A new era begins tonight – it feels as if we say that for every ‘first’ that has occurred after David Tepper became the second owner of the Carolina Panthers: first press conference, first training camp kickoff party, first Fan Fest. But every step seems different than the owner before him – Tepper was on the sidelines interacting with Thomas Davis and Cam Newton during training camp in Spartanburg and was funny and jovial in his first press conference – heck, he was literally dancing on the field during the fireworks that concluded Fan Fest. And in the hours leading up to the first Panthers’ preseason home game in his time as owner, what was Devid Tepper doing?
Tailgating, of course.
And who better to tailgate with than the Roaring Riot.
“I heard I had to get to the Roaring Riot, that’s what I heard,” said Tepper before taking a sip of the Riot’s namesake beer brewed by NoDa Brewing. “It’s good – I like it.”
While the Roaring Riot tends to scale down their preseason Tailgate With A Purpose events that raise money for local charities – think hot dogs and beer with a couple of hundred fans instead of over a thousand screaming Panthers fans, live music, a catered spread and a full bar – and most folks were still at work at 4:30 on a Friday evening ahead of the 7:30 start to the Dolphins game, fans immediately surrounded Tepper, who purchased the team in the spring of 2018, as soon as he showed up to the Roaring Riot tailgate a five-minute walk from Bank of America Stadium on Cedar St, most wanting a selfie or a handshake to commemorate their time tailgating with the ‘New Big Cat’. The Roaring Riot tailgate was one of many stops for Tepper as he surveyed the scene around the stadium leading up to his first home game; he was gone almost as soon as he arrived. But not before the owner grabbed a beer – and promised to return during the season.
“Honestly, it was a pleasure to have him out there,” said Ringleader of the Roaring Riot Zack Luttrell. “It’s truly the dawning of a new era, and we’re so excited to be a part of it – we consider Dave a part of the Roaring Riot family.”
That ‘new era’ phrase continues to get thrown around, but when you see the new owner of your favorite NFL team sharing a beer with the fan union of the team, there’s really no other way to describe it.
Let the new era begin.
