All in all, it was a huge backward step in the making of the career and the legacy of one Cam Newton.
Cam has gone on record about how he wants to be remembered as a guy who "had fun" while he
played the game. His VIP season was remarkable, highlighted by clips of him on the sidelines, laughing,
giving out high-fives, and obviously enjoying himself to the max. Sure, it's easy to be a happy-go-lucky type
of guy when you are winning. Things are all going your way. But it's in defeat that you can learn the true
character of a man. It's tough to stand there and face questions on what went wrong, why you lost, what you
could have done better that maybe would have made a difference. This was the biggest loss of Cam's young life.
It also was an opportunity to show that he has what it takes to be the true leader of this team. Instead, he sat there
scowling, grunting, giving non-responses, and finally standing up after a scant few minutes and heading for the door.
It was like the spoiled little brat that, when things didn't go exactly the way he wanted, took his ball and went home.
That failure was far greater than anything that he did on the field Sunday night.
Newton's post-game comments (SIAP):
Quarterback
Cam Newton kept his postgame comments short Sunday, with the disappointment from the
Carolina Panthers' 24-10 loss to the
Denver Broncosin the Super Bowl still fresh (reporters' questions italicized when they could be heard).
What's your message to Panthers fans?
"We'll be back."
[Carolina coach] Ron [Rivera] said Denver two years ago had a tough time and they bounced back. Do you take that to heart?
"No."
Can you put a finger on why Carolina didn't play the way it normally plays?
"Got outplayed."
Is there a reason why?
"Got outplayed, bro."
Was it pretty much what you had seen on film from Denver? Anything different they put in for this game?
"Nothing different."
Do we sometimes forget that defenses can still take apart the offenses in this game?
"No."
What did Ron Rivera say after the game?
"He told us a lot of things."
Anything in particular that was memorable?
"Nope."
Obviously you're disappointed. On the biggest stage it's difficult, I know.
[nods head]
Did you see anything that you didn't expect tonight?
"They just played better than us. I don't know what you want me to say. They made more plays than us, and that's what it comes down to. We had our opportunities. It wasn't nothing special that they did. We dropped balls, we turned the ball over, gave up sacks, threw errant passes. That's it. They scored more points than us."
Can you put into words the disappointment you feel right now?
"We lost."
Did Denver change anything defensively to take away your running lanes?
"No."
I know you're disappointed not just for yourself, but for your teammates. It's got to be real tough.
[shakes head] "I'm done, man."
(With that, Cam stands up and walks out, leaving a stunned audience behind.)
