NFL MVP Cam Newton Reacts Poorly After Super Bowl Loss

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NFL MVP Cam Newton was not happy after losing Super Bowl 50. PCC’s Josh Wolfe says, “Can we just give Cam a break?”

After the Carolina Panthers had lost Super Bowl 50 to the Denver Broncos, there wasn’t much left to say or do afterwards.

In fact, the Most Valuable Player of the National Football League, Cam Newton walked out on his post-game press conference after only answering a few questions. One reporter asked, “Why Carolina didn’t play the way it normally plays,” and Newton responded, “Got outplayed.” The reporter then asked, “Is there a reason why,” to which he responded, “Got outplayed man.”

Anyone watching the press conference can see how upset Newton was and him walking out made it even more apparent.

There are many people who thought it was inexcusable for Newton to act the way he did. Some analysts, journalists, and former professional football players voiced their dismay on social media about Newton leaving the press conference early. Mad Dog Sports Radio and ESPN First Take analyst Stephen A. Smith tweeted the following:

Deion Sanders, the only player to play in the Super Bowl and World Series had stern words for the 26-year-old quarterback. “You are the face of our brand right now, you can’t do that. I understand the emotions of losing, but you can’t do that. A Manning, a Brady … all these guys who are a prototypical type of quarterback in our game, they’re not going to do that ever … You’re opening yourself for more criticism,” he said. “Because everybody is going to say you’re dabbing and smiling and smiling and styling. So this is how you go out when you lose?”

Can we just give Cam a break? We forget sometimes that big name athletes are also people, just like ourselves. Should they be held to a higher standard? Yes they should but that also warrants the occasional slip up here and there. Can you really blame Newtons reaction given the high magnitude and gravity of the situation? He just lost the biggest professional game of his career, not to mention it was the third most watched event in the history of television. Any person who competes in sports or even in life knows that it is really difficult to control your emotions and feelings after losing something they consider the most important battle they’ve faced.

Whether we like it or not high profiled and superstar athletes are judged in comparison to one another. Many people love to compare the greats from one sport to the greats from another sports. So what if were to compare Newton to Tiger Woods, Barry Bonds, or Alex Rodriguez? Do you know what all those players have in common? They were unquestionably Super Star players like Newton, but they also committed far worse blunders than Newton did.

Woods, widely considered the greatest golfer of all time cheated on on his wife with several women. Bonds, the all time leader in home runs is believed to have used anabolic steroids.  Alex Rodriguez, 4th on the all time home runs list behind Babe Ruth admitted to also using steroids from 2001 to 2003 while playing for the Texas Rangers.

The point is athletes are judged on a relative basis. Many of these super star athletes have committed serious mistakes, even crimes like Bonds, A-Rod, and Tiger. Despite the obvious damage in their reputations, and the strong portion of people who cannot forgive, these athletes are also still beloved today by many. Let us react, if and only if Newton does something along those lines and not to a heartbroken man who simply could not fathom and cope with his feelings after a tremendous loss.  

If this is the worst we see from Newton, he will go down as the saint of football, just like the Derek Jeter of baseball.