Cam Newton using the race card

[stevegrab]

Well, I'd agree, he is incomparable as far as QB's go. And people do obviously get upset at the way he carries himself. He is probably the best player in the NFL right now, though. Add the confidence, arrogance, goofball playfulness or whatever you want to call it in with the skill and physicality, and I'd agree with the writer that he's a lightning rod for critics and non-fans. The racism angle; I personally don't define him as an "African American QB" but I'd imagine there's plenty of others who are racist who do add him being black to the reasons they don't like Cam Newton. Apparently it is something he's heard before or is paranoid of.

 

And Darin hit it on the head with the media...in this day and age, it's all about what gets people talking, clicking on links, and getting fired up. The black angle apparently does that and Cam unfortunately gave it more legs than it would have had on its own.

 

Well said, I cannot believe people here are so naive as to think there aren't football fans out there that use Cam being black as one of the reasons they dislike him (even a primary reason).

 

Have you all been living under a rock the last 7 years and not heard the way people talk about that "ni**er president".

Edited January 28, 2016 by stevegrab

[tazinib1]

 

or nah?

I dont fish lol. His coach states he doesnt want to be known as a black QB yet the first words out of his mouth is I'm a black QB. So whos making this an issue?

[darin3]

I dont fish lol. His coach states he doesnt want to be known as a black QB yet the first words out of his mouth is I'm a black QB. So whos making this an issue?

 

The media.

[stevegrab]

 

The media.

 

Remeber the SB with Dungy (IND) vs. Lovie (CHI).

 

"We're going to have our first African American coach win a Super Bowl, how do you guys feel about that (asked of each coach)."

[BA Baracus]

 

The media.

The same media that's at every MLK Boulevard?

[rajncajn]

I mean there is some truth to what he said. I'm not saying anybody on this website/forum does it, but anytime Cam Newton is brought up and compared to other QB's, he is only compared to other Black QB's such as Vick, Moon, etc. instead of being compared to other qb's such as Young, Elway, etc.

 

I hate people pulling the race card, but I don't think in this case it's so far-fetched.

So a few knuckle-dragging trolls at a stadium or closet racist co-worker Joe who whispers the n-word out of fear of getting fired or his ass beat lends truth to what he's saying? Give me a break... I live in the deep South & even I'm not buying that one. Honestly, if I were Warren Moon or Randall Cunningham or even Doug Williams I'd be insulted by what he said. Those guys had just as much or more talent and/or accomplished more than he has to date and every one of them most certainly had to deal with a hell of a lot more racial discrimination than he ever has. Where is the respect for the path those guys paved for him?

[HowboutthemCowboys]

So a few knuckle-dragging trolls at a stadium or closet racist co-worker Joe who whispers the n-word out of fear of getting fired or his ass beat lends truth to what he's saying? Give me a break... I live in the deep South & even I'm not buying that one. Honestly, if I were Warren Moon or Randall Cunningham or even Doug Williams I'd be insulted by what he said. Those guys had just as much or more talent and/or accomplished more than he has to date and every one of them most certainly had to deal with a hell of a lot more racial discrimination than he ever has. Where is the respect for the path those guys paved for him?

Cmon rajn, the guy is superman for Christ's sake. Give credit where its due.. Edited January 29, 2016 by HowboutthemCowboys

[WildTurkey]

So a few knuckle-dragging trolls at a stadium or closet racist co-worker Joe who whispers the n-word out of fear of getting fired or his ass beat lends truth to what he's saying? Give me a break... I live in the deep South & even I'm not buying that one. Honestly, if I were Warren Moon or Randall Cunningham or even Doug Williams I'd be insulted by what he said. Those guys had just as much or more talent and/or accomplished more than he has to date and every one of them most certainly had to deal with a hell of a lot more racial discrimination than he ever has. Where is the respect for the path those guys paved for him?

 

First off, I am your deep south brother. I have spent plenty of time in the area you represent and myself live in Alabama. Let me ask you, where do you think Cam Newton gets this attitude from? Is it just something he came up from his parents and close surroundings (i.e. the white man is out to get you) or do you think racism is something he's experienced in his 20+ years of life and for whatever reason, be it media probing, something ingrained, something recent, or whatever, he brought it up at the time this quote we're discussing was made?

 

I personally don't know if Cam respects Doug Williams or how he should present that respect, but Doug Williams says he respects Cam and apparently isn't offended: http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/panthers/2016/01/28/super-bowl-black-quarterback-doug-williams-defends-cam-newton/79455300/

 

I wish this weren't a topic. I know I don't give a rat's whether he's black or whatever (I don't think you do either, rajncajn), but it's out there. The knuckle draggers you mention are still out there in patches, still breed and still instill their hate. The media doesn't help the situation as they're only out for their clicks to keep them in business and in some ways fan the flames. I can say I think things are better than they were, but that's just my perception as I don't live the same life as a black man.

 

To me, all we can do is live our own lives to where this eventually becomes a non issue, and the racists die out, the memories of grandparents fade, and all that's left is history to remind us of our screwed up path to evolution to where we're at now, which is a better place and a past we can't imagine.

 

And as for me, I am racist at times. I know it. I am less so than my parents and a great deal less than my grandparents. A lot of this has to do with more exposure (and therefore empathy) to different races that they didn't have. With more time together (and it could be 1000 years) I think it will all become a non issue. By that time we will be humans against the alien race.

Edited January 29, 2016 by WildTurkey

[Jolly Rodgers]

Is this guy for real? Russell Wilson won a SB 2 years ago and this is what the President had to say about that. ""He's only the second African-American quarterback to ever win the Super Bowl, and the best part about it is no one commented on it," Obama said."

 

Seriously Cam, get over yourself.

[jkraft896]

Is this guy for real? Russell Wilson won a SB 2 years ago and this is what the President had to say about that. ""He's only the second African-American quarterback to ever win the Super Bowl, and the best part about it is no one commented on it," Obama said."

 

Seriously Cam, get over yourself.

 

I would agree with your first statement if I hadn't heard on ESPN so many times how Russell Wilson isn't a very "black" African-American quarterback. For whatever reason, the media loves to push this Cam vs. Russell Wilson agenda and it often revolves around their "blackness." Things they have attributed to Russell's lack of being black: he's not a good dancer, he speaks to "properly," and he doesn't celebrate on the field. Obviously none of those things have anything to do with the color of his skin, but I have heard those things discussed in the media THIS week so we are naive if we believe that the media is not driving this nonsense.

[HowboutthemCowboys]

 

I would agree with your first statement if I hadn't heard on ESPN so many times how Russell Wilson isn't a very "black" African-American quarterback. For whatever reason, the media loves to push this Cam vs. Russell Wilson agenda and it often revolves around their "blackness." Things they have attributed to Russell's lack of being black: he's not a good dancer, he speaks to "properly," and he doesn't celebrate on the field. Obviously none of those things have anything to do with the color of his skin, but I have heard those things discussed in the media THIS week so we are naive if we believe that the media is not driving this nonsense.

the pay to go to school thing was his dad, the laptop was because he was young n misunderstood, this is the media's fault. Apparently nothing is or ever was Cams fault

[rajncajn]

First off, I am your deep south brother. I have spent plenty of time in the area you represent and myself live in Alabama. Let me ask you, where do you think Cam Newton gets this attitude from? Is it just something he came up from his parents and close surroundings (i.e. the white man is out to get you) or do you think racism is something he's experienced in his 20+ years of life and for whatever reason, be it media probing, something ingrained, something recent, or whatever, he brought it up at the time this quote we're discussing was made?

 

Not really a question that I can answer. My opinion, it's probably a combination of those things. What I do know is that often times there is a perception of racism when it really has nothing to do with it. The assumption is that they are being criticized only because they are black. Perpetuating ideas like what Cam is suggesting does nothing more than foster that mentality for other blacks to a point to where poor behavior and sportsmanship is accepted or excused due to their color. In reality he's likely had a much easier path to his success than so many black athletes before him. Just look back to his college career. Florida really stuck their neck out for him until he finally got into legal trouble and even after that teams were falling all over themselves to get him after he did his time at Blinn. And when he was drafted the NFL and sports media was anointing him the golden child even before Carolina was sprinting up with their golden ticket. They did the same for RGIII when he was drafted. Tell me again how much racial discrimination he's had to fight through to get to where he's at. Because when we're talking about racial barriers, we shouldn't be giving credit to the knuckle-draggers. We should be talking about the opportunities that are being given to these guys and to say they are being held down by anyone for their color in this day is just flat out false. You only need to look at the level of diversity in football now to see that. Hearing some schmoe yell the n-word at him from the stands is nothing compared to the adversity that guys like Moon had to endure.

 

I personally don't know if Cam respects Doug Williams or how he should present that respect, but Doug Williams says he respects Cam and apparently isn't offended: http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/panthers/2016/01/28/super-bowl-black-quarterback-doug-williams-defends-cam-newton/79455300/

 

A testament to what a classy individual Doug Williams is and partly why his opinion is so well respected. It would be interesting to hear his response if asked what he would tell his kids if they started dabbing after every big play they made. Something tells me he would give them the "act like you've been there" speech. If Cam would take a few pages from his book he'd probably hear a lot less people complaining and gain a lot more respect for more than just his physical traits.

 

I wish this weren't a topic. I know I don't give a rat's whether he's black or whatever (I don't think you do either, rajncajn), but it's out there. The knuckle draggers you mention are still out there in patches, still breed and still instill their hate. The media doesn't help the situation as they're only out for their clicks to keep them in business and in some ways fan the flames. I can say I think things are better than they were, but that's just my perception as I don't live the same life as a black man.

 

To me, all we can do is live our own lives to where this eventually becomes a non issue, and the racists die out, the memories of grandparents fade, and all that's left is history to remind us of our screwed up path to evolution to where we're at now, which is a better place and a past we can't imagine.

 

Same here, it's frustrating that it's still an issue at all and if you watch the news these days it seems as if we are going backwards, not forwards. Yet in everyday life, even way down in South Mississippi, it seems like much more of a non-issue than what the media would lead you to believe. Maybe I'm just blind to it, I don't know.

 

And as for me, I am racist at times. I know it. I am less so than my parents and a great deal less than my grandparents. A lot of this has to do with more exposure (and therefore empathy) to different races that they didn't have. With more time together (and it could be 1000 years) I think it will all become a non issue. By that time we will be humans against the alien race.

 

Racism & prejudices are two different things and prejudice is just human nature. Everyone has their own prejudice whether they can acknowledge it or not. You don't seem to hate blacks judging by your post, I mean you're defending Cam's views...

 

Edited January 29, 2016 by rajncajn

[rajncajn]

 

I would agree with your first statement if I hadn't heard on ESPN so many times how Russell Wilson isn't a very "black" African-American quarterback. For whatever reason, the media loves to push this Cam vs. Russell Wilson agenda and it often revolves around their "blackness." Things they have attributed to Russell's lack of being black: he's not a good dancer, he speaks to "properly," and he doesn't celebrate on the field. Obviously none of those things have anything to do with the color of his skin, but I have heard those things discussed in the media THIS week so we are naive if we believe that the media is not driving this nonsense.

Not defending the media for continuing to discuss it, but you do realize those assertions are based on what some of his own teammates (supposedly Percy Harvin) said? I like what Earl Thomas' response was:

 

"My reaction [to the Wilson story] is that it's an insult to our race, And Russell is the ultimate competitor. He always works as hard as anyone, and he handles himself with poise. He represents our team and our organization very well. I don't think there's any problem with him in our locker room at all."

And Russell Wilson himself:

"Black enough? I don't even know what that means, I'm just an educated, well-spoken male."

Maybe it was said, maybe it wasn't, but at least Wilson had the sense to not propagate the idea.

Edited January 29, 2016 by rajncajn

[HowboutthemCowboys]

 

And Russell Wilson himself:

Maybe it was said, maybe it wasn't, but at least Wilson had the sense to not propagate the idea.

Edited January 29, 2016 by HowboutthemCowboys

[Def.]

So coming home from work last night I turn back to the mothership for the local afternoon content here in Chicago which is typically really good and fun. I was promptly treated to more Cam Newton race talk which honestly suprised me because, again, its a local show that has no relationship to Cam Newton what so ever. I again turned had to turn the manure off.

 

All I can assume is this "story" is being pushed down from the higher ups confirming what many here have already stated, media driven crap.

[jkraft896]

the pay to go to school thing was his dad, the laptop was because he was young n misunderstood, this is the media's fault. Apparently nothing is or ever was Cams fault

 

First, I never laid everything about payment for school on Cam. I simply said that almost all star athletes in college receive some form of payment or special privilege while in college.

 

As for blaming this all on the media, I didn't say that. This particular instance is on Cam. He shouldn't have said what he said. He is just making matters worse and giving them more fuel, but to believe that ESPN and other sports outlets do not push racial issues in sports is just not true.

Edited January 29, 2016 by jkraft896

[stevegrab]

For you guys from the deep south who thing racism is strong there, it isn't just the deep south, but rural parts of many northern and central states.

 

There are rural pockets of NE Ohio (Medina about 25 miles SW of Cleveland, 10 miles west of Akron) where it is alive and well.

 

I've spent a lot of time in rural parts of OH, KY, WV, TN, NC, VA and see far too many signs of it, including flying the confederate flag.

[Zooty]

the pay to go to school thing was his dad, the laptop was because he was young n misunderstood, this is the media's fault. Apparently nothing is or ever was Cams fault

 

and he hides under a towel because he is being like Michael Jordan.

 

But hey, he makes sure the camera sees him giving balls to kids and visiting them in the hospital so its all good when he pouts when he's losing and rubbing it in the other team's face when they're winning.

 

Character is what people do when others aren't looking.

 

Honestly, I'll judge him on the content of his character not the color of his skin. Good guy, attention whore and a poor sport. Learn to win with class.

[Montana is da Man]

Honestly, I'll judge him on the content of his character not the color of his skin. Good guy, attention whore and a poor sport. Learn to win with class.

 

It's hard to say that he does or doesn't have class. It's amazing that he takes time out of his schedule to visit kids in a hospital or go to Barnes and Noble and read a story to kids and take pictures / sign autographs. But he does it in a shirt that shows either him or santa or somebody else doing the dab. Like you said, he's an attention whore and that's why he wears those shirts. I don't think that's why he visits the kids.

 

The whole dabbing issue would be gone by now if he didn't keep reminding people of it.

[rajncajn]

For you guys from the deep south who thing racism is strong there, it isn't just the deep south, but rural parts of many northern and central states.

 

There are rural pockets of NE Ohio (Medina about 25 miles SW of Cleveland, 10 miles west of Akron) where it is alive and well.

 

I've spent a lot of time in rural parts of OH, KY, WV, TN, NC, VA and see far too many signs of it, including flying the confederate flag.

It's not just rural areas either. Some of the most racist people I've known or met are from the North.

[Zooty]

 

It's hard to say that he does or doesn't have class. It's amazing that he takes time out of his schedule to visit kids in a hospital or go to Barnes and Noble and read a story to kids and take pictures / sign autographs. But he does it in a shirt that shows either him or santa or somebody else doing the dab. Like you said, he's an attention whore and that's why he wears those shirts. I don't think that's why he visits the kids.

 

The whole dabbing issue would be gone by now if he didn't keep reminding people of it.

 

 

no, he doesn't win with class. All the histrionics for every little thing is a bit much. I love when Brady does the spike when the score but he doesn't shoot off a bow and arrow for every first down or pretend he's Superman. he acts like a douchnozzle on the field

 

I've started dabbing every time I hand in work to my boss. I know its my job but I like to celebrate. My boss just doesn't understand me.

 

 

And do you think his publicist calls the media before Cam goes to visit kids or does he do it all on the DL because he's just a good guy?

[Montana is da Man]

 

 

no, he doesn't win with class. All the histrionics for every little thing is a bit much. I love when Brady does the spike when the score but he doesn't shoot off a bow and arrow for every first down or pretend he's Superman. he acts like a douchnozzle on the field

 

I've started dabbing every time I hand in work to my boss. I know its my job but I like to celebrate. My boss just doesn't understand me.

 

 

And do you think his publicist calls the media before Cam goes to visit kids or does he do it all on the DL because he's just a good guy?

 

I don't like all the celebrating on a 1st down either. I also agree he doesn't have any class on the field. He's not the only guy, or only quarterback who celebrates every little achievement.

 

And you really think that everytime he goes to visit a kid in the hospital it makes he news? And even if he does it because he's trying to portray a good image, I don't care. It makes those kids days. The fact is he does it and I respect him for it.

[rajncajn]

And you really think that everytime he goes to visit a kid in the hospital it makes he news? And even if he does it because he's trying to portray a good image, I don't care. It makes those kids days. The fact is he does it and I respect him for it.

Have to say I agree with this. Regardless of his motivations, he does it. It's easy to assume he has an ulterior motive, but it's also just as wrong to assume as it would be for him to assume people don't like him for his color. I respect him for the charitable work he does and for as good a player as he is, but that doesn't mean I have to like him despite the negative stuff.

[tazinib1]

Ive heard interviews from HOF LB's and DL that have said if he did his celebrating crap in their day, he would get his head ripped off. There is a big difference between having fun, enjoying and loving your job, and rubbing it in your opponents face. I love Cam. He's a phenomenal talent. But his blatant disrespect is gonna get him hurt someday...

Edited January 29, 2016 by tazinib1

[Zooty]

Have to say I agree with this. Regardless of his motivations, he does it. It's easy to assume he has an ulterior motive, but it's also just as wrong to assume as it would be for him to assume people don't like him for his color. I respect him for the charitable work he does and for as good a player as he is, but that doesn't mean I have to like him despite the negative stuff.

 

 

agree. Good for him.

 

I'm not saying he has an ulterior motive but it isn't unheard of for celebrities to mediacize their actions