. Felt like it was purposeful.”
Fowler concluded his post by sharing a link to his Monday column, which included the headline “Panthers owner David Tepper fired another head coach. He should fire himself instead.”
I'm very unhappy w/ the Panthers for getting frozen out of asking a question at the David Tepper press conference.
Sat in front row; raised hand high; wasn't called on; protested to no avail.
Felt like it was purposeful.
Posting yesterday's column here⬇️https://t.co/trLGY9y9Zk— Scott Fowler (@scott_fowler) November 28, 2023
Taking Fowler at his word — and there’s no reason not to — this is obviously a bad look for the Panthers. Only lending credence to the idea that the columnist was overlooked on purpose is that Tepper made a point to let Fowler know that he religiously read his column after he asked a seemingly benign question at a press conference following the firing of Matt Rhule last year.
“I shouldn’t say that, but I actually read your columns and I could go back to your columns and regurgitate them,” Tepper told Fowler. “So you can read your own columns for that answer.”
Whew. Tepper and Scott Fowler going at it pic.twitter.com/tJivNqQbyo
— Billy M (@BillyM_91) October 10, 2022
While Fowler’s coverage of Tepper’s time in Charlotte has obviously been harsh, it would be tough to argue that the criticism hasn’t been warranted, as the Panthers have largely been one of the biggest laughing stocks in the NFL since he purchased the franchise in 2018. In an era where some columnists don’t even bother to show up to confront the subjects of their work — “underwear columnists” as Dan Le Batard calls them — Fowler was willing to face the fire. Unfortunately, if Fowler was in fact intentionally frozen out, it doesn’t appear the same could be said of Tepper.
