After seeing the NFL
season end with the embarrassment of Cam Newton in Super Bowl 50,
bringing droll smiles to the faces of many who took offense to his
game-day personality or who saw their teams fall at the hands of Cam's
regular-season juggernaut. But now that the story of the 2015 season is
complete, we can start to look back and ask: how did Cam Newton, a young,
fun-loving, superstar quarterback who won the MVP in a landslide become one of
the villains of the second half of the season? When asked about it before
the Super Bowl, Cam's response spread like wildfire through the football
community: "I’m an African-American
quarterback that scares people because they haven’t seen nothing that they can
compare me to." The idea that Cam's race is one of the major factors
in the dislike directed toward him had rumbled around the league for several
months, but Cam's unapologetic reasoning a week before the biggest sporting
event in the country dropped like a bomb.
However,
there seem to be several holes in Cam's theory. Black players comprise nearly
70% of the NFL and almost none of them are hated as widely as Cam is.
Also, the idea that he's hated being a black quarterback, while more
reasonable, still doesn't stand up. While less common, black quarterbacks
have become more and more a normalcy in today's NFL, and many of them are among
the most beloved players in the league; Russell Wilson was a Super Bowl winner
only two years ago and remains one of the most well-liked players in the league
between fans and players alike.
Where
most of the dislike seems to come from is Cam's refusal to submit to the idea
of what a quarterback should be and how he should carry himself. For the
entirety of the NFL's existence, the league was run by quarterbacks in the mold
of Tom Brady and Peyton Manning, who threw the ball into the end zone and made
no show about it. They remained quiet and gentlemanly in victory and in
defeat. Cam has shown no interest in playing the humble personality.
Almost since he entered the league, his end-zone dancing has been a hot
point among fans. In his first couple years, his own fans ripped him for
dancing when he was down twenty-five points with two minutes left; this year,
opposing fans ripped him for dancing up seventeen with two minutes left.
But even the dancing in and of itself cannot be why he is so disliked;
end-zone celebrations are generally loved by NFL fans, with much bitterness
aimed at the league office's efforts to curb them. Odell Beckham Jr. and
Victor Cruz's dances, while sometimes controversial, have made them among the
league's favorite wide receivers.
Thus,
the answer to our question seems to lie in the nonconforming way in which Cam
conducts himself as not only a face of a franchise but as a face of the league.
For years, the men who represented the NFL from the quarterback position
were stony-faced, modest, respectful in victory and defeat. Cam is brash,
arrogant, and, perhaps most of all, emotional. He tears down opposing
fan's banners, talks trash on the field, performs decidedly long (and
particularly well-choreographed) dance routines when he wins, but then, after
the toughest loss of his career a week ago, stormed out of his postgame press
conference. Perhaps for some, Cam's race plays a part in their dislike of
him, and obviously there are those who no matter what Cam does will harbor
resentment against him for his skin color, but the general NFL population seems
to dislike Cam not for his race, but for his on-field actions that at best are
impulsive and impetuous, and at their worst border on unsportsmanlike.
I would like comment on Cam Newton's post game interview. Though his previous actions may be seen by others as rude and unsportsmanlike,every action Newton makes cannot be analyzed through this lens. I think that most people can relate to that sinking feeling after losing a big game; a game that you and your teammates have worked hard to get to,and poured your soul into. After that game, do you want to talk about it? Did you want to have that postgame talk with your coach and hear your parents comments and answer their questions about your feelings and what you and the team should have done differently? I sure didn't, and I'm sure Cam Newton felt the same way. Yes,he is an NFL quarterback and those interviews come with the territory, but I think something that we all forget, is that those NFL football players are human. In relation to the race discussion, I have to agree that there is some biased aspects at play. The standard for how a quarterback should act, came from a history/norm of a white man, as the quarterback; from a place where following the norm was the standard. It is still assumed that each and every player will abide by expectations. If Tom Brady, or another white quarterback, celebrated after touchdowns whether he/they, were winning by a lot or losing by a lot, it may be seen in a different light. For example, celebrating a touchdown when losing by 25 points in the last two minutes may be seen as staying positive in the face of defeat; never losing hope, and celebrating a hard-worked for touchdown. It is all perspective. We don't know every detail of Cam Newton's life. When he claimed that people were prejudiced against him because of his race, that was his reality. He has a reason to believe that, whether it is true in our eyes or not.
ReplyDeleteJack I have to fundamentally disagree with you on this. I believe the reason the majority of the white football viewers in our society dislike Cam Newton is actually firmly entrenched in race. The reason they don’t like him has much more to do with how he identifies himself than the fact that Cam did not finish his post game interview. Our modern day viewer strongly detests the fact that he identifies himself as an African American quarterback rather than just a quarterback. The white viewer understands that after a super bowl victory Peyton is going to have a Budweiser because that is what a middle aged white man does in our culture. Most white people do not understand black culture and therefore get very uncomfortable with Cam’s dab, his outgoing personality and his confidence. When viewers couldn’t relate they begin to criticize, claiming that he lacked maturity in the previous seasons and that’s why the Panthers weren’t winning. Then when they became a powerhouse, people were only able to justify this assumption with the super bowl loss, the most difficult game in football. You then point out that it was because he could not control his emotions, which is why he left the interview, but how can you criticize Cam under this light without also giving Peyton the same kind of scrutiny. In the 2009 Super Bowl, after the Colts lost to the Saints, Peyton was not even willing to shake the opposing quarterbacks hand, instead storming off into the locker room, something that was credited as being the true sign of a competitor rather than lack of emotional control. We can’t fool ourselves to think Cam doesn’t have a much larger spotlight pressed upon him because he chose not to conform to the dominated white media and viewing audience.
ReplyDeleteYou also argue that there have been plenty of black quarterbacks that have acted “professionally”, for example, Randall Cunningham, Donavan McNabb and most recently Russell Wilson. The reason they haven’t been scrutinized as much is due to the fact that they have chosen to embrace the white scouts, the white coaches, and the white GMs, therefore conforming to the white culture that we have been so accustomed to watching on Sunday’s. Cam Newton has finally decided to break the status quo and show us there are other ways of playing the game of football and being a leader for that matter. You can go out there and have a good time while also taking control of the locker room. You can make jokes on the sidelines and in practice while still spending hours during the week studying and preparing for that week’s game. Just because he is unconventional doesn’t necessarily mean its wrong. We live in a society that claims to be diverse and welcoming to new ideas and ways of doing things, thus making America great. Yet, when something does come along that is unique, we immediately find fault in it, looking for a way to bring things back to what a lot of white Americans consider normal. Cam has embraced who he is as a person and shows us that not only as a black man, but as a society as a whole we do not need to do not need to conform to what makes people comfortable but rather push the norms of society and celebrate what makes us individuals in a world of scrutiny and criticism.
I don't think the problem most people have with Cam lies in black or white culture. It lies in the fact that Cam's actions are brash, impulsive, and sometimes unsportsmanlike. When he performed a decidedly prolonged dance routine after putting his team up three scores with two minutes left, the black players on the Titans didn't appreciate his displaying their culture, they tried to fight him because they were being shown up. When he started trash talking his own teammate in training camp, the day didn't end with a peaceful resolution to better both parties, it ended with Newton and star cornerback Josh Norman coming to blows in the middle of the practice field. Fights happen in training camp, but almost never between the franchise quarterback and superstar defender. The difference between Peyton after Super Bowl 44 and Cam this year is that Peyton's walkout is a one-time low of poor sportsmanship, whereas you could almost see Cam's coming. (Also, I don't think Peyton failing to congratulate Drew Brees in the public eye and instead heading quietly for the tunnel as confetti falls around him is quite the same as a despondent Cam Newton saying "F*ck this" before leaving because one of the opposition defenders dared to question his ability.)
DeleteRussell Wilson and Donovan McNabb may have embraced their white coaches and GMs, but there are other examples of quarterbacks who certainly weren't prime displays of white culture and were still less talked about than Cam. Michael Vick, do-rag and all, was one of the most popular players in the league until the story about his dogfighting broke. People loved Jameis Winston from his first start at Florida State, and many defended him even after the laundry list of allegations began coming down. It's not a matter of Cam having a good time and people resenting that. Nobody can argue that Brett Favre didn't have fun playing football, and he's one of the most popular players in NFL history. It's about having respect for your teammates, the opposition, and the game itself, and I think America finds Cam lacking in those categories
Also, it's partly just because he's winning. Nobody cared when he was dancing and the Panthers were 7-9
As a black quarterback who has looked up to the different moguls of my time, and those before me, I have seen no one as bold and brash as Cam Newton. The Donovan McNabbs, Steve McNairs, and even Michael Vicks have all survived the scrutiny that the media has put them under, but ultimately have remained themselves. That's exactly what Cam Newton has done and will hopefully continue to do. When he dances after a touchdown or runs to give a child a football, he's just being himself. I do not believe that race is the ultimate factor in the hate for Cam, but simply the fact that his flamboyant and dynamic personality has been consistent throughout his career. If he were not this bold, confident character, we should be worried. It is not in Peyton Manning or Tom Brady's character to celebrate in the manner that Newton does, so if they were to step outside of their shell and "dab" after a first down, they would get some strange looks. So instead of trying to force Newton into a mold that not everyone can fit, we should accept him for his sheer boldness.
ReplyDeleteThis past season, I adopted some of Newton's celebrations. After I scored a touchdown, I "dabbed". I saw his celebration, not as defiance or arrogance, like most would like to see it, but as hip and modern. Those who criticize Newton for saying the comments that he does, and acting the way he does, are stuck inside of a box that myself, and a lot of other players simply do not fit. Cam Newton is just having fun regardless of what people think and does not care for the opinions of those outside of his circle. His mentality as he eloquently said in his commercial, rests on the notion that "they don't make band aids for feelings." Therefore, whatever we say or anyone else for that matter, won't effect him at all.
I find myself agreeing with some of the things Jack said. Certainly Cam is disliked by some because he is brash, emotional, and not afraid to speak his mind. And that greatly contrasts with the Peyton Mannings, Aaron Rodgers, Drew Breees of the world. These men seem to always appear sportsmanlike and collected no matter the outcome of the game.
ReplyDeleteA contrast can be seen with other players who are emotional and have elaborate touchdown dances. Certainly Cam was not the originator of the touchdown dance. In fact, guys like LaDainian Tomlinson have touchdown dances that have become their staples. Additionally there have been some who made a career out of being emotional and speaking their mind. I think the difference exists because he is a quarterback. The quarterback is the leader of the team and more importantly is often the franchise player. He is often the reason why a team is loved by supporters and hated by everyone else. Tom Brady comes to my mind when it comes to one player being the reason why a team is hated so passionately. This past NFL season I observed a Patriots fans versus everyone mentality, with Patriots fans, bandwagon or not, seeing Tom Brady as some kind of god. People may claim to hate Tom Brady and the Patriots because of the whole deflate-gate event, but I believe its because Brady and the Patriots have been so good for so long and have crushed so many dreams along the way. I can see people hating Cam because he is such a talented quarterback and people are afraid of how good he is because that spells doom for their own team’s hopes.
Personally I think that the reason Cam Newton became less to do with his race and more to do with his attitude. I grew up a Florida Gator fan, so naturally I have always harbored a vested interest in his career, knowing that that national championship he single handedly won Auburn a national championship that should have been ours. I think that people are overthinking the issue here. I don't think Cam's popularity, or lack there of has much to do with race. I don't think it has anything to do with his outgoing, flamboyant nature either. I find him as entertaining and naturally likeable as anyone in the NFL. What I think drives people crazy is his sportsmanship, at least for me it does. It's not that he's over emotional so much that he's both a poor winner and poor loser. When he wins he can be a bit obnoxious, and when he loses he tends to be a poor sport. This being said I don't blame him at all for his post game super bowl interview, I've lost some big games in my career and the last thing I want to do is be questioned by reporters trying to get under my skin
ReplyDeleteTo me, Cam Newton's skin color has nothing to do with why I dislike him. While I do not commit much of my time to watching football games, I nevertheless have found a dislike for Cam. Rooted from his days as a college QB, he always seemed egotistical and arrogant. His elaborate touchdown performances/dances show this. I agree with Jack that this could be because the quarterbacks that we have grown up to know such as Tom Brady and Peyton Manning are calm, quiet and collected, whereas Cam is the opposite. One thing that I can see as potentially a reason others might dislike him is because of his age more than anything else. Most quarterbacks we see having success have all been a part of the league for many years (most notable Peyton) and due to this there might be resentment for his overwhelming success in his early years in the NFL. Overall though, I do feel it is more Cam's attitude that people have a distaste for. Exemplified by his walking out on the post-game interview after the Super Bowl, he does not truly answer any of the question and what he does say are mostly one or two words. I think that many people would have changed their views on Cam if he had gone to the interview and discussed what went wrong, how he could have potentially changed the outcome, and what he would like to see out of the team in the future rather than "they just played better than us". I do think however, this might be due to his immaturity in the NFL, and that hopefully for him this will change with time.
ReplyDeletePeople fail to realize that Cam like most superstar athletes have been just that, superstars for most of their lives and all of their adult lives subsequently they receive special preferential treatment in every aspect of life socially as well as in respect to the educational system. This breeds attitudes of entitlement and fosters the need gratification and external acknowledgment, from here I argue is where his immaturity, that is situations such as his display of poor sportsmanship in his poor handling of his post Super Bowl loss press conference, stems. Contrarily instances such as the aforementioned is where I believe his immaturity ends in that his on-field celebrations as long as they are within the NFL's player conduct statutes, are irrelevant and in my opinion are the object of far too much unwarranted scrutiny. His choices to give away game balls to young fans, celebrate in the faces of recently bested defenders, and choreograph dances and handshakes with his teammates at least by the standards of the league have been deemed appropriate as made evident by the fact they do not draw penalties from the game officials. Does race play a part in this? Undoubtedly so. His fairer-skinned peers such Tom Brady who has aptly been given the nickname "Physco Tom" for the his eccentric, fiercely competitive on-field alter ego and Aaron Rogers who received State Farm Insurance endorsement campaign for his signature on-field celebration.
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