"He can't read a defense."
"He will never lead Carolina to a Super Bowl."
"He's not a leader."
"Look at the way he pouts after a loss."
"He's okay, I guess."
We've heard it all about Cam Newton, and more of it has been criticism than praise. I'm not going to attempt to dissect why this is the case and defend him, but I will try and better understand just why I care so much.
Why is it that every time someone criticizes Cam Newton, be it fair or unfair, I get so salty. I roll my eyes. I call them a hater in my head. And it's not just me -- collectively, this fan base is so damn sensitive about Cam Newton. And you know what? It's okay. But the question is, why are we?
For starters, it's completely natural. Every fan base does it. This off-season, it was suggested that Tom Brady, a quarterback nationally recognized as "elite," might be taking a step back. New England fans back-lashed on Twitter. The mere suggestion that our beloved, star player might have some flaws sends people into a flurry. It's understandable, in the grand scheme of things... The word fan is taken from the word fanatic, meaning a person filled with excessive and single-minded zeal. That could certainly describe the way I feel about the Panthers and thusly, Cam Newton.
Another reason I find myself touchy, is there's a clear narrative when it comes to Newton. It's clear the national media tends to latch onto his Icon and Entertainer status and focus less on the young man with a passion for giving back.
But here's the big, root reason why I find myself getting riled up over criticisms of Newton:
As a fan of the Carolina Panthers, I really need Cam Newton to pan out. I often question this franchise's decisions making. It seems the good years were simply capturing lightning in a bottle and riding a hot hand (see Jake Delhomme in 2003), but overall, this team does not hold the best track record. Whether they are overpaying players, dealing with meddling ownership, drafting poorly in the middle rounds or just flat out inconsistent, I don't have a great deal of faith in the franchise from year to year. However, I'm hopeful Dave Gettleman will change that.
So what does that have to do with Cam Newton, specifically? He represents a single beacon of hope for this middling franchise. He's a superstar. He's Carolina's first transcendent player. He's one of the few, despite his flaws, capable of putting this franchise on his back and carrying them into the playoffs. As long as this team has Newton and a strong defense, they will always be competitive. Very few players offer this, but Cam Newton is one of the few. And now that I know it, I find myself feeling a little less inferior whenever he's criticized.