At the age of 26 he helped steer his team to the biggest game of their lives — which they lost. Millions were watching, hundreds of millions of dollars were spent. Whether you like football or not, it’s a big deal. To ask that Cam, or any other player, always put up a phony facade after a loss is a ridiculous and unrealistic expectation. I wish I understood why people and the media are so upset that Cam is upset.
On one hand we have the Cam haters booing and hissing … I get it, they don’t like him. It’s pretty safe to say that 99.9% of those who do hate Cam Newton have never played football at the professional level; 98% most likely never played at any collegiate level, and a slightly less percentage have only touched a football during a friendly game at the park or high school P.E. class. They only dislike Cam because he’s not their favorite NFL team’s quarterback. They don’t like his smile. They don’t like his “dab.” They don’t like when he gives a scoring ball to kids in the stands, by any means necessary.
Then there’s the media. What a farce. Acting like they’re victims of Cam’s candid responses and early exit from the presser. So they write about it. They call him a child. They express disgust with his attitude. They post so many links about Cam’s actions at the presser that they don’t even bother to post links of any other players interviews/responses at the presser. Cam Newton “decided to act in his moment of truth like a 13-year-old," … ahh, that delicious click-bait. I guess something like “Media, lacking empathy and uninterested in facts surrounding Cam’s post-game attitude, acts hurt and immature. Seeks revenge at his expense” is too much to ask for. Cam didn’t act “professional,” thus, it gave carte blance for his haters and the media to act in the same manner; the biggest difference being that Cam didn’t call anyone out or point any fingers. Cam lost something, they didn’t.
I spoke with a friend of mine (who does not watch football) about this circus of salty fans and media foaming at the mouth and scolding Cam for being disappointed in his loss. He said “Isn’t that how you want a player to act? Don’t you want to see his heartfelt attachment to the loss instead of acting like it doesn’t matter? I’d think that’s the type of player you’d want on your team.” He couldn’t be more correct. Instead, we want players to take the podium and lie. Put on a suit and tie, stand in front of the journalists and cameras and relive the loss, one question at a time; usually while the journalists hit you with loaded questions and statements to evoke some sort of emotional response. What a stupid predicament to expect composed results from. Of course it’s OK to ask your players (employees) to behave and act within a realm that will give a positive PR spin to any situation, but let’s remember that we’re dealing with humans humans, not robots. Hell, Wookies don’t take losses in stride either.
“You scored a touchdown? Remember, don’t celebrate.”
“Oh, you just lost he Super Bowl? Chin up, emotions aside, and answer every question as if you didn’t just lose the Super Bowl.”
He’s an electrifying player; he’s passionate about what he does. For some reason we want to paint an image of NFL players wearing suits under their pads, taking every win and loss in stride. Think about how you acted the last time you lost your keys. Perhaps you got a speeding ticket. Or maybe you found out your significant other cheated on you. How did you handle it? How composed were your responses about each incident when questioned during or immediately after?
Cam played in the Super Bowl. Chances are you never will. Relax.
