A Little Dab Doesn’t Do Me!
Cam Newton loves attention and the Super Bowl is a stage made for him. But he sure does rub many the wrong way, including me. Press play for more or read below…
I don’t care much for Cam Newton. He’s a terrific athlete for sure, who is gifted genetically and he’s certainly deserving of the NFL MVP. But I don’t like him.
I don’t like his Clark Kent/Superman impersonation. I don’t like the Dab. I don’t like how he whines after being hit despite taking on the risks of a ball carrier.
And I don’t really believe that the balls he hands out to children after a touchdown are as genuine and sincere as Cam Newton supporters would like you to believe. I see them as an inexpensive way of buying goodwill.
And you know what? It’s working for Cam.
But I’m not convinced.
There’s a track record that suggests I’m more right than wrong.
He left the University of Florida after receiving a stolen laptop and then tossing it off a balcony when the police attempted to seize it. He moved on to Blinn College to play quarterback after which his father start selling his services to universities such as Ole Miss and Auburn, reportedly saying that it would take more than a scholarship to successfully recruit his son. Numbers like $180,000 were thrown around.
Later as a member of The Panthers the team ran Steve Smith out of town so that they could allow Newton to emerge as a leader. After giving him that opportunity, one season later he fought with cornerback Josh Norman during training camp. A franchise quarterback fighting with a teammate during training camp? Seriously?
[Counterpoint: A Little Dab’ll Do Ya Just Fine…If You Lighten Up]
Could you imagine Joe Flacco fighting with Jimmy Smith?
Things have certainly played out well for Newton in 2015 and he’s deserving of the accolades for his on the field accomplishments. But I hope he fails miserably in Super Bowl 50.
Supporters of Cam like to play the race card when folks like me say that they don’t like him. It has nothing to do with race. At least not for me! I think it’s more of a generational issue.
I’m from the old school that prefers an athlete who acts like he’s scored before and hands the ball back to the official. Barry Sanders did that. Jerry Rice did that. Jamal Lewis did that.
Newton celebrates first downs. I prefer a little more class from my quarterback. A little more respect for the opponent. But that’s not what the new generation is all about.
Instead today’s players too often (at least for my tastes) emulate the theatrics that the players on Madden video games display, where showboating is the norm.
Maybe I’m just getting old and maybe I value respect for an opponent too highly in today’s NFL.
And maybe that’s why I’ll be rooting for the old guy on Sunday.
Go Peyton Manning…
