DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Pure Football Forum Cam Newton

Ok, I get to hear a lot about this guy in Carolina so I'm curious... I've heard people (Cowherd being the most recent) actually say the kid is a bust.

I know he has some maturity issues with the Superman pose after getting a first down while trailing a 2 win team and playing for a 3 win team... I know he gets dinged for his sideline demeanor with the towel over the head and the slumped shoulders, etc...

But on the field the guys numbers are as good this year, better in some cases than they were last year but a lot of people have written him off as a one-year-wonder.

His completion % is down just a bit but still over 58%, his TD count is down slightly but his TD to INT ratio is better, he's still running the ball effectively, his QB rating is higher

So I guess I'm curious about a couple things from folks outside the Carolinas... why is he getting hammered? Is it because the team isn't winning? Is it because of the immaturity? How do you go from revolutionizing the QB position one year to bust the next with very similar individual numbers? Is it because RGIII came along and does everything Cam did only a little better?

It's because he is black.

He was last years HYPE.. besides Tebow.

He set the bar high, and now the sizzle has gone down a tad. You don't win games, the media bashes you. simple.

last year he started 2-6 but had a few huge passing games. teams took away the big-pass but he was able to score TDs with his feet and win a few against weaker opponents.

this year, the team struggled when many expected them to take the next step. that got laid at his feet (as he struggled too). but, the past few weeks, he has played better and there's a decent chance the hype machine will rebuild for next year.

(not to mention that RGIII is a different but overall better runner and a better passer as well - so the revolutionizing the QB-position argument is now moot)

basically, he's a young QB who is having big ups and big downs like a vast majority of them do. given what he can do with his feet, he's an interesting QB and prospect still. plenty of time for him to turn into a full-fledge bust or make a good career. up to him.

I don't know if it's a racial thing, an ego thing, an entitlement thing....but there's a stink on him that even causes me to root against him.

The stolen laptop at Florida.
The taking money from Auburn boosters controversy.
The me, me, me, me, me grandstanding.
The predraft cockiness and the "fake" accusations.
The Warren Moon - people hate Cam because he's black race card
The superman posing.
The losing then the whiney attitude and lack of leadership in tough times.

I guess that's most of it. He just has that smarmy LeBron feel to him that I just can't shake.

Newton will be around a lot longer if he stops running so much. They have a ton of money tied up in him and to risk that the way he does is a bit scary. Just like RGIII is doing this year. Just like Randall Cunningham did and Mike Vick did.

I like Newton, maturity is a problem of course, but hey, he's young. I thing Cowher is being a bit rough on him, after all, he had Slash who was roughly the same kinda player and he loved him.

I'd wait another year or so before calling him a bust and even then, I'd look at what they put around him. If they don't support him, he could be the next Payton Manning and it won't matter.

Cam is different. Much bigger and his runs aren't of the open field variety that lend to big hits.

Cam/Tebow are more like big RBs playing QB (Cam obviously throws better)
RGIII, Vick, Cunningham are the lightning quick guys who break things open.

I have read that Newton has a bit of attitude that rubs some people (and players) the wrong way.

Boo hoo.

As long as he's a good teammate I could not care less how he acts with players on other teams.

Newton was really, really good last year. He didn't start out on that same pace, so, of course, he sucked.

Last year Newton threw 21 TD to 17 INT. This year he has thrown 16 TD against 10 INT so far. It appears that he is playing better, but he hasn't had an offensive explosion. He has run for almost the same yardage as last year, and a higher average rush, but only 7 TD as opposed to 14 last year.

However, I honestly believe that it has far less to do with actual production than attitude.

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why is he getting hammered?

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Because no one understands anything about football. Just look at this board. All this football theory leaves one with the distinct impression that it's all BS. My advice: (1) don't talk about football, (2) don't listen to anyone talking about football, (3) enjoy the experience of watching football. Football "intellectuals" are charlatans.

Because people now have tape on him? They know his tendencies?

To me he is like a young version of Randall. The "Me, Me Me!" stuff.

For a guy who has a seriously checkered past, he has a bad case of the Smug's.

I don't care if he's black. I don't like him because I think he's about 98.5% full of himself.

There's a very fine line between Newton and Griffin, but the fundamental differences are night and day. If Newton wants to shake his current perception he's going to have to stop making it about "me" and start making it about "us." All the whining, sulking, and isolation with the towel business makes him look like a douche.

He's exceeded pre-NFL predictions about his game, but people who said he had a fake-smile and had an attitude problem were spot-on. I believe the word most applicable to Cam Newton is: Disengenous.