"Unacceptable behaviour". That's how the NFL described Panthers owner David Tepper's conduct after he was fined $300,000 for throwing a drink at rival fans during a game against the Jaguars. The 26-0 defeat left the Panthers owner visibly upset and he took it out on the fans. "I have a deep passion for this team. I regret my actions on Sunday," Tepper said in a statement. 

"I should have let NFL stadium security handle the situation. I respect the NFL's Code of Conduct and accept the league's discipline for my actions," said Tepper, who accepted the punishment without protest. 

The Panthers experienced one of their worst sports moments in a long time. They hadn't been shut out in 342 games since 2002. It  was their worst record. Tepper's incident came shortly after Bryce Young was intercepted in the final seconds to seal the loss and the league's worst record of the season.

It's undoubtedly a miserable record for a team owner unaccustomed to such situations. These statistics could give the Panthers the chance to secure the top pick in the upcoming NFL Draft, but that usual privilege was traded away last season, giving Carolina the opportunity to choose Young. 

Initially, the Panthers were tight-lipped about what had happened. Footage of the moment shows Tepper pouring liquid from his cup onto fans outside his private area to watch the game. His team's poor performance left the owner reeling. He later apologised."

The NFL expects its employees to be respectful of our fans at all times and to reflect well on their team and the NFL," the league said.

Tepper's numbers at the helm of the Panthers are unimpressive. The owner bought the team in 2018 for over two million dollars. Since then, they've endured six consecutive losing seasons with a record of 31-67. He is also the owner of Major League Soccer's Charlotte FC.