Cam Newton Meets His Old Nemesis
So one of the dumber, smaller stories to hit the news this week was Cam Newton having an interaction with a shit-talker at a mini-tourmanent he was coaching. It was basically just a dumb high school jackass trying to get some social media clout by attempting to get a rise out of Newton, calling him bad, soon to be poor, the works. It did not get the expected response as Cam did the one thing the kid couldn’t properly prepare for: engage from the high road in a way that makes the kid look exactly as immature as he was being. I’ll give Cam some credit, he handled the situation pretty damn well.
This is one of those things that I think Cam probably deals with a lot. He’s never shied away from attention so he’s probably pretty used to getting it used against him like this kid was trying to do. Thing is I can’t even necessarily blame the kid. People like him try and do get social media clout for stupid stunts like this because if you can get the celebrity to crack just a bit, you win. The kid, despite getting his ass handed to him by Cam Newton asking to see his father, still kind of came out of this ahead. He got public attention. He got direct attention from Cam. Nobody else on the field that day did a public apology or got public personal time with the guy. Everyone will forget him by the time this comic is posted. He took a shot, and got attention. It didn’t go as well as he would hope, but now his name is out there and his face on Newton’s indecipherable Instagram post. He can spin the Newton thing as a “learning experience” in the future if he manages to get attention down the road. The kid kinda won, even though he lost. Is it kinda messed up that this is how it all works? Yeah, but maybe that’s better discussed elseware.
It was certainly something to say Cam was about to be poor though. Cam ain’t poor and he ain’t gonna be poor anytime soon. He’s got endorsements on top of his probable incoming NFL contract, backup or otherwise. Dude made serious bank and was the MVP, he’s set for life if he plays his cards right, and he seems smart enough to do that. We know Cam knows how to be thrifty and live off other people’s computers if he needs to.
In other news I wonder where that kid from the play60 commercial is now.
I had immediately thought of that comic when I read that “story.”
Glad to see we are on the same wavelength.
“The kid kinda won, even though he lost. Is it kinda messed up that this is how it all works?”
It’s honestly a damn shame that this is true. You have a lot of kids that will never get an opportunity to spend time with an NFL QB of Cam’s calibre, and yet this spoiled little shit shows up and milks some free clout by acting disrespectful as hell to the guy. You might not be able to blame the kid but I do. It’s extremely ignorant, and in no way should that BS be rewarded. The worst NFL 3rd stringer can offer someone a wealth of knowledge and experience that they won’t find anywhere else. Cam Newton could have taken this kid anywhere he wanted to go with a 10 minute chat, yet he chose to be disrespectful for internet points. Sad as hell man.
Props to Cam for keeping his cool though. He could have kicked him out but he opted to not only humble his ass, but let him know that what he was doing was wrong as well. He might be awful now, but I’ll always have a ton of respect for the guy.
I don’t think Cam is washed up. I think Covid fucked with his head, and he just had a lost year. he may never regain his MVP form, but he’s far from done.
I wouldn’t say he’s washed up either but at this this point I’m not sure he’s worth keeping on any roster. A lot his problems boiled down to basic mechanics and bad tendencies coming back to haunt him, and he doesn’t have the same ability to manufacture plays like he did when he was younger. I’d love for him to come back and kick ass with the Patriots but I doubt we would see much improvement from him. Probably throws more than 8 TD passes though.
When I played on the Freshman football team at my high school Brad Johnson visited during a summer practice. At the time I was primarily a CFB fan and did not follow the NFL aside from the Falcons. I assumed he was a retired QB at the time but have since realized he played in the NFL 3 more years after talking to us. I think he had a connection to our high school HC and just happened to be relatively close by. I remember he was Professional but he did not take any time to interact with the players individually.
This is just before smart phones and the rise of social media “stars” but I assume many of the players then and now avoid the direct interactions to avoid the kids that they don’t have patience for. I’m glad Cam was able to come out of this in such a positive light. I didn’t like the man for most of his career (See: UGA and Falcon’s fan) but that was purely for football reasons. People really make up anything they can to hate on him now because he is different than other qb’s with the same clout. I think his starter days are over, he has taken an absolute beating throughout his career, but I think he is an option any team would be crazy not to take on as a backup.
the Play 60 kid grew up to become Justin Herbert
Cam asked a very valid question: where is that kid’s father? My guess: not in the home. Moms will let you get away with that shit, dads won’t
This is pretty short-sighted. An entire generation raised on the internet keeps doing this over and over again, but it’s because none of them have dads?
Maybe your mom. My mom slapped the shit out of me for calling my little brother “trash”.
Right? My dad was a big softy. My mom would whup my ass preemptively just in case I might embarrass her when we went out.
I gotta give Cam props for the last year in general. New England had to be a very different environment in every way from Carolina – not the #1 pick coming in, Boston vs. the South, a player’s kind of coach vs. the “Patriot Way”, having actual talent around him vs. Harry/Meyers/Olszewski at WR – and he was great all year with the media and in the locker room (from what others have said/written). I didn’t care much about him with the Panthers, but I genuinely started to like the guy after what I saw this year. Just not sure he can play anymore, other than as a backup. But damn I’d love to see what he could do with a full offseason, no Covid for him, and a bringing in a couple better weapons.
I think Cam’s at that point where he can still be effective if he’s on a good team, but he can’t elevate a team anymore, he’s too broken. It was hard to judge him on NE, the Pats offense was woefully busted on almost every front and even Tom Brady looked arguably washed up the year before in the same situation.
You’re right Dave and it is terrible that’s how the world works now. If it wasn’t for social media this kid probably wouldn’t have done this. There’s too much incentive now to be an asshole to try and get internet fame or brownie points by being an asshole to someone in another group.
From the meme: “Finally! A worthy opponent! Our battle will be legendary!”
The kid in the Play60 commercial is James DiGiacomo. That ad helped launch him into regular work as an actor, most notably as a series regular on both seasons of Kevin Can Wait (CBS’ most recent Kevin James sitcom).
I remember that Play60 commercial
Ew, a Cam Newton shit talker
The only script needed for this situation:
KID: “Cam NEWton? More like Cam OLDton amiright?”
[CAM emits ROARING LAUGHTER; jumps in his FERRARI; heads to one of his MANSIONS]
-end scene-