Props to Cam Newton

[Uncle Si]

You just keep pulling assumptions out of thin air like they are completely static values. David Copperfield's got nothing on you.

What assumptions... this exactly the comparison you've boxed yourself into..

You don't want to compare them off the field.

You don't want to compare their on field production, talent or work ethic.

What's left... the fact that both celebrate? That they are both QBs in the NFL? They both attended college? Their first names are short for something longer?

Pedantic little jabs aren't going to mask that you aren't making any relevant points to compare the two. David Copperfield indeed.. any point you were trying to make disappeared.

 

[253hawk]

Just keep changing the argument to suit whatever the hell narrative it is you're after, seriously. All I was saying is that they both act like the same kind of pompous d-bags on the field. That's it. But you want to keep moving the goal posts and twisting the words. :roll:

 

[Uncle Si]

Just keep changing the argument to suit whatever the hell narrative it is you're after, seriously. All I was saying is that they both act like the same kind of pompous d-bags on the field. That's it. But you want to keep moving the goal posts and twisting the words. :roll:

I've not changed anything. You said they were the same (one more successful, neatly edited). I disagreed. The two, to me, are extremely far apart, even in the way they act on the field.

Terrel Owens... Cam reminds me of him.

 

[WilsonMVP]

Newton=Manziel now...

this thread....

Please tell me what my purely subjective opinion should be then?

In terms of attitude and ego, they're extremely similar.

Not really.

Manziel is a disaster off the field. Literally a spoiled brat. By most accounts he doesn't work hard. He doesn't study the game like a first round QB should.

Newton has been an ideal example for how a NFL player should act off the field. His work ethic and preparation is top notch according to coaches and teammates.

You don't like Newton's celebrations. That's fair.

But comparing him to Johnny Manziel is completely ignorant.

Ya as far as im aware Newton hasnt done anything off the field like Manziel has. And im sure Manziel would celebrate on the field if he had anything to celebrate. He has been a pretty awful QB unlike Cam

Like the post above me Cam most reminds me of TO. I think if he was anything but a QB people would be fine with it TBH but for whatever reason we hold the QB to a high standard...which thinking about it, im not sure why.

 

[kobebryant]

I like Cam a lot.

As far as I've seen to this point his theatrics have all been with a smile on his face, no lewd gestures, no mean mugging, nothing that seems to be in the face of or directed at an opponent, a lot of it involves teammates, and he tops it off with the balls for kids thing - which I think is really nice. He dresses well, shouts out his grandma in press conferences, and is apparently great in the community and locker room.

I much prefer his on-field demeanor to Peyton's - who makes playing qb in the NFL look like one of the world's least enjoyable professions.

As sports fans, I think a lot of us like to think of how cool it would be to play qb in the NFL, pg in the NBA, goalie in the NHL etc (furthest I took sports was juco hoops and D1 track). And I personally want to watch guys who look like they are genuinely enjoying the great opportunity that they have been afforded, Cam isn't taking it for granted, and that appreciation shows in the joy in which he plays - and I like to see someone reinforce how fun that position in life really is.

I don't mind Rodgers "double check" at all. But Rodger's takes zero heat for it even though it is considerably more demonstrative than anything Cam does. Middle America and Wisconsin folks think it's just some innocent "championship belt" thing, when anyone who's played sports competitively in an urban setting knows exactly what is implied when you gesture towards that area of your body.

Cam is still dealing with confirmation bias from that god awful Nawrocki draft profile http://www.profootballweekly.com/2011/0 ... ing-report - which, funny enough, is now deleted.

The coming days prior to the Super Bowl are going to be disheartening in terms of some of the takes on Cam. I'm sure the stolen laptop will be brought up, while Peyton's much worse college transgression will be ignored.

 

[Uncle Si]

Great post Kobe

 

[Hasselbeck]

I laugh at anyone who gets their feelings rustled because the guy is cocky on the field.

He's a flat stud. Dance away.

 

[kobebryant]

Great post Kobe

Thank you. I've been needing to vent on this whole Newton thing for a little while now.

 

[kobebryant]

I laugh at anyone who gets their feelings rustled because the guy is cocky on the field.

He's a flat stud. Dance away.

People's negative reactions towards Cam Newton say a lot more about that individual than it does Cam.

I bet people like 'Tennessee Mom', who took issue with Cam's dancing, approve of what Peyton's all about and could care less about him teabagging a female staffer with the Vols back in Knoxville. But dancing is for the devil and could lead to pre-marital sex.

 

[ivotuk]

Jesus formatting is god awful on this website.

Anyway...



"If Cam wants to be hated and ostracized, he is going about his business perfectly."


Actually, you're wrong.

Cam is in fact doing the exact opposite of being "hated and ostracized". The haters are only making themselves look foolish. Like back in the day when your parents didn't like Elvis or The Beatles.


But don't take my word for it.

"Newton's Celebrity DBI — an index that measures public awareness and impressions of endorsers — has soared this season, according to The Marketing Arm in Dallas.

Seventy-two percent of consumers like him "to some degree," the company said, which puts him alongside mixed martial-arts athlete Ronda Rousey, golfer Rory McIlroy and singer Gwen Stefani."


http://www.baltimoresun.com/business/un ... story.html

True story. I like the guy, but that's beside the point. If you want evidence of how popular he is, look at who's in all the commercials lately.

I think he's just a guy having fun, and that some of you are being curmudgeons because you haven't seen this kind of behavior before, at least not demonstrated by a player with a good heart.

Terrell Owens, and players like him have ruined it for players like Cam who mean no harm (Notice he includes his team mates in everything).

The man is an amazing and elite athlete like we've never seen before. He can truly "put a team on his back" and carry them. He's broken the mold, and more power to him.

As a football fan, it is easy for me to dislike players on opposing teams, especially those that have beaten my team. Case in point, I could care less about any player on any of the NFCE teams. But I like Cam Newton, and how he bonds with his team mates while having fun. More players should be like that, because it actually includes the fans in an indirect way.

I'll tell you the guy that irritates me, and it's because of his arrogance, and that's Aaron Rodgers. Those little point and pull the trigger with his finger like it's a gun while smirking and winking. Completely disingenuous, and annoying. There's other little mannerisms that are arrogant and annoying. I like "the belt," that one was cool, but the other ones, combined with his whining, remind me of arrogance.

 

[253hawk]

http://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl/new ... li=BBnba9I

“I’m an African-American quarterback that may scare a lot of people because they haven’t seen nothing they can compare me to,” he told reporters during his weekly media session at Bank of America Stadium.

Seriously? He's going to play the race card now as to why people don't like him? Yeah, that must be it. That's why so many people hate Wilson, Kap, Bridgewater, Taylor, Griffin, etc in the same capacity. It's because he's a egocentric diva with poor sportsmanship, not because he's black. Dude, you're not even African-American. You're an American. It's time to quit using that term as a cop-out for criticism.

 

[Uncle Si]

http://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl/newton-people-fear-me-as-african-american-qb/ar-BBoMxHo?li=BBnba9I

“I’m an African-American quarterback that may scare a lot of people because they haven’t seen nothing they can compare me to,” he told reporters during his weekly media session at Bank of America Stadium.

Seriously? He's going to play the race card now as to why people don't like him? Yeah, that must be it. That's why so many people hate Wilson, Kap, Bridgewater, Taylor, Griffin, etc in the same capacity. It's because he's a egocentric diva with poor sportsmanship, not because he's black. Dude, you're not even African-American. You're an American. It's time to quit using that term as a cop-out for criticism.

If you don't think that race plays a role in the way athletes are perceived by the general public than I'm not sure what to tell you. You don't have to go much further than the person who wrote the open letter condemning his dancing in front of her daughter (while scantily clad cheerleaders paraded for hours nearby). Could literally list hundreds of examples of the dichotomy and hypocrisy. Can start with Sherman being labeled a "thug" and go from there if you want. And Kap? Do you not remember the backlash he received for kissing his biceps? Griffin was called out for not being black enough, as have rumors surrounding Wilson's relationship in the Seahawks locker room.

I get you don't like Cam's antics on the field. Understandable. But you can't deny that he has a point in some regards.

Also loved his coach's statement on his and his team's attitude:

“People think you should be stoic when you play this game,” Rivera said (member of the Super Bowl Shuffling '85 Bears team). “I think you should be able to come out and have fun. This is a kid’s game. I know there’s a lot of money involved, but at the end of the day it’s about entertainment and having fun. If you’re not enjoying yourself, don’t play the game. It’s that simple.”

 

[253hawk]

The other examples are fairly isolated; Newton does the same shtick on every first down, every touchdown, every big play, every single week. Even Kaepernick is reserved in comparison. How many times did he do his bicep kiss? Probably enough to count on one hand. No one expects absolute stoicism, that's evident by the fact that 'No Fun League' exists. Enduring constant and blatant showboating from one player for 3 hours every single week is asking a bit much, though.

People dislike Manziel for the exact same reasons (the whole point I was trying to make the other day), and it's not because he's white. Newton has never pulled the race card as an excuse before, so why bring it up now? Fans can be critical of you for your behavior and it not having anything to do with your skin color. Shocking, I know.

 

[Uncle Si]

The other examples are fairly isolated; Newton does the same shtick on every first down, every touchdown, every big play, every single week. Even Kaepernick is reserved in comparison. How many times did he do his bicep kiss? Probably enough to count on one hand. No one expects absolute stoicism, that's evident by the fact that 'No Fun League' exists. Enduring constant and blatant showboating from one player for 3 hours every single week is asking a bit much, though.

People dislike Manziel for the exact same reasons (the whole point I was trying to make the other day), and it's not because he's white. Newton has never pulled the race card as an excuse before, so why bring it up now? Fans can be critical of you for your behavior and it not having anything to do with your skin color. Shocking, I know.

I'd say that bicep kiss was a pretty prevalent celebration for some time.

I completely agree that fans can be critical of a player's behavior. In context, if Cam is trying to address each of those fans concerns by using race as a factor, then he would be wrong.

However, and again this is where I differ with you on his comparisons to Manziel, Cam has received alot of fairly outrageous commentary played at him for his behavior that is barely masked racism. The letter from the Tennessee mom being the more hilarious, if not sad. There are countless others. The fact he calls it out is not shocking in the least. Nor is he the first athlete to do so. Not even close.

People don't like Manziel because he isn't any good. Manziel's biggest criticism is not how he acts, but more of how his off field actions show complete disdain for himself, his team or his responsibility as a highly paid athlete to actually try and be a good player. He sucks so bad his decisions to celebrate are almost hilarious in their lack of regard and self awareness. Honestly, his on field celebrations are so infrequent I can't imagine anyone pays much attention to them. His name has no place in this discussion.

Cam, whether his words were well placed or not, is calling out a simple yet very common discussion point that many athletes have made light of over the years. The hysterical reaction to Sherman's antics after the NFC Championship being the most relevant to this team's recent history.

 

[JSeahawks]

It's not a black/white thing, it's a quarterback thing. Fair or not, qbs are usually the face of the franchise and should be held to a higher standing, IMO.

 

[Uncle Si]

It's not a black/white thing, it's a quarterback thing. Fair or not, qbs are usually the face of the franchise and should be held to a higher standing, IMO.

When Sherman was called, politely, a "thug" for his Erin Andrews interview it had nothing to do with his position on the field.

It appears as though the Panthers franchise, the coach, the fans and the teammates are quite comfortable with Cam as well. So whatever standard they are looking for he seems to fit it without much concern.

 

[JSeahawks]

It's not a black/white thing, it's a quarterback thing. Fair or not, qbs are usually the face of the franchise and should be held to a higher standing, IMO.

When Sherman was called, politely, a "thug" for his Erin Andrews interview it had nothing to do with his position on the field.

It appears as though the Panthers franchise, the coach, the fans and the teammates are quite comfortable with Cam as well. So whatever standard they are looking for he seems to fit it without much concern.

Which is all good. I'm just saying why I personally dislike him. But I'm just one dude on a message board with a meaningless opinion. His team clearly follows him and plays for him.

 

[Uncle Si]

It's not a black/white thing, it's a quarterback thing. Fair or not, qbs are usually the face of the franchise and should be held to a higher standing, IMO.

When Sherman was called, politely, a "thug" for his Erin Andrews interview it had nothing to do with his position on the field.

It appears as though the Panthers franchise, the coach, the fans and the teammates are quite comfortable with Cam as well. So whatever standard they are looking for he seems to fit it without much concern.

Which is all good. I'm just saying why I personally dislike him. But I'm just one dude on a message board with a meaningless opinion. His team clearly follows him and plays for him.

I imagine alot of people don't like him, for a ton of reasons. I just didn't think his comments on race are that far fetched.

 

[Ramfan128]

His celebrating is less obnoxious to me than Golden Tate's are.

At least Cam is a great player.

I dislike him more for his Auburn days and the general distaste I have for the SEC....but there should be absolutely no issue with his celebrating. He's bringing fun back to the NFL.

 

[kobebryant]

It's not a black/white thing, it's a quarterback thing. Fair or not, qbs are usually the face of the franchise and should be held to a higher standing, IMO.

I understand what you are saying, but I don't know man.

What Cam does is fun-loving, not directed at an opponent, and often involves teammates and kids; while also being good in the community and a solid citizen. Yet he gets more heat for his game day persona than Manning, Brady, Rodgers and Rivers ever do - and they're considerably more demonstrative, mean spirited, and whiny. Not that I take issue with any of their antics (as this is competitive sports at its highest level), but there is a certain hypocrisy at play when dancing is received more negatively than the cussing out of an official/opponent - and as a person of color we can't help but have race in the back of our mind when facing that sort of hypocrisy, even while understanding that the vast majority of people are in no way racist.