Newton's postgame behavior opens newly crowned MVP up for more criticism

(Photo Courtesy: The Denver Post)

Carolina Panthers cornerback Josh Norman sat in a room with reporters after being caught crying on national television as the Denver Broncos celebrated their Super Bowl 50 win.

“I’m having a hard time sitting here,” Norman said. "I’m going to be straight up honest. I didn’t even want to talk to you guys.”

It wasn't an easy thing for the former Coastal Carolina Chanticleer to do, but he did it. He didn't dance around questions. He wasn't short. He sat there and took his lumps. Like a pro.



The same can't be said for Cam Newton. The newly crowned MVP of the league sat in a similar hot seat as Norman with a hood covering his head. The former Auburn star was curt with reporters and didn't say much, if anything at all, when asked questions about his performance as well as his teams.

(AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Midway through the session, Newton shook his head, got up and walked out of the room. It was the type of behavior unbecoming of a man who was essentially named the face of the league just 24 hours prior to his team's meltdown. It's behavior unbecoming of a star who could easily be one of the faces of the league, if he hasn't catapulted himself to that status yet.

I understand, as a quarterback who didn't perform well on the biggest stage your game has to offer, that Newton was hurt. He was disappointed in the way he and his team played. The Panthers worked too damn hard to get to this point and ultimately fall flat like that. I can't say I've been in his shoes, but I get it.

However, there are only two words I can really post here: MAN UP!

Cam is the guy that all of the fans are looking at, whether you love him or you hate him. Cam is the National Football League's Most Valuable Player. And he didn't act that way. From falling out and even flopping around at times on the field out of frustration to his immature behavior following the game, Newton has only done one thing that he ultimately didn't want to do. He's given his critics a slough of ammunition to fire away at his character.

Let's rewind for a second.

Mark Zaleski/Associated Press

Remember back when Carolina played at Tennessee and Newton danced and dabbed in the end zone? You remember? Good. Now, you remember the open letter that the mother wrote to Newton about his antics? If not, you can take a look here.

Since then, the topic of race has come up in regard to Newton. A little more than a week before Super Bowl 50, Newton told reporters, "I'm an African-American quarterback that scares people because they haven't seen nothing that they can compare me to." That basically opened Pandora's Box, so to speak. It's been a topic since then.

The problem is this topic would have gone away (temporarily) had he won. Instead, this will be a topic of discussion (off and on) for some time now. It's not just because of his behavior Sunday night. It's not just because of the way he does things on the field. It's the big picture.

Newton plays with a childlike enthusiasm that can be contagious to his teammates. However, he played at times with the temper of a child who didn't get the toy he wanted out of Wal-Mart.

Cam Newton at only 5 years old is the youngest quarterback in the NFL...nice tantrum pic.twitter.com/b7erqD8ISB

— Kayla Searle (@KayBae206) February 8, 2016

I know athletes are not role models, but Cam Newton may very well be the exception in this case. With all that he's done in the community and because of his generous acts handing footballs to kids following games, what does this behavior tell future quarterbacks and football players? You know the answer to that. I don't have to break that down.

(Photo Courtesy: FoxSports.com)

Now, I understand that Newton could have easily said more and he could have easily thrown his teammates under the bus. But he didn't and it was a no-win situation. However, I would have liked to see him try.

In the end, Newton's behavior opens him up to major criticisms from now until OTAs at the very least. Granted, he was in a no-win situation. If he spoke, he may have said something that would have hurt him and his team. Because he didn't, he'll be the target of even tougher criticism.

And you know there's only one thing Newton can do to right this wrong and that's win a title. Without a ring, the stigma ultimately becomes Newton just wasn't good enough as a dual-threat quarterback and he wasn't mature enough to handle the success or failures.