Tepper: Mediocrity won't be tolerated
Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper touched on many topics when he met with select media earlier this week. But the loudest message he delivered was that long periods of mediocrity aren't acceptable.
Tepper, in his second season after buying the team from founder Jerry Richardson, declined to discuss the futures of coach Ron Rivera and genral manager Marty Hurney. But he did elaborate on issues ranging from the quarterback position to the team's future headquarters in Rock Hill, S.C. The terms of an otherwise pretty informal gathering in which no cameras were allowed, was that only one direct quote could be attributed to Tepper.
“Every time we have a loss," Tepper said, "my mood is (expletive).”
Tepper's sitdown came about 24 hours after Carolina (5-5) lost to Atlanta, 29-3, at Bank of America Stadium. It was the Panthers' third loss in their last four games and the competitiveness of the game wasn't nearly as close as the final score.
Still, while being paraphrased and not directly quoted, Tepper delivered clarity and background on a number of key topics.
Some takeaways:
- Tepper says no decisions will be made regarding the future of Cam Newton until the 2015 NFL MVP is completely healthy.
- By February, the Panthers will let Wofford College know if the team will again hold training camp there. Richardson's alma mater has been Carolina's training camp home since its inaugural season of 1995.
- Tepper said Charlotte likely isn't a candidate for a Major League Baseball team, but could be a prime candidate for Major League Soccer expansion.
- Bank of America Stadium, while still operational, is becoming outdated and that plans need to be underway to consider building an alternative site -- preferable still in uptown Charlotte.
