I Wish It Were JUST a Game
Why a self-proclaimed Bronco fan was rooting for Cam Newton…
It would have been easier for me had Arizona exposed the Panthers in the NFC Finals. That way I could’ve easily pulled for the Broncos — no problem. But they were curb-stomped by Cam Newton and nem; steamrolled is probably a better description as the Panthers whopped on ‘em 49–15.
Meanwhile my Broncos hobbled into the playoffs on the creaky bones and wobbly soft throws of Peyton Manning. Their once dominating offense — the one that got them to SB48 hadn’t been seen since they had that Boom put on them by the Seahawks a little over two years ago. I had no confidence in this 2015–2016 team…but I’m a fan.
Yet, this game wasn’t about whether I was a fan or not. No. It was about my identity as a Black man.
Having scared white folks on more than one occasion by either speaking up for myself or being animated, I recognized that much of the dislike and hatred for Cam Newton had nothing to do with his dancing or his smiling. No. White America needs their Black men tamed.
If you’re not a comedian, you better keep that truth bottled up in you. You better swallow the pill of racism as if it were a laxative and shit your anger out — do something with it, just don’t expose white people to it.
And it’s a lose-lose situation. If you play sports, and you’re winning, and having fun — you’re gloating. If you’re just about the game, like Marshawn Lynch, and don’t care about all of the publicity and what not — you’re angry. You can only be one kind of Black man for America — a compliant one.
The two weeks leading up to the Super Bowl reflected this. There was less talk about the tactics that each team would need to win and more talk about race…by way of the pedestrian question, “why don’t people like Cam Newton?”
Even there, the deck was stacked. Hell, even the Super Bowl promo photo was racist…if not racist…slanted…if not slanted…subliminal. Peyton Manning is seen in a classic football pose, the noble, strong, leader. While Cam Newton, despite his MVP earning season, is seen dabbing, the dancing, gloating, jester.
As a Bronco fan, and suffering through this season of slow starts, I knew that if the Broncos didn’t get on the board early — it could be a problem. But immediately, the Broncos opened up with a first down. Even the moribund running game was effective. Although they didn’t push the ball into the end zone and walked away with a field goal, they set the pace. How Carolina responded would mean everything.
But it wasn’t about Carolina. It was about the Denver Defense. They clogged the running lanes, maintained tight coverage, and were faster off the ball than the Panther O-line. That translated to Cam having to either run, make quick accurate passes, or stay in the pocket long enough for his receivers to get some sort of separation. The Panthers were 3 and out and I knew then…so did Cam, you could see it on his face — this would be no walk in the park.
Anyone who actually watches football and has followed Peyton Manning throughout his career knows that this was a shadow of the man that they’ve seen before. He did the bare minimum and Carolina’s defense, used to Cam Newton and the offense holding the ball for long stints of the game, looked tired out there.
The pressure never let up on the Panther offense and it was just a matter of time before the sacks, and in this case, the fumble that led to 7 points, happened. The Panthers never had any answers for Von Miller and gang and that 24–10 final score reflects that.
Throughout the game, the director, Mike Arnold, got great joy out of cutting to a frustrated Cam Newton on the sidelines, or a frustrated Cam Newton after a sack. It was almost as if Cam Newton was by himself playing against the Broncos.
I held back. Maybe I was being sensitive. As a Black man, it’s easy to recognize — the antagonizing eye of white supremacy. But I kept my race talk to myself. Even after I watched the mockery of the celebrating white Bronco fans, dabbing it up. I held my tongue. Even as they criticized Cam Newton for his less than stellar press conference — I had nothing.
But when I saw the NYT headline, “Cam Newton, a Man of Many Talents, Falls Short on Leadership,” by Michael Powell, that was the final straw. It wasn’t just the byline that bothered me, nor was it Powell’s statement that Newton was “acting like a 13 year old,” it was the can’t win for losing situation that Black men often face. Don’t be excited when you win — don’t be sad when you lose…the biggest game of your career after being frustrated by one of the best defenses ever.
The fact that Super Bowl 50’s story from beginning to end was focused on Cam Newton…more so than even the fading gladiator, Peyton Manning…more so than the dominating Denver defense…the fact that more than anything the talk was on Cam Newton, speaks volumes. And why? Because of the 50 touchdowns in the regular and post season? No. Because of the MVP? No. Because of the almost perfect record of 15–1. No. Because Cam Newton chose to be himself: to have fun, to dance, to smile, to give away touchdown footballs, to be unapologetically Black.
Cam Newton, that fucking guy. Makes me nuts. I mean, that grinning like a monkey all the time, jumping around, showboating. I mean, why is there no humility?
I knew it, and most Black people knew it. If the Panthers lose, white media is going to have a field day with Newton. They are going to claim that he lost because he had no humility. They are going to mock his dancing. Even Louis CK had a character, Marsha, chime in for many of white America, in the pilot episode of his recent webisode “Horace and Pete.” And now it’s come to pass.
So, don’t tell me it’s just a game. Don’t make it seem like it’s about sportsmanship or any of that nonsense. As I mentioned in “Using the Black Man as the Schlemiel: In Defense of Dexter Manley,” the position of Quarterback has always been the linchpin of racism. Blacks were never seen as smart enough or contained enough. Later, new coded language was created: “Pro Style Quarterback” (white) vs “Mobile Quarterback” (Black) or some variation therein. Had the QB of Carolina been someone like Teddy Bridgewater — no problem. And that’s no diss against Bridgewater. But Black folks know what I mean. We just can admit it. But white people….they want to act like it’s just a game. And it’s not.
