Storyline: Cam Newton is sounding trite and bitter prior to entering the biggest contest of his career. Yes, race continues to be an issue in America. But, in this particular case, it’s about the Super Bowl and which team fans prefer.
Carolina Panther quarterback Cam Newton spoke before reporters in North Carolina on Wednesday, preparing for his 15-1 team to play in the Super Bowl against the Denver Broncos. There’s nothing new about a player talking to the press midweek. But Newton threw a curve: “I’m an African-American quarterback that may scare a lot of people because they haven’t seen nothing they can compare me to.”
Courtesy: barstoolsports.com
It’s not as though Cam is the only black quarterback to play in the Super Bowl. Russell Wilson of Seattle just played in consecutive title games, guiding the Seahawks to one championship and nearly winning another. And Doug Williams of the Washington Redskins–certainly not as flashy as Newton–took his team to The Big Dance as the first black QB. He won the MVP Award after his time secured a lopsided 42-10 victory over the Denver Broncos. Williams threw four TDs and passed for over 300 yards.
The plain reality is that Newton is the 6th black quarterback to start a Super Bowl. Besides Williams and Wilson, Colin Kaepernick of the 49ers, Donovan McNabb of the Eagles, and Steve McNair of the Titans started for their respective teams.
Courtesy: profootballfocus.com and AP/Elaine Thompson
For some reason Cam decided to equate folks who don’t like him to race. But it seems to go much deeper than skin color for Newton and the Panthers.
Few took the Panthers seriously this season. They were even underdogs at home against last year’s NFC champions, the Seahawks. With a chip on its shoulder the team has something to prove to the rest of the America, the NFL, and their fans. There can be no other reason why Cam felt the necessity to bring up the issue of race a week and half before the biggest and most watched sporting event of the year.
Prior to this season Cam had a pretty good start to his career, but he wasn’t lighting up the world. The Panthers certainly weren’t the cream of the crop in the NFL either. Yes, Carolina got to the Playoffs last year, but they did so with a less than mediocre 7-9 record.
Let’s face it: no one goes around saying that the NFL was ‘scared’ to play against all those other black Super Bowl QBs or any other black players in football, for that matter. It sounds more like Cam wants to be liked more than he sees himself and his detractors.
Fans around the NFL root for their own team and their own quarterbacks, whether that guy is good or bad. They also have jealousy and animosity toward other QBs because “their guy” isn’t in the big game. How many folks, besides those in New England, actually like Tom Brady and the Patriots? The same goes for Russell Wilson and the Seahawks. The answer: not many. This author is a big Giants fan. If Big Blue isn’t playing, I could care less who’s playing QB in the big game because it won’t be Eli Manning running the offense. That’s how fans think.
We all get that Cam is a good guy. He and his teammates hand out footballs to kids at home and on the road. Cam has a tremendous following and does a lot of charity work outside of the game. But none of that translates into folks liking him better. The majority of players in the NFL are basically good people. They do a lot for their respective communities, charities, etc., without that work becoming front page news.
Courtesy: Denver Post
What Cam said sounds more like ‘an ego thing’ than anything else. Here’s the compelling story of Super Bowl 50: it’s Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos. It’s the story about an aging veteran–one of the best ever–trying to win one more crown, bringing a championship to the Mile High City, and going out a winner.
Cam is truly gifted, one of the rising stars in the league, but he needs to start realizing that not everyone is against him. It’s just that most folks around the country aren’t Panthers fans. And that’s ok.
Cam is deserving of the MVP award. But here’s the problem: even with a win and a potential Super Bowl MVP, no one wants to remember Newton as a player who sounded trite and bitter prior to entering the biggest contest of his career.
Yes, race continues to be an issue in America. It’s something that has to be addressed. But, in this particular case, it’s about the Super Bowl and who likes one team over the other.
