Cam Newton Still Doesn’t Get It

“I’ve got a bone to pick.”
-Kendrick Lamar

~

This has been the year of the nonexistent Cam Newton critics. All year members of the media, fans, and players have been coming to Cam’s support to fight back against the “critics” and the “haters” and defend Cam’s on and off field actions. They’ve been telling them how they’re overreacting, how Cam is just having fun and doing nothing wrong, and how people need to get off his back. People refer to these critics like they’re a large bunch, as I’m always reading about how “polarizing” cam is or how he, “has his fair share of critics and detractors”. They act like they’re a minority that is only responding fairly to what they perceive as a massively unjust attack, both in its magnitude and its frequency.

The problem is that despite the massively defensive rhetoric that has been utilized by the Cam supporters, I can’t help but feel like these “critics” are few and far between, and that despite their attempt to have you believe otherwise, the supporters are those that make up the vast majority. In fact, from what I’ve witnessed, Cam has been one of the least criticized players in the league this year. This is not to say that such critics don’t exist as I’m sure they do (if you couldn’t yet tell based on the tone of this article, I could certainly be considered one of them), but there seems to be a large discrepancy between perception and reality when it comes to prevailing attitudes about Cam Newton. And what bugs me even more is not just the fact that so many people are responding to this perceived criticism, but rather the nature of such response. The prevailing sentiment is that the criticism directed towards Cam is massively unjust and unreasonable. I intend to show that the type of criticism being leveled towards Cam is more than fair and justifiable, and that if anything, there really should be more of it, not less, and at a much greater intensity than there has been thus far.

If you think Cam is treated differently than other players, you would be correct, but probably not in the way that you think. Cam is not held to a higher standard than other players; he’s actually held to a much lower standard. At this point you may be rolling your eyes, but please, let me explain.

For years, there’s been a general consensus on how professional athletes should conduct themselves on and off the field, especially when it comes to Quarterbacks. The Quarterback is said to be the leader of the team and the face of the franchise. Because of this, he’s expected to be mature and able to handle responsibility and pressure. He’s expected to be carry himself in a certain way, namely, with class, dignity, confidence, and selflessness. The Quarterback is the driving force for the entire team. He’s praised when the team wins and criticized when they lose. A true franchise Quarterback is expected to be a leader and a guy that everyone looks up to. He’s the guy in the very center of the huddle that everyone is listening to, that everyone is turned towards. When the team is down, it’s his job to pick them back up. His energy, positive or negative, permeates throughout the rest of the team. And the best Quarterbacks are supposed to be unflappable; they can’t be rattled. To put it in short, the Quarterback is supposed to be a role model.

We’ve been drilled about the importance of leadership and intangibles when it comes to playing the position by both the talking heads and by former players. Think about guys like Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, and Drew Brees. They are all absolute class acts. They never make excuses and almost always remain humble and composed. They absolutely hate losing and are frustrated by losses, but they almost always point the finger at themselves and say the absolute right things. They are their own biggest critics. Yesterday, Tom Brady said in an interview that he doesn’t consider himself one of the all time greats at the position. Could you ever imagine any of those three guys saying something like this? And yes, I’m sure we could all find instances where any of these guys said the wrong thing at some point. But I’m talking about a general pattern, and for the most part, I don’t think anyone would deny that these three are pretty exemplary when it comes to class and leadership at the QB position. (Brady I know can be a bit of a dog on the field, but he almost always comes across humble when speaking with the media.)

As I was saying, this standard of playing Quarterback is enforced by those in the media all the time. Character is often even attacked unfairly and for insignificant things that are perceived as poor leadership or poor character. Jay Cutler was always criticized for his “body language” and what was perceived as poor attitude, particularly during press conferences. Colin Kaepernick, during his Superbowl run, was frequently criticized for being too cocky and for the manner in which he celebrated. (Remember “Kaepernicking”?) Even Aaron Rodgers has at times been the brunt of character related critique, which makes it so curious that a guy like Cam Newton has basically gotten a free pass, despite the fact that he has shown off far more frequently and in a far more overt and intentional manner than any of these guys. And again, I realize that there have been critics here and there–such is the case with any player–but certainly not to the level you’d expect based on past standards. And when it comes to mainstream sports media outlets such as NFL.com (as opposed to commenters, bloggers, team specific websites, non sports journalists), I’ve seen nothing in the way of criticism. And I keep up with the NFL pretty frequently. And saying that theoretically you could be the target for criticism is not the same as actually criticizing someone.

Now, I know this is a results oriented league, and a lot of this has to do with wins. The Panthers had one loss coming into the Superbowl, and winning all but alleviates most criticism. Even having said that, I’m still surprised there hasn’t been more criticism. And not just that there hasn’t been criticism, but that it’s somehow wrong to criticize Cam. Like I said, Kaepernick was incredibly hot during his postseason run years ago, and he certainly was criticized more than Cam, despite celebrating less and doing so in a less showoffy manner. What really gets at me is that in a league where pointing a finger at someone is often seen as taunting (see Patrick Peterson in the playoff game vs the Packers this year), or getting on your knees after a score is considered excessive celebration (see Greg Jennings’s first TD in Superbowl 45), Cam, whose dances go on until seemingly the end of time, who dances not just after touchdowns but after first downs, and who once ran a victory lap around the stadium to hype up the crowd, does not get flagged for taunting or excessive celebration. This year, during the fourth quarter of a comfortable win vs the lowly Titans in Tennessee, Cam danced for nearly 10 seconds after a TD, and when the ref attempted to separate him from the Titans, he continued taunting them right at their face, despite knowing that they couldn’t touch him because the refs were in the way. If that’s not taunting, I don’t know what is. And don’t even get me started on the banner. Seriously, who does that? Again, he’s a Quarterback. These are the types of things we’ve been told Quarterbacks don’t do. Quarterbacks aren’t the immature ones. So why is it okay when Cam does it?

Now, let’s get something clear. I am not saying it’s not okay to celebrate or to trash talk. Almost everyone does both those things to a certain degree. Tom Brady trash talks all the time; he gives raging fist bumps and spikes the ball after he scores. All this is a normal part of the game. It’s okay to get hyped, even if you’re a Quarterback. It’s also pretty clear that when Cam celebrates, it’s ridiculously excessive, showoffy, self-centered, childish, and goes way beyond the extent to which the rest of this league, especially the Quarterbacks, celebrate. Yes, a certain amount of celebration is fine, but please, let’s stop acting like Cam hasn’t crossed that line. He’s bulldozed over that line and made sure to never return.

Having said all that, I’ve gotten a little off topic. The dancing, however much it bugs me, is rather inconsequential and has been talked about enough already. I don’t want to get too caught up on that. The main reason I’m writing this is to talk about how Cam acted after the Superbowl.

After the game was over, I wrote about on Facebook how fitting it was that Denver, with the unexciting and soft-spoken Peyton Manning, Von Miller, Gary Kubiak, and Wade Philips, was the team that claimed victory, and how on the biggest stage of all we got to see Carolina’s true colors–just like we did with the loud and brash Seattle team last year. I don’t believe in Karma, but I found it fitting that Carolina lost after all the trash talk and all the disrespect and arrogance. I found it fitting that Cam, who was constantly worshipped due to his supposedly unstoppable physical attributes, made a clear decision to not go after his lost fumble that ultimately led to the Broncos going up two scores. And I found it fitting that after months of being praised for “having fun”, “being himself” and being a great leader and teammate, we got to see the other side of Cam at the podium, the losing side. I hoped that this would help some people see Cam’s childishness and selfishness, and I hoped that perhaps he would be humbled from this experience. I talked about how, unlike some fans, I really don’t enjoy ripping on other teams and I don’t get joy out of watching players lose. I also made it clear that losing happens, that many players and teams have lost with far more on the line than Cam and the 2015 Panthers, and that this in no way devalues their accomplishments in getting this far. I explained that losing isn’t what bothers me, but bad sportsmanship is. I knew the Carolina fanbase and media would be quiet after the victory and that the focus would be on Denver, which it should be. But after, how Carolina and its supporters acted leading up to the game, I felt like I had to say something, that I had to address and reflect on what I perceived as bad sportsmanship with Cam at the center, and how it ended up going for them in the end. I thought once I posted this that would be the end of it and I’d be done with Cam. It turns out I was wrong. I need to address it further.

Cam’s behavior at the podium postgame was childish, selfish, and immature. He gave monotonous, one-word answers, ignored the media, did not answer the questions, gave no credit to Denver, and eventually got up and left in the middle of questioning. Even the normally loudmouthed Deion Sanders admitted that his behavior was immature and unacceptable.

“But how would you feel if you just lost the Superbowl??”

I would feel like shit, but I’m not a professional athlete. I’m not paid millions of dollars to be the face of my team. Again, with any professional athlete, but especially when you’re the Quarterback of an NFL team, there comes with it a certain responsibility and a certain way you’re supposed to act, one that Cam has all but ignored entirely this season, as it doesn’t apply to him for some reason.

I’m not saying I expect Cam to embrace defeat with open arms. Being upset and not wanting to talk to the media right after you lost the Superbowl is more than justified. But again, Cam moved past what is reasonable. There have been a lot of Superbowl losing Quarterbacks in the past. Has anyone been as despondent as Cam, literally pouted to the degree to which he did? Has anyone left the podium in the middle of the press conference?? If so, I’d say they’re few and far between.

And even so, talking about that press conference was also was not my intent in writing this. Furthermore, it appears that the press conferences were poorly situated so that Cam was within earshot of Denver players boasting, which would justifiably upset him. So let’s just say that that’s why he left, and for all intents and purposes let’s give him a pass for that–which I don’t, by the way–and say he was upset after losing the Superbowl and that it was in the heat of the moment.

It’s what Cam said today that prompted me to write this. Not only did Cam not apologize for his behaviors, he went in the entire opposite direction. He didn’t just give neutral answers, he defended himself. He defended his behaviors, argued that there was nothing wrong with them, and didn’t even show an inkling of understanding as to why what he did might have been wrong, might have upset people, or even deserves a coherent response. Here are some of his quotes, courtesy of NFL.com:

“I’m on record as being a sore loser. I hate losing. You show me a good loser, and I’ll show you a loser.”

This is the headline most people are seeing, and I wouldn’t necessarily have a problem with it just as an isolated quote (maybe outside of the “I’ll show you a loser” part). Once contextualized with regards to Cam’s actions, however, it becomes a little more arrogant. Still though, nothing too bad yet. It’s the rest of his quotes that I have a problem with:

“I don’t have to conform to what anybody wants. I am my own person.”

“Before you are quick to assume anything, what makes your way right?”

“If I offended somebody, that’s cool, but I know who I am and I’m not about to conform nor bend for anybody’s expectations because, yours or anybody’s expectations, will never exceed mine.”

As for the fumble he chose not to dive on:

“I didn’t get the fumble, but we can play tit for tat. I’ve seen numerous quarterbacks throw interceptions and the effort afterwards they don’t go. I don’t dive on one fumble because the way my leg was, it could have been contorted in a way.”

“OK, you say my effort? I didn’t dive down. I fumbled — that’s fine. But at the end of the day, we didn’t lose that game because of that fumble. I can tell you that. So, you can condemn and say, ‘Well, he gave up. He did this, that and the third’, but hey as long as my teammates know, as long as my coaches know, as long as anybody that’s following this team knows.”

Um, Earth to Cam…

YOU JUST LOST THE SUPERBOWL!!!!!!!!

 

I think these quotes really speak to just how out of touch with reality Cam really is. He’s coming off the absolute biggest loss of his career. The winning streak is over. There are actually things you need to answer to. And he’s still acting the same way he has all season: like he’s above everybody, like he’s untouchable, like there’s nothing to answer to. How dare anybody question the mighty Cam Newton?

I honestly and genuinely cannot fathom how someone could give the answers that Cam did after losing a Superbowl. How can you be that out of touch? He just doesn’t get it. He refuses to come down from his high horse and acknowledge any aspect of the situation. If he’s not on top, then he’s not having it.

Again, this is not even a question of what’s right or proper at this point. This is a question of what’s normal. What does it say about Cam that he literally can’t acknowledge the situation he’s in and his role in it? Most people, after losing and losing big, tend to drop the act at least temporarily. They tend to shut their mouth for a little bit. Even if they’re not showing remorse, they tend to at least ease off the aggressive and outgoing stance. But not Cam.

Pride is only a virtue to a certain point. If you’re acting prideful without anything to be proud of, that’s just being pathetic.

And let me emphasize that this is all a day after the Superbowl. You’re no longer fresh off defeat. Yea it’s still going to hurt for a while, but what Cam has done is is discredit any reason to excuse his immature behavior at the press conference by instead going out of his way to further confirm the intention behind it. Again, you don’t even need to apologize. A neutral response would be better than this. Just show some awareness that you just lost a Superbowl and that maybe now isn’t the best time to be boasting about how great you are. His answers are borderline nonsensical. You want me to empathize with Cam? I’m honestly trying, and I don’t understand how you can still be this arrogant coming off a Superbowl loss.

“But he’s just being himself. How can you fault him for being himself?”

Um, what? Just because someone is being themselves doesn’t justify their behavior or make them worthy of respect. Donald Trump is being himself in this election. His self just happens to be a total jackass.

Childish, selfish, spoiled, stuckup, immature, arrogant, full of himself, out of touch, head in the clouds. These are the words I would use to describe Cam at this point in time.

Quit acting like you’re above it all, Cam. You’re not.

As for the fumble, it’s really hard to not talk about this. It may seem petty, and I’m usually against this type of character criticism, against saying that people were “scared” or “choked” or something like that. And if it were any other game, then fine. But this is the Superbowl. This is the biggest game of your life and this was without a doubt the most pivotal moment of the game, as after the Broncos recovered they went up two scores with little time left in the fourth, basically eliminating any chance the Panthers had of tying up the game. If Cam recovers, the Panthers punt and have a very good shot at using their timeouts to get the ball back in a one score game, only needing to stop a Broncos offense that basically did nothing all day.

If you watch the shot in slow motion, it’s about as clear as can be that Cam had a direct path to the ball and could have dove, and there was a clear moment where instead of diving, he backed away from the ball.

Again, let me remind you that this is a 6’5” 245 lb Quarterback, a guy who people have been constantly praising for his supposedly unique and unstoppable ability to truck defenders and break loose of tacklers. This is a guy who has jumped over the pile numerous times to score at the goal line and stretch the ball over. This is a guy who, as I mentioned earlier, has literally bragged about his physical gifts and how unstoppable he is. And this is a guy who literally just admitted that he didn’t dive for the ball because he was afraid of getting injured. I’ve seen Tom Brady dive into piles to recover fumbles. I remember one time very distinctly, backed up at the goal line in a regular season game at the 2011 Jets. I’m sorry, but if Tom Brady can do it, then so can Cam Newton. You be the judge here, and I won’t dwell on it anymore, but I don’t see how you can spin this to not be an indictment of Cam. Biggest game of your life. Biggest moment of your life. Self admittedly shied away to avoid injury.

Less than half a week after the Superbowl and I’ve already seen people come out to defend Cam. And with little to no justification as well.

At this point it may seem excessive, but the Cam excusing–and not just excusing, praising for what should be looked on negatively–has to stop. There are no reasons he shouldn’t be held to the same standard than every other player who comes into this league. And it’s not just off the field that this is the case; it’s on the field as well.

I’ve made it clear where I stood on the MVP race. I believe an objective analysis brings out Carson Palmer as the top dog, and despite what the mainstream media may have you believe, I’m not the only one. However, I have come to understand why people may have voted for Cam. He ended the season on a very high note, he improved as the year went on, he gives you the ground element, and his raw TD total when you include rushing is very high. This may just be more a case of people not recognizing Carson Palmer than overrating Cam, which would be understandable seeing as the narrative has already been written on Carson Palmer.

Having said all that, Cam got 48 MVP Votes. To put this into context, there are 50 voters, and there has only been one unanimous MVP in the history of the league. That was Tom Brady in 2010, when he had the 36/4 TD/INT ratio. Peyton Manning, after setting league-round records in yards and TD passes, got 49 votes. And Cam was this close to being unanimous. I’m sorry, but there’s no justification for that.

I don’t like trash talking and arrogance by anyone at any point in the game, but if you are going to be that guy, at least be able to back it up with your career. Then it’s still obnoxious, but at least it’s somewhat justifiable. Joe Namath was a loud-mouthed Diva, but when he guaranteed a Superbowl win, at least he came through. Now I understand Cam had a very good season, but people are getting the hall of fame bust ready at this point, assuming he’ll be dominant for the next 10 years, even drawing comparisons to Steve Young. Seriously? Give me a break. He had one good season. I know everyone’s been waiting for him to break out, but it’s still just one season, and it’s still no guarantee you can repeat. Consistency is what matters in this league. Anyone can be good for one year. Let’s not forget that coming into this season Cam had a losing record as a starter, four years into career. Yes, he beat what many considered to be the two best teams in the postseason, but he was also up 17-0 in both those games without contributing that much. Those are fluky games. He also had the easiest schedule in the league, and we’re playing in an age where passing is easier than ever. Kirk Cousins and Tyrod Taylor had pro bowl level seasons. Now, none of this invalidates what Cam did this year. But it also should make you at least skeptical that he can keep it up. I wouldn’t be surprised if he does, but let’s not treat him like he’s a hall of famer or the next big thing at QB just quite yet. I’m just trying to keep everything in perspective. Matt Ryan, Joe Flacco, Ben Roethlisberger, Russell Wilson, and Andrew Luck all came into this league, had success right away, and did it for longer than Cam. You can say they were all on better teams–in some cases true, others not so much–but they also just played better than Cam. And are we really going to ignore the fact that three years ago, Colin Kaepernick had one of the best postseasons ever both in terms of rushing and passing? To act like Cam is doing things no Quarterback has ever done before is disrespectful to all the QBs that actually have had success in this league, moreso than Cam. So as you can see, Cam is held to a ridiculously low standard not just off the field, but on the field as well. And there’s very little in terms of career accomplishment to begin to justify how insanely self absorbed he is.

“But he’s so talented!” people say. “There’s no one like him!!”

You know who else was talented? Jamarcus Russell and Ryan Leaf. At the end of the day, that stuff means nothing if you don’t have the character to back it up. Being talented isn’t intrinsically valuable. It doesn’t automatically make you a good QB, and it doesn’t automatically make you deserving of respect. There’s a lot more to being an athlete.

Ultimately, nothing I say or do will affect how Cam Newton acts. He’s free to do whatever he wants and do it however he wants. But if he’s going to act the way he has, he certainly isn’t entitled to a lack of criticism along with it. There are certain standards of action and behavior for all realms of everyday life. These seem to be getting lower and lower when it comes to football, but that doesn’t mean they’re not there. Call me a hater, call me racist, call me whatever you want. But character? Responsibility? Humility? Respect? I believe this stuff matters. And to be honest, I’m a little surprised more people don’t feel the same way.

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