Standing in front of Molly Qerim and Stephen A. Smith on a Wednesday episode of ESPN’s First Take, Chris “Mad Dog” Russo exploded on Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper for raising ticket prices by 4% for the 2024 season.
This stunning decision by Tepper comes as the Panthers closed the 2023 season a league-worst 2-15 — firing HC Frank Reich in the middle of the season and having all sorts of issues on the offensive and defensive sides of the football as well.
Chris “Mad Dog” Russo Explodes on Carolina Panthers’ David Tepper
Russo did not hold back when speaking about Tepper’s decision to raise ticket prices for the Panthers’ nine home games in 2024 — even so much as standing very close to the camera and using hand expressions throughout his rant.
‼️ @MadDogUnleashed just went OFF on Dave Tepper for raising ticket prices by 4% for the 2024 season!!
And he is 100% right on everything he said! @Panthers, show Tepper. #KeepPounding pic.twitter.com/LJngsgw6Ax
— Panthers Culture 🥷🏽 (@PanthersCulture) February 28, 2024
“How ’bout Carolina and Tepper charging a 4% ticket increase for next year for the Panthers? You’re not serious, are you?
“With this God-forbidden franchise that stinks where you’re firing head coaches, when you’re telling everybody who to draft on Draft Day, including [Bryce] Young instead of C.J. Stroud — that was a mistake,” Russo said.
Russo then screamed into the camera: “You should give ’em the games for free!”
“The NFL prints money, and you’re gonna charge those poor Panthers fans 4% more? That is a complete, utter disgrace. I don’t know who came up with that idea. You give ’em a discount after that kind of season, not a price increase.”
Russo is not wrong whatsoever.
If you take a closer look at the video, you will also notice Qerim and Smith make a reaction as if they are just hearing the news themselves.
The camera pans to Smith walking around with a disgusted look — giving his input on the decision next.
“For you to become an owner in Carolina and look and appear this inept this quickly, it’s got to be alarming to the National Football League that they allow this man to own a team,” Smith pointed out.
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Russo closes the must-see segment by saying the decision in Carolina is a “bad sign.”
In an official announcement on Tuesday, the Panthers announced that the “lower level seating at Bank of America Stadium will see the most significant impact, with season-ticket prices increasing by an average of 7% from last year for permanent seat license owners.”
The Panthers have not had a winning season to their name since the 2017 year, and their current quarterback Young is one of the youngest and most inexperienced quarterbacks in all of the NFL.
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