Cam Newton is the best NFL quarterback. His athletic ability makes him a great passer of the ball; as well as, a more dominant runner than Michael Vick in his heyday. He is the ultimate dual threat. He’s so good that he lead his team, the Carolina Panthers, to the Super Bowl having only lost one game all season. Unfortunately for Cam, he and the Panthers were not able to win; they fell short to the NFL’s best defensive team -- the Denver Broncos. Cam Newton, who is usually energetic and extroverted, was frustrated and silenced by Denver all game. In the post-game interview Cam was not liking the attention he received. Instead of reveling in the moment, he sat stone-faced as reporters asked him questions. After a few questions, Cam had enough; he got up from the podium and walked off to the locker room.
This was something that happens all the time for professional sports players; they are contracted by the NFL to meet the press for an interview after every game, but there is nothing about how long a player has to stay at the podium. For some reason, after Cam did this people lost their minds. There was and continues to be outrage. Why is this happening? It's not like this hasn't happened before in sports. In all honesty, everyone should have expected it. Look at the way Cam carries himself -- he’s a happy-go-lucky person, so he did not account for talking to the press after losing the biggest game of his life. All he thought about was the happiness and glory of winning on the biggest stage.
So why is everyone so mad at Cam Newton for doing something that totally fits his personality? Why are people who praised Cam’s flashy personality turning on him? The answer lies in the media’s portrayal of how Cam handles the pressure of being quarterback. Let’s look back this past year at how Cam was portrayed in the media.
At the beginning of the 2015/2016, Cam Newton was portrayed as an average NFL quarterback; he was supposed to be able to help his Carolina Panthers compete, but they were not projected to reach the greatness they achieved. Cam was seen as a good player, but he did not measure up to what the older, one dimensional, quarterbacks (Tom Brady, Peyton Manning) could do. Halfway through the season, the Panthers were undefeated, and people were mesmerized at the resolve and poise the young quarterback was showing. Cam was dominating the game, throwing and running past anyone who opposed him. Cam’s potential was rising exponentially, and with that came more attention from the media. How could this guy be doing this when he was not as talented as the likes of the prolific quarterbacks who have dominated the game for almost a decade?
As the playoffs rolled around, the Panthers were the best team in the whole league, having 15 wins and only one loss. At this time, Cam became a superstar. All of sports media was talking about him. If you turned on ESPN, FOX Sports, CBS Sports, or NBC Sports you’d see his face. He was portrayed as a great example of the American dream and spirit; someone who exceeds all expectations and odds to reach the pinnacle of his profession.
Through the first two games of the playoffs the Panthers dominated their opposition with their high powered offense led by Cam. The Panthers had made it to the Super Bowl; the hype for Cam, and the Panthers, reached an all time high. Then the game happened. Cam completed only 18 of 41 passes, throwing no touchdowns, and one interception; he also only ran for 45 yards. He was totally shut down on Super Bowl Sunday. This is when he had to meet the media, who had been so high on him. Which led to the events of the media’s outrage.
People need to leave Cam Newton the hell alone! He is not a symbol that represents America's minorities who have extreme odds against them, and he did not let anyone down who believed he was this symbol. He should not have to live up to these expectations. You don’t see people throwing these labels on the great white quarterbacks; they are expected to succeed. When a great player like Cam Newton, who happens to be black, dominates the game, it causes a spectacle, and unrealistic expectations. The media basically said, “ Hey, Cam, you are a minority, and succeeding in what you do -- be this symbol for other minorities in this great nation. Show them what it looks like to win! Oh, wait -- you lost the championship game -- how could you let all those people down?”
This needs to stop. We, as a nation, need to see people as people. We need to stop discriminating by the color of skin. We need to stop putting unrealistic expectations on people. We need to stop portraying white athletes as successful, and minority athletes as people who overcame adversity. We need a level playing field, and until we get one we will see more minority athletes getting too much put on their shoulders.
We need equality for players in sports, so that we can actually appreciate their contributions to the sport they play. If you are someone who is mad at Cam Newton for leaving his press conference early, realize that he did so because of the extreme, and unfair, expectations that were placed upon him by the same media asking the questions after he lost the Super Bowl, then proceed to leave him alone!
