Blog #402: How Carolina Panthers Owner David Tepper Demonstrates the Importance of Maintaining Self-
- Jeffrey Snyder
- Jan 4, 2024
- 3 min read
For the second time in as many weeks, I have to bring the NFL’s Carolina Panthers into another blog. If you recall, I talked about how former coach Frank Reich was an example of what happens when you force the fit and not find the fit.
This time around, I’m going right after the head honcho himself, the owner of the Carolina Panthers, David Tepper after he was caught throwing a drink at a Jacksonville Jaguars fan this past Sunday during the Panthers blowout loss. I get the frustrations that were on display in that owner’s box in Jacksonville, but throwing a drink at someone out of frustration is a clear example of how not to display self-control, especially if the person who is targeted was not the intended target.
This happened to me when I was a junior in high school back in May of 2006. On that day, the Thursday before Memorial Day, two of my classmates in world history class, a boyfriend and girlfriend, were having a fierce argument with one another and the boyfriend took his bottle of coffee (of which you were not supposed to have in school) and threw it at her. She ducked out of the way and I ended up getting hit with it.
Now I was fortunate to have it be cold coffee and not hot coffee that was thrown at me. If it were hot coffee, the outcome could have been more different and worse that would involve a trip to the Emergency Room. But in that situation, the classmate did not display any self-control because he was letting his emotions get the better of him.
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When it comes to maintaining self-control, the huge importance of it comes from not becoming impulsive and doing something foolish. But we get so caught up with our emotions that we end up doing something that we end up regretting later. In the case of Mr. Tepper, there could have been other ways for him to display his anger without showing others his lack of self-control such as finding a private area of the stadium to let out expletives or let out some team. There is also the matter that our actions will more than likely bring in some backlash of some sorts.
What David Tepper did on Sunday was just like when the cold bottle of coffee was unintentionally thrown at me. He had a lack of self-control and made himself look foolish. Plus, who knows what drink he had used to hit the Jaguars fan with? It could have been hot coffee, it could have been wine, it could have been hot chocolate.
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But why do I bring this up? Why do I use the owner of the NFL’s Carolina Panthers as an example of self-control along with coffeegate during my junior year of high school? It is because self-control is essential in all areas of human contact, how we talk to others, how we act towards others, how we set examples are all parts of maintaining self-control.
There are some neurodivergents like myself out there who oftentimes struggle with lack of self-control in social situations or that we tend to let our emotions get the better of us. I often find it hard to think before I act sometimes and of course, I feel like a complete idiot afterwards.
Do I think David Tepper is the worst owner in professional sports? There have been worse and sometimes their actions can often define who they are as individuals. Our actions speak louder than words and this incident should serve as yet another potential new year’s resolution to consider whether its in everyday life, education or employment.
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Catch you all later!!
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