Carolina Panthers fans have definitely heard this before. But for the general public who may not be as familiar — Cam Newton makes people stupid.
(Yes, it’s very much a thing.)
For as long as he’s been in the NFL, and perhaps even longer, Newton has triggered numerous folks by, well, just being himself. And one of the things that has drawn the most irrational of ire is . . . his towel.
Since entering the league, Newton has often draped a Gatorade towel over his head while he’s out of play. Whether it’s during warmups, on the sideline or during postgame handshakes, it’s become a patented look for Newton, and one that’s painted him in the eyes of some as a “poor sport.”
Cam, however, has never really spoken on his unique choice of headwear nor the criticisms he’s received for it . . . until now. When starting up a discussion on his latest “Funky Friday” episode, in which he covers hecklers crossing lines with athletes, Newton spoke on the perceptions of the towel.
“I remember when I first came into the NFL, I was getting a lot of pushback with the towel over my head,” he said. “‘Oh, Cam’s sulking. Oh, he’s a sore loser. Oh, he needs to learn how to respect the game and understand certain things.’
“But — to say that on one hand is also to respect and understand — on one front that say ‘Okay, that’s that,’ but also to agree to disagree that, you could say ‘That’s just Cam being Cam.’”
And that’s exactly what it is. It’s just something he does, not something that’s an indictment on his character. He’s worn it while he was winning and he’s worn it while he was losing.
Some players wear hats, some players wear helmets and some players wear nothing at all on their heads. Some players, apparently, have even opted for a towel.
“Now when I look around the league, I see a lot of people putting towels over their heads — not getting scrutinized like I did,” he added. “And I’m not expecting no title or no trophy for starting a trend. But I’m just using that as an example to get into my topic.”
So maybe, just maybe, there are better things to spend energy on than a 22-inch-by-42-inch piece of cotton.
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