ESPN's Chris 'Mad Dog' Russo Goes Off on David Tepper for Ticket Price Increase
Carolina Panthers season ticket holders were notified this week that the average ticket price for the 2024 season has increased by roughly 4% from last season.
According to Steve Reed of the Associated Press, "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, according to a team spokesman. The upper level seating will see a blended increase of less than 1%, with 90% of those ticket prices remaining flat."
The decision to increase ticket prices certainly grabbed the attention of many, including Chris "Mad Dog" Russo who absolutely went off on Panthers' owner David Tepper for doing this following a year in which the team won two games and fired its coach.
"Son, you're not serious, are ya? With this God-forbidden franchise that stinks? Where you're firing head coaches? When you're telling everybody who to draft on draft day? I loved (Bryce) Young too but that was a mistake. In a market that cares more about college basketball than the NFL? In a stadium that's a little old that you're going to make them ante up 4% more? I don't care what the percentage is, you should give them the games for free. For exhibition games you're going to make them pay 4% more when you make a fortune and the NFL prints money? And you're going to charge those poor Panther fans 4% more? Four percent. That is a complete utter disgrace. And for an owner that has absolute no good PR... that's the last thing you do to your fanbase off a lousy year when you're throwing water in Jacksonville at the fans because you're upset that you lost to the Jaguars. You know what? I got an idea to fix our problems. Let's charge them more money to see the garbage that we put on the field. I don't know who came up with that idea. You give them a discount off that kind of season, not a price increase."
