al.com's Brandon Marcello - What does Cam Newton owe us?

[Townhallsavoy]

A surprising breath of fresh air on the topic of Cam Newton:

http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2016/02/alcom_all-access_what_do_athle.html#incart_river_home

Cam Newton did not dab.

He did not smile.

And he certainly was in no mood to answer questions following a 24-10 loss to the Denver Broncos at Super Bowl 50.

Newton, a supernova of positive and negative energy in the fan and media landscape, did himself no favors with his antics Sunday night. Before he provided terse answers during a three-minute media session and abruptly walked off the stage, he showed frustration by kicking and screaming on the turf during a mini-tantrum in the end zone.

Did you see it? Millions did when he was hit in the end zone late in the fourth quarter.

I'm not sure how I feel about the whole situation. In fact, I don't believe I really care all that much how a multi-millionaire acts while playing a game.

That's the thing with Newton.  He wears his emotions on his shoulder pads. He's celebrated and beloved while dabbing and handing footballs to kids , but he's also capable of turning into the villain in the wake of the biggest loss of his career. And why? Because he didn't answer questions?

The man is who he is and he certainly isn't going to change.

Is he immature? I don't know, but I'm certain dozens of columnists have already weighed in. My question is this: what do athletes really owe us?

More and more you're seeing players on the college and professional level fall out of love with the life off the field and in front of the cameras. Marshawn Lynch's short and repetitive responses in interviews (and what a great retirement tweet last night, by the way) are becoming more the norm than not. Even Auburn's Carl Lawson filled up a quote sheet with a few "no comment" responses early in Auburn's 2015 season.

Reporters certainly want more, especially those writing on deadline, but do athletes really owe us anything beyond their performances on the field? Do fans even care about their post-game comments?

Perhaps I've grown cynical with the whole post-game decorum over the years. I know what to expect when coaches and players walk through the doors, and savvy fans do, too. Athletes' words are filtered before the camera lights even hit their faces. Clichés rule the day. The truth is lost in the shadows of hours of media training, resulting in half-truths, short answers and political correctness.

When was the last time a player walked through the door, spoke his mind and let his real personality define them? Every now and then we get a glimpse, and those are the moments reporters live for during the daily grind of covering a team. After all, we want to share stories of the real people we see on the field.

Now that I think of it, Cam Newton did just that last night. In a way, isn't that a bit refreshing?

For those looking for a strong take on the matter, you have come to the wrong place. I've never talked  to Newton. I don't know the man.

Here's what I do know:  each day in the sports media world is becoming predictable and I'm finding it hard to get charged up about Newton's responses last night. (The questions, by the way, were not all that amazing, either.) Maybe I'm wrong. After all, that's just the way the sports world is these days behind closed doors. It's up to reporters to crack open that door, and expecting it to happen in the bowels of a stadium in front of dozens of others is foolish. The real stories are out there, and you're not going to find them in a sanitized environment such as a post-game press conference.

Every so often, however, we see the reality on the dais. It's rare, but you know it when you see it. We may have witnessed an example last night when Newton walked away from the media.

So, I pose the question again: what do athletes owe us?

What are your thoughts? Chime in here on AL.com All-Access starting at 10 a.m. I'll be hanging out in the comments section until 11 a.m.

[bottomfeeder]

We saw Cam at a disadvantagex scripted by the fucking NFL and the haters.

http://www.tonytellingitlikeitis.com/blog/The-NFL-is-Fixed--Scripted-55545

[CCTAU]

He doesn't owe me anything. He owes it to himself to grow the hell up and approach adversity with something more than a hoodie and a pacifier.

He could have easily just said, I cannot hear you guys. I'm gonna go wash up and come back later when it's more quiet. Instead he let the moment beat him.

[Kaos]

He doesn't owe me anything. He owes it to himself to grow the hell up and approach adversity with something more than a hoodie and a pacifier.

He could have easily just said, I cannot hear you guys. I'm gonna go wash up and come back later when it's more quiet. Instead he let the moment beat him.

I think you are wrong. 

He doesn't owe me a damn thing.  He doesn't owe anybody anything.  He's free to act and react however he wants to.  I don't care how he acted.  He's already given me plenty of joy. 

[War Eagle!!!]

I think you are wrong. 

He doesn't owe me a damn thing.  He doesn't owe anybody anything.  He's free to act and react however he wants to.  I don't care how he acted.  He's already given me plenty of joy.

I think it's kind of ironic you are beating this drum with that particular avatar...

[WiregrassTiger]

I think it's kind of ironic you are beating this drum with that particular avatar...

What? One cannot have a Klan robe avatar and support their favorite black QB at the same time?

[Kaos]

I think it's kind of ironic you are beating this drum with that particular avatar...

Intended.  I found it amusing. 

[CCTAU]

I think you are wrong. 

He doesn't owe me a damn thing.  He doesn't owe anybody anything.  He's free to act and react however he wants to.  I don't care how he acted.  He's already given me plenty of joy.

It's like you didn't even read what I wrote.

I want a divorce.

[The Six]

Greg McElroy, retired NFL QB, weighs in on Cam

His criticism stems from this play in the fourth quarter of the Broncos’ 24-10 win over the Panthers on Sunday night, during which Newton appears to back away from a chance to recover his own fumble in one of the game’s defining moments.

McElroy, who claimed this criticism had nothing to do with the fact that he played for the Crimson Tide and Newton was an Auburn QB, didn’t hold much back.

“I have never– not one time in my life– seen a player do that,” McElroy said. “Especially a quarterback. And you know what? His teammates will look at him a little bit differently after that. Especially his teammates on the defensive side of the football.”

“I have big issues with the way he did not jump on the football,” McElroy said. “It was as if he had given up.

“It was a six-point game at that point and he jumped away from it. I will never get over that. I will still root for my Panthers, but I’m going to have big issues with Cam Newton moving forward, and it has nothing to do with the fact that I went to Alabama and he went to Auburn. It has everything to do with the fact that he quit on this team.”

Link if you want to read more and hear it: http://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/auburn-football/greg-mcelroy-cam-newton-quit-super-bowl/

[CCTAU]

These people are just jumping on the bandwagon of the idiot announcers.

When looking at the video, it looks like he is jumping out of the way of the two three hunnert pounders about to take out his knees. While at the same time trying to keep an eye on the ball.

But the announcers saw it as a chance to take a shot. They secretly hate him also.

[ssgaufan]

Greg McElroy, retired NFL QB, weighs in on Cam

Really?  That's how he refers to himself?

[Kaos]

Fuck McElroy. 

Ron Rivera already said Cam was trying to extend the play.  They jealous ginger cocksmoker can blow it out his opie hole. 

[CCTAU]

Really?  That's how he refers to himself?

That's what I thought.

Well. I guess he did retire due to the physical inability to perform at the minimum levels. I guess you could call that a handicap...

[Snaggletiger]

It was out of my reach, what do you want me to do, dive for it?

[Kaos]

His teammates and his head coach have already come out and said it was no big deal.  He was trying to find the ball and extend the play. 

Fuck McElroy. 

[Buzz Killington]

It was out of my reach, what do you want me to do, dive for it?

It says right here in my contract that I don't have to do any unnecessary calisthenics.

[Kaos]

Believe it or not?  Finebaum is mocking McElroy. 

[dallaswareagle]

Really?  That's how he refers to himself?

Cut him some slack, he prolly still suffers from PTSD.








Post-Traumatic Slam Disorder.


   

[WiregrassTiger]

Really?  That's how he refers to himself?

I don't understand what the big issue is with this. I've been asked and then eventually forced to retire from many jobs. No need to second-guess the semantics.

[WiregrassTiger]

It says right here in my contract that I don't have to do any unnecessary calisthenics.

What happened to the new whirlpool we were supposed to get?