Nates Notes

The quarterback for the Carolina Panthers, Cam Newton, is a winner. Dating back to his collegiate tenure when he won the Heisman Trophy and a BCS National Championship with the Auburn University Tigers, Newton is accustomed to strutting off the field with a hat full of confetti and some hardware in his clutches. Even when an evident “lapse of judgment” resulted in his transfer from the University of Florida to Blinn College — a junior college in Texas — he led those Buccaneers to a championship in 2009.

Per 247sports.com, he was a highly sought-after recruit in 2006. Five years later, that theme remained as Newton was selected No. 1 overall in the 2011 NFL Draft. His rookie campaign was decent. He only won the Pepsi Rookie of the Year and AP Offensive Rookie of the Year awards. Oh yeah, he also broke the record for most passing yards by a rookie in his first game. In his second game, he proceeded to break the very record he set seven days prior. To top it all off, he broke the record for most passing yards by a rookie, shattering its predecessor by more than 300 yards.

Sure, it was not all glitz and glamour for Newton. There were a few growing pains for the young quarterback, as there are with most. But he was something special. He has carried his team to the playoffs the last three years. This season he was one game away from winning it all. The 2015 MVP is a winner. But people do not seem to like him.
They just don’t.
There are a couple of reasons why. There’s, “He’s cocky and/or arrogant.” Newton is not shy about his confidence, so I can see how somebody could have this perception.

Newton has also a bevy of celebrations to choose from, most notably the infamous dabbing epidemic he ignited. It has news anchors, children and even the NFL’s commissioner, Roger Goodell, putting their heads into their elbows, mimicking the quarterback’s all but patented move. (I do not hate Cam. But if I did, I’d fall under this category. STOP DABBING). However, the final reason is one that concerns me. “They don’t like him because he’s black.” This argument is dangerous.

ESPN conducted a poll involving questions about Newton and the criticism he receives. According to the poll, 62 percent of fans think he’s criticized due to his style of play on the field. Fourteen percent believe it to be race related. However, the numbers among blacks told a different story. Thirty-four percent of African Americans surveyed believed the criticism was “racially based.”

I am sure there are a very small few who despise the idea of a black quarterback. However, to instantly presume this idea is among the majority can bring very divisive results. People just might not like Cam because he exudes a high dosage of confidence. If we are too quick to pull the “they don’t like me because I’m black” card, it could have a “boy who cried wolf” implication. If we call for it when it may not be there, it will be difficult to get the help needed when the wolf does in fact arrive.

HAYWOOD is the editor-in-chief.