CHARLOTTE — David Tepper’s decision to fire Carolina Panthers head coach Frank Reich brought a chorus of criticism for the team owner from pundits and analysts Monday afternoon — as well as an outpouring of frustration from fans.
To cite one of many examples, Seton Hall University sports law professor Robert Boland told CBJ, “It really is hard to build a skyscraper when you keep tearing the building back to the basement annually.”
Boland added that building the skyscraper, in this case, means taking the necessary time to build a roster through multiple draft cycles “and having a consistent philosophy,” something that is apparent with teams and organizations that consistently win.
Carolina is 30-63 since Tepper bought the team for $2.275 billion in 2018. Tepper made his fortune as a hedge-fund trader. Forbes estimates he is worth $20.6 billion.
Andrew Brandt, a former Green Bay Packers executive who now runs the Moorad Center for the Study of Sports Law at Villanova, assessed Tepper’s tenure in a social media post.
“Tepper is obviously from a different world, one where the assets are largely not human,” Brandt wrote. “Money can buy widgets, but not wins.”
Keep reading on CBJ’s website here.
VIDEO: Panthers owner says team will ‘self-reflect,’ but coaching moves are for a reason
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