NFL World Reacts to Video of Panthers Owner David Tepper Confronting Restaurant Manager

The restaurant put up a sign critical of Tepper ahead of the 2024 NFL draft.

David Tepper /

An unusual story surrounding the Carolina Panthers surfaced ahead of the 2024 NFL draft on Thursday night. A few hours before the first round was set to begin, a report emerged that team owner David Tepper and a restaurant manager met over a sign critical of his past decision-making.

The sign outside of Dilworth Neighborhood Bar and Grill read "Please let the coach & GM pick this year." It was a reference to Tepper's well-documented tendency to insert himself into football operations decisions. A manager at the restaurant told ESPN Panthers reporter David Newton that Tepper had come inside to talk about it but didn't seem "visibly upset."

According to the manager at Dilworth Neighborhood Bar and Grill Panthers owner David Tepper did stop by and asked the manager who he thought should make the pick. The manager said Tepper wasn't visibly upset. It happened about an hour and 45 minutes before the draft. https://t.co/NgeUGkgDcL

— David Newton (@DNewtonespn) April 26, 2024

On Friday, the owner of the bar and grill released footage of Tepper's interaction with the manager. In the video, Tepper walks in and takes the manager's hat off (reportedly a Philadelphia Eagles cap) before holding a brief discussion. At the end of the short video, Tepper shakes hands with the the man before walking out.

'LET THE COACH AND GM PICK' 🏈: Surveillance footage captured the moment @Panthers owner David Tepper walked into a Charlotte restaurant after a sign was put up prior to the NFL Draft.

Full story: https://t.co/tYPhlekttU pic.twitter.com/tc0eihPAkT

— WBTV News (@WBTV_News) April 26, 2024

It is another bizarre chapter in Tepper's rocky tenure as owner of the Panthers. The NFL world had strong opinions on it. Especially the hat aspect.

Two hours before the draft...

Billionaire David Tepper walks in, acts like he owns the place and takes the dude's hat off

odd human https://t.co/7mxxwT2VEb

— Josh Norris (@JoshNorris) April 26, 2024

If I didn't have enough reason to enjoy it already, it's very fun that this guy's team had to give away the no. 1 pick last night.

Sir, you are worth $20 billion. Do literally anything else with your time and energy. To put your hands on a total stranger! https://t.co/2qTyGzPBJc

— Robert Mays (@robertmays) April 26, 2024

it feels like something from a fancy lad’s manual from the 1890s but: do not go around removing other’s hats https://t.co/wv6hIWHa9n

— 🦍BUM CHILLUPS AKA SPENCER HALL🦍 (@edsbs) April 26, 2024

David Tepper just walked up to a guy and... took his hat off his head? What? https://t.co/xZhzYi9lob

— RedditCFB (@RedditCFB) April 26, 2024

I moved money around good once so now I'm so haughty and entitled I come into your restaurant and take your hat off. Unhinged nightmare https://t.co/69Ij2ash01

— Patrick Daugherty (@RotoPat) April 26, 2024

There is something fundamentally wrong with this man https://t.co/nKEHWeTtvj

— Dan Wolken (@DanWolken) April 26, 2024

You don't take someone else's hat off their head. That's fighting territoryhttps://t.co/0L0BKbMjFG

— Dave Rappoccio (@DrawPlayDave) April 26, 2024

You would think after getting caught throwing a drink on a fan that he’d think twice about these kind of interactions

He’s quickly making up ground to Daniel Snyder for most dislikable owners https://t.co/bnaZgTPhU2

— Ted Nguyen (@FB_FilmAnalysis) April 26, 2024

When he took the man’s hat off… chiiiile https://t.co/GfuLLlMtK8 pic.twitter.com/o7ZRiwv6hn

— Kimberley A. Martin (@ByKimberleyA) April 26, 2024

About halfway to taking my hat off and getting an arm bar https://t.co/PkWe0dlBsF

— CJ Fogler account may or may not be notable (@cjzero) April 26, 2024

I award you one large ‘Yike’ https://t.co/uIJGENFcSx

— Mike Golic Jr (@mikegolicjr) April 26, 2024

David Tepper absolutely sucks

what man thinks it’s ok to remove another guy’s hat like that?

and then demand to speak to the person that put up the sign like he has authority?

this guy is the worst https://t.co/DNfzdWcxxh

— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) April 26, 2024

Looks like David Tepper was just having some fun with the folks there https://t.co/r6uMP2XXSx

— Jonathan Jones (@jjones9) April 26, 2024

Well, David Tepper didn’t throw a drink this time. But he did take a man’s hat off his head. https://t.co/MtmlpD8vg8

— Joe Person (@josephperson) April 26, 2024

Dan Snyder Any% No Glitch Speedrun (WORLD RECORD) https://t.co/BZceodr9eJ

— Brett Kollmann (@BrettKollmann) April 26, 2024

As noted several times above, Tepper's track record with fan interactions is not great. Near the end of the 2023 season he was caught on video throwing a drink at a fan in the stands as the Panthers were shutout by the Jacksonville Jaguars. This incident is certainly far from controversial, but an NFL team owner probably should have bigger priorities on draft night.

Carolina was without a first round pick due to the much-maligned Bryce Young trade. As a result, the Panthers wound up trading for the No. 32 pick in order to select Xavier Legette out of South Carolina.