Damn Skarbo!!!

[Snaggletiger]

I read the first half of Kevin Skrabkinski's piece with a hearty "fuck you" on my lips.  Then.....he totally redeemed himself.  In all seriousness, after reading the takes of so many of you on here the last couple of days, I don't think the nail could be hit any more square with a hammer.

Let's be honest. Let's be slouching, pouting, shrinking-inside-our-hoodies, "I'm a sore loser" honest.

Auburn fans were counting on Cam Newton in the Super Bowl.

Not in exactly the same way they counted on him in the 2010 Iron Bowl or the 2010 SEC Championship Game or the 2011 BCS Championship Game, but they were counting on him Sunday just the same.

To win the game and lift their spirits. To do something amazing and give them something to remember after a football season to forget. To complete a dream season not unlike the one he gave them in 2010.

After an MVP season that resembled his Heisman year, Newton was going to add a Super Bowl title to his BCS championship, and Auburn fans were going to dab and bask in his reflected glory.

Then came Von Miller wiping the smile right off Newton's face. There was Denver defensive coordinator Wade Phillips, son of Bum, outsmarting Carolina offensive coordinator Mike Shula, son of Don.

There was some consolation. At least Auburn fans could finger the former Alabama coach as a scapegoat.

It wasn't the finest hour for the newly crowned NFL MVP, but it showed just how good the former Auburn star had been to get the pedestrian Panthers to this stage.

As for Auburn's former Heisman-winning quarterback, the Broncos did more than tug on Superman's cape. They ripped it off and ripped it to shreds in a 24-10 victory that required little more from Peyton Manning than Alabama needed from Jay Barker against Miami or Greg McElroy against Texas.

Denver didn't just ruin the ending for Carolina. The Broncos also stampeded all over Auburn's last chance to find solace in a 2015 football season that became, once again, all about another Alabama national title.

This could've also been the year their man, their Cam, ascended to the top of the football world. Instead he got sideswiped one step from the summit.

It has to hurt them almost as much as it hurts him.

Auburn loyalists are invested in Newton in a way few college fan bases are in their former players who turn pro, even their old stars. They've defended him against all kinds of scurrilous and unproven accusations. They've seen the good in him when others, blinded by opposing school colors or other pigments of their small-minded imaginations, painted him in the most unflattering ways.

Newton played at Auburn for only that one magical season, but Auburn fans have stayed loyal to him. Maybe because, maddening his critics all the more, he's stayed loyal to them.

Destroying the narrative that he was nothing but a mercenary on the Plains, Newton has come back to Auburn again and again. To go to class and finish his degree. To be a cheerleader at basketball and football games. To validate his membership in the Auburn family.

He's been the kind of former player any fan base would be proud to call one of its own had he worn a different helmet during his college days. He's given his old school plenty of reasons to be proud at the next level where, as he did in college, he's reached an atmosphere few have visited.

Knowing the loyalty of Auburn fans, one loss won't change the way they feel about Newton. Neither will his two minutes of unhappiness at a postgame presser or one more absurd accusation from McElroy, that Newton "quit on his team" when he didn't go helmet-first after that fourth-quarter fumble.

Sorry, but McElroy lost all credibility on the subject of Newton five years ago when he said this: "Five years down the road, will he be a more productive player than me? That remains to be seen."

The eyes don't lie. We see McElroy on the SEC Network. We just saw Newton win the MVP award and play in the Super Bowl.

As much as Auburn fans might wish he'd gone kamikaze after that loose ball and explained himself at length afterward, as much as they would've enjoyed watching him pass out a few more touchdown souvenirs to a few more kids en route to a triumphant Super Bowl dab, don't expect them to quit on Newton.

They never have. Why would they start now?

[Kaos]

Here's what he got wrong, though. 

Our support for Cam had nothing to do with "making us feel better after 7-6" or watching Bama win the NC.  Or Muschamp or any of the other things that happened last season or the one before that.  At least it didn't for me. 

I wanted Cam to win for CAM.  Because we've watched him.  We know his love for the game is genuine.  We know his "pouting" is based in a relentless desire to win and to be the best he can possibly be.  We know that he's not a thug. We've seen him give and give and give and give back.  We know how hard he works. We know what he's capable of.  We wanted the rest of the world to see Cam take it all, because ... fuck it... we know the man DESERVES it. 

All the butthurt hater crowd knows is Scam Newton, his daddy tried to sell him. He stole a laptop. He got kicked out of Florida. He has an attitude. He's fake. He smiles too much. He dabs too much. He's not supposed to be that happy.  He's not supposed to be that mad.  I'm including much of the national media in the butt hurt hater crowd. I'm including every Bama fan who ever lived in the butthurt hater crowd.

They don't know him like we do.  They don't know what's behind the smiling, dabbing, dancing and the rest. 

I didn't want Cam to win to assuage some personal sense of depression.  That's not who Auburn fans are.  If you get right down to it, that's what Bama fans are.  They're the ones who live vicariously through the wins and losses of a football team and players with whom they have no real affiliation. 

I wanted Cam to win for Cam. Not for me.  For himself. I wanted to all the work, all the energy, all the passion he pours into the game to pay off for him.  It had and has nothing to do with my Auburn allegiance.  I wanted it for him. 

[The Six]

Scarbs and the rest of the state media think all Auburn fans are so jealous of Alabama that we sit around and pound our balls with hammers just so we can jizz red.

[djsimp]

pound our balls with hammers just so we can jizz red.

Dude! This pains me to read.

[Snaggletiger]

Dude! This pains me to read.

Not me.

[djsimp]

Not me.

So, you like to pound your balls with a hammer?

[Snaggletiger]

So, you like to pound your balls with a hammer?

Nope.  Can anyone help simp out with this one?

[Buzz Killington]

Swing and a miss.  Strike two.

[Snaggletiger]

Swing and a miss.  Strike two.

  I saw The Choice this weekend.

[Godfather]

Here's what he got wrong, though. 

Our support for Cam had nothing to do with "making us feel better after 7-6" or watching Bama win the NC.  Or Muschamp or any of the other things that happened last season or the one before that.  At least it didn't for me. 

I wanted Cam to win for CAM.  Because we've watched him.  We know his love for the game is genuine.  We know his "pouting" is based in a relentless desire to win and to be the best he can possibly be.  We know that he's not a thug. We've seen him give and give and give and give back.  We know how hard he works. We know what he's capable of.  We wanted the rest of the world to see Cam take it all, because ... fuck it... we know the man DESERVES it. 

All the butthurt hater crowd knows is Scam Newton, his daddy tried to sell him. He stole a laptop. He got kicked out of Florida. He has an attitude. He's fake. He smiles too much. He dabs too much. He's not supposed to be that happy.  He's not supposed to be that mad.  I'm including much of the national media in the butt hurt hater crowd. I'm including every Bama fan who ever lived in the butthurt hater crowd.

They don't know him like we do.  They don't know what's behind the smiling, dabbing, dancing and the rest. 

I didn't want Cam to win to assuage some personal sense of depression.  That's not who Auburn fans are.  If you get right down to it, that's what Bama fans are.  They're the ones who live vicariously through the wins and losses of a football team and players with whom they have no real affiliation. 

I wanted Cam to win for Cam. Not for me.  For himself. I wanted to all the work, all the energy, all the passion he pours into the game to pay off for him.  It had and has nothing to do with my Auburn allegiance.  I wanted it for him.

Harrumph

[Kaos]

I've watched the fumble thing about 100 times.  I've heard people like that puffy-faced ginger bitch McElroy make their comments. 

And what I see every single time I watch it is simple. 

Cam runs toward the ball. Before he can get there, he sees a hand touch it.  He changes direction and tries to fall on the ball where it's deflected -- not where it would have already been gone from had he dove for no reason.  He dives for the motherfucking ball, but just not at the moment all these armchair fucks think he should have.  He's the greatest athlete in the world.  If anybody has a chance to pick up the batted ball and make a play, it's Cam.   But every redneck bama fan in the world is convinced 'Cam done quit on his team.'  And far too many in the media are falling right in line. 

It's mystifying to me how much they hate the guy and the lengths to which they will go to complain about what he does. 

Why the fuck should he dive here?  How is he even in a position to dive?  He thought he could reach the ball and pick it up.  He clearly sees the ball and the hand on it that's not going to be able to control it. 



Less than half a second later, he's on the ground trying to get the ball. 



I don't see the big fucking deal.  He tried to go where he anticipated the ball was going to be, not where it was in the past. 

 Criticizing him for trying to make a play is a bitch move IMO. And there's no bigger bitch than Gingerroy McFuckleface.

[WiregrassTiger]

A few thoughts since I know you are waiting to hear.
1. He's wrong about AU fans needing this win, if that's what he really thinks. I love AU. I love Cam. I didn't really care. I'm not a big NFL fan. I love Auburn and usually pull for our players, just as I casually did here.

But, I also didn't mind seeing Peyton go out with a W. I also didn't mind seeing an Auburn High product that AU missed on in Ware put on a defensive show for Denver.

Yes, I loved the season that the Panthers had and it was mostly because of Cam. But I was just pleased that he had a great year and made it to the Super Bowl. I wasn't emotionally invested in the game and maybe I am in the minority in that regard.

2. The fumble: If I remember correctly, Cam was hurt at AU when going after a fumble. Maybe I'm wrong but I know he was on the ground and got his hand or arm stepped on. Still played but he was hurt. That happens there and he goes down, so do the Panther's chance.

It's a split second decision. Under most circumstances, if I'm the owner, I don't want my prize QB diving after fumbles. In the Super Bowl, yeah, it's different. But, WT would rather lose the Super Bowl than to break WT's arm in 3 places--so, I won't be calling out Cam.

I don't care what any washed up, barely a "has been" and probably should've been a "never was" QB has to say regarding how the NFL MVP QB performed. As if he could come close to that stage. That's a joke.

[Snaggletiger]

Sooo Cam, your 2 fumbles weren't a factor in your mind?

Not if one of those other guys would have jumped on the ball.  Cam can't do everything.

So there's no I in team?

Ain't no we neither.

[djsimp]

Nope.  Can anyone help simp out with this one?

Ah, I got it. You just want your balls back so you can pound them?

[WiregrassTiger]

Reporter: "There's been a lot of talk about the fumble that you didn't dive for and how that could've been the difference in the game. What else can you tell us about that?"

Cam: "Maaaaaaan. Cam Newton is about flyin' through the aira to get a first down or, or, or.... flyin' over defenders... to score TD's man. (10 seconds of camera clicks and no talking) Fumbles are on the ground. G--RRRRa--O--ahh, ahh--U--N--D. Ground....Beneath Cam. So, it's, it's, it's, very rare that you see a fumble that go in the aira. Now, if it went in the aira, then Cam Newton would go after it."

[Snaggletiger]

Reporter: "There's been a lot of talk about the fumble that you didn't dive for and how that could've been the difference in the game. What else can you tell us about that?"

Cam: "Maaaaaaan. Cam Newton is about flyin' through the aira to get a first down or, or, or.... flyin' over defenders... to score TD's man. (10 seconds of camera clicks and no talking) Fumbles are on the ground. G--RRRRa--O--ahh, ahh--U--N--D. Ground....Beneath Cam. So, it's, it's, it's, very rare that you see a fumble that go in the aira. Now, if it went in the aira, then Cam Newton would go after it."

You don't see Superman crawling on the ground.  He flies through the aira.

[Townhallsavoy]

If there's a lesson to be learned from Cam Newton, it's that we should all stop talking about this issue. He doesn't give a shit.

He's ignored the media mob for six years now. None of it has ever phased him. He'll be the same ole Cam next season, smiling after every one of his 40+ touchdowns.

[The Six]

[djsimp]

Looks like Cam either knows his NFL history or/and he has a mind like some of the greatest.

[Saniflush]

Looks like Cam either knows his NFL history or/and he has a mind like some of the greatest.

Or he plagiarized......PAWLLLLLLLLL, dem cheatin aubs at it again.