Newton Criticism Not Racially Based

Carolina Panthers owner Jerry Richardson fired his general manager this past week after a miserable 1-5 start.  During those games, sensational quarterback Cam Newton has not played in the same ballpark as he did during last season’s record-setting campaign.  As a result, he has come under fire from Carolina and national media outlets, not only for his poor play but his demeanor on the sidelines.  Newton has rarely shown any fire in losses, preferring to sit quietly on the sidelines with a look of frustrated concentration.

Also this week, Warren Moon, a Top 10 quarterback in the history of the game, aired his frustrations about the criticism leveled at Newton, identifying what he thought is a racial undertone.  In Moon’s words, “I heard somebody compare him to Vince Young. It's the same old crap -- it's always a comparison of one black to another black. I get tired of it. I get tired of defending it.”  Moon certainly has made this point many times throughout the years, as black quarterbacks like Tarvaris Jackson and the aforementioned Young came under fire while at the helm of poor offensive teams.  None can deny that quarterbacks of all races have seen their fair share of criticism.

As I heard Moon’s comments this week, I thought deeply about the true nature of criticism in today’s world.  While undoubtedly racism still exists (remember the Tweets following Joel Ward’s goal in the playoffs last year?), the refrain that it might undergird sports criticism in 2012 surprises me and strikes me as incorrect, for a few reasons.

First, Newton runs a 1-5 team.  In the world of the NFL, even with the parity seen this year, that’s bad under any circumstances.  A poor record justifies at least some criticism, especially as the NFL has evolved into a pass-happy league.  The quarterback, long argued as the most important position in sports, can make a greater claim to that title in today’s NFL.  Expectations follow that kind of responsibility.  There is a basis for criticism based purely on record.

But the criticism also comes from unique expectations for Newton.  The guy re-wrote the rookie record books last season, leading a talent-light team to an impressive 8-8 finish in a tough division.  On this, Moon agrees that one poor season does not signify he is a bust, but then said “people are overreacting” as if one good season should excuse Newton’s travails in 2012.  While labeling Newton a “bust” deserves scorn from any rational sports fan, he proved last year he has the talent to go big.  Fans could certainly moderate their standards, as 4,000 yards can’t be expected every year from a sophomore quarterback, but those new standards certainly should not include a 1-5 record.  Heck, even a 3-4 quarterback like Mark Sanchez has his name dragged through the mud every single week.  I hear, if anything, more criticisms of Sanchez than I do Newton on a daily basis. 

Secondly, in Newton’s case, much of the criticism has not really dealt with his on-field performance, but rather with his demeanor during and after tough losses.  A well-publicized dressing-down from Steve Smith earlier in the season drove home that Newton suffers perhaps from a long memory, remembering his mistakes but not taking initiative to fix or address them.  As Moon correctly points out, Jay Cutler’s demeanor could be worse during bad losses, but Moon implies that Cutler received almost no ridicule in comparison.  That could not be further from the truth, as the city of Chicago roundly criticized Cutler’s play after his run-in with an offensive lineman in Week 2.  A city like Chicago, with double the amount of football tradition than Carolina, would not let that stand.  The national media also discussed Cutler’s incident as the leading story the next day, giving Cutler his fair share of scrutiny for an immature action in the huddle. 

As for Moon’s contention that comparisons have been made to Vince Young, I personally have not heard those but can understand them a little bit.  We could easily compare Newton to Ryan Leaf or Ben Roethlisberger, who also had off-field troubles.  But, at this point in time, how can one not deny some similarities between Newton and Young as far as playing style and career progression.  In his rookie season, Vince Young set the rookie record for rushing yards by a quarterback.  His passing proficiency certainly doesn’t come close to Newton’s, but he started 13 games and led the team to an 8-8 record.  While the similarities stop there, Young played very poorly in his second season, throwing only 9 touchdowns to 17 interceptions despite a 10-6 record.  But, keep in mind we are discussing two very mobile quarterbacks in smaller markets who had stellar rookie campaigns and, up to now, struggled afterwards.

Finally, Newton has done a lot to bring this on himself.  Instead of projecting a professional attitude, Newton has often deflected blame away from himself.  In his recent press conference after losing to the Cowboys on Sunday, Newton said, “The past couple of games have been the same script, by the same director…It's kind of getting boring. This taste, this vibe — I'm not buying it, man. And I don't know what it is, but something's going to have to change. Something's going to have to change real fast."  Despite his inaccurate game and bad interception, clearly the play-caller is to blame, a chorus roundly taken up by Moon in his expanded comments.  For his own wide receiver to tell the media that Newton was not taking “mental reps” during losses says a lot about the locker room attitude in Carolina.  Add in his condescending use of the word “sweetheart” in answering a female reporter, and I’d say Newton has not done himself any favors.

So, to recap, Newton deserves criticism in the same way any quarterback does.  He has a poor record and has played badly in a passing league after putting up the greatest rookie quarterback season during 2011.  His demeanor in press conferences and refusal to take personal responsibility has been immature and puerile.  For a man in charge of an NFL team, he needs to stop alienating those around him.  I agree with Moon, however…we should be careful to unnecessarily compare one black quarterback to another.  While I have pointed out a few similarities between Vince Young and Newton at this stage in their careers, those comparisons are by no means on a one-to-one ratio.  And yet, Moon seems to believe we, the culture, are unnecessarily criticizing Newton more than we would a white quarterback.  Given that an NFL stadium cheered an injury to a white quarterback three weeks ago and the continued indifference Newton has shown to standards of professionalism, I must reject Moon’s contention.  While racially-based ridicule is something to guard against in the future, in this case, race plays no role.

Bit #1: World Series Prediction

The Fall Classic is finally on us, and a long season of baseball will be closed within the next ten days.

Between the Tigers and Giants, there are plenty of storylines.  Justin Verlander, the best pitcher on the planet, will pitch at least two games in this series, which the Tigers are sorely tempted to chalk up as automatic wins.  But the Giants, with all their holes, have become the team of fate in this postseason, rallying from two game deficits in both the Divisional and Championship series to reach this height.

I agonized over this pick, mainly because the Tigers look to be humming on all cylinders.  But, the team with the most rest (Detroit) has lost 5 of the past 6 World Series.  I also have a totally unsubstantiated hunch that the Giants, fresh off emotional victories, will come out strong in thise series.  Remember the ’04 Red Sox sweeping the Cardinals after coming back from a 3-0 deficit in the ALCS?  Or the Cardinals winning it last year after a bevy of elimination game victories that postseason?  Baseball lends itself to these moments of divine providence, and the Giants might be caught up in that now.  In addition, the Giants have by far the better bullpen, a fact glossed over by many but well worth your while in attempting to predict a winner.  Middle relief pitching wins games, especially when Giants manager Bruce Bochy has given his starters a short hook this postseason.

But, the Triple Crown winner hits at the heart of the Tigers lineup, so I’m picking Detroit in five.  All will be close games but Detroit will shut down the Giants.  I wouldn’t be shocked to see San Francisco win, but I think the road to glory for them does not look as rosy.  Still, should be a good series with two traditional baseball markets slugging away.

Bit #2: Firing of Ozzie Guillen

The season probably didn’t start well for Ozzie Guillen who made comments in the first week of baseball praising Fidel Castro, offending the huge Cuban-American population in Miami.  A 65-win season later, and Guillen is out as manager of the Marlins.

I don’t think anyone foresaw the Marlins falling like they did in 2012.  The additions of Jose Reyes, Mark Buehrle, and Heath Bell coupled with a new ballpark looked to spell great fortune for a franchise that, despite winning two World Series, consistently spends on salary as much as you do on groceries in a given year.  The front office broke up both championship squads immediately after the Series wins due to payroll consideration.  Guillen was the final cherry on what was to be a breakout season.

Both Bell and Guillen are now out of town, and the Marlins left without a tailfin.  They have no direction and will be seeking their fifth manager since early 2010.  That a franchise as cognizant of finances would fire Guillen with $7.5 million still owed to him should tell you all you need to know about their unhappiness with his performance.  But, he will land somewhere.  I don’t think the same optimism holds for the Marlins.

Bit #3: Pro Bowl Questions

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said again this week he was leaning towards scrapping the Pro Bowl, the NFL version of an All-Star Game that happens after the season but a week before the Super Bowl.  In a nutshell, Goodell’s reasoning centers on the embarrassing level of play exhibited during the game, where very few on the field seem to play hard.

While I don’t watch the Pro Bowl, Roger Goodell has no ability to tell us he’s so concerned about the “on-field product” after subjecting the world to a month of replacement officials who did more to damage the product than any Pro Bowl one could imagine.  While he could use player safety as a justification, I don’t remember the last major Pro Bowl injury, mainly because nobody plays as hard.  That isn’t too unnatural, as the same thing occurs in the NHL during their midseason All-Star Game.  What’s more, the NFL seems to be contradicting itself.  Institutions like Thursday night games seek to grab money from consumers and advertisers, and the Pro Bowl has been no different.  Broadcast partners aren’t looking to get rid of the game, and more people watched the Pro Bowl in 2011 than they did the MLB All-Star Game (which actually means something for the season).

That said, so many elite players opt out of the game these days.  The players union, a “staunch” defender of the Pro Bowl, also shows a little hypocrisy by sponsoring player safety lawsuits but still upholding a game that has no consequence and presents just one more opportunity to be injured.

Both sides are wrong on this…the Pro Bowl hurts no one but really doesn’t seem to please that many people either.  It’s a tricky situation, but the justifications for each side’s moves make very little sense.  Personally, I think the game should stay, only because that will put a nother stumbling block to the idea of an 18-game season which remains so dear to Goodell’s heart.

Bit #4: My Top Ten of the NFL

1.      New York Giants (5-2)

Despite a tough outing against the Redskins, Eli Manning continued to prove his ability in close games.  The Giants can easily look befuddled on defense, but timely takeaways held the key for New York this past week.  Still the most dangerous team out there.

2.      Atlanta Falcons (6-0)

Of the last 37 teams to go 6-0 and be the last unbeaten in the league, ten have won the Super Bowl.  A big road game against a hungry Eagles team will test their mettle, but Atlanta can still bring it.

3.      Houston Texans (6-1)

Somehow, this team responded from an awful loss to a blowout win of the competition in the AFC.  The Ravens might have missed defensive starters, but the Texans slammed their foot down early, winning by 30 points.  I’m already excited for their Week 10 matchup with the Bears.

4.      Chicago Bears (5-1)

I watched their win against Detroit on Monday night and, while the Bears have a tough offensive road ahead, their defense absolutely sizzles.  Their three slot jump in my rankings this week comes about due to three straight dynamite defensive performances.  Cutler still not reliable in a close game, but who cares if the D plays this well?

5.      Green Bay Packers (4-3)

Again this might shock you, but Aaron Rodgers has 16 touchdown passes and two interceptions in his last four games.  The loss of Charles Woodson will undoubtedly hurt, but the offensive juggernaut looks to be awake.

6.      San Francisco 49ers (6-1)

This team played well in a Thursday night win last week, but it’s tough to rely on Alex Smith.  The 49ers lack the potential for a high-flying passing game, meaning their ability to come back in ballgames looks to be effectively nil.  If they go down by two scores, San Fran will have trouble.  No use worrying yet, but this team can be beat.

7.      New England Patriots (4-3)

A critical but ugly win on Sunday leaves tons of questions.  The defense has given up the second most passing yards this season and had to rely on a monster game by Rob Ninkovich to win the game.  Tom Brady played well and the Pats still needed OT and a late regulation field goal to win.  While the offense remains volatile from week-to-week, I think we should be careful about hyping this team until we see some results.

8.      Denver Broncos (3-3)

It’s still tough to erase the memory of the big comeback last week, but the Broncos will face a stiff test against New Orleans on Sunday.  No other power rankings I’ve seen have this team as high, but the schedule gets noticeably easier from here on out.

9.      Baltimore Ravens (5-2)

After a ghastly performance against Houston, the Ravens certainly could be on the way down the hill.  A team without so much defensive prowess appreciated the return of Terrell Suggs but was still unable to move the Texans offense off the field.  On the other side of the ball, Joe Flacco remains mistake-prone and incapable of creating a rhythm in the offense to get some points on the board.

10.  Pittsburgh Steelers (3-3)

The Steelers could certainly use a set running back in the backfield, but responded nicely after a bad Thursday loss to win a divisional game.  With the Ravens possibly falling, the Steelers have a chance to overtake them.  A game against RGIII and the Redskins this week should do great things for Ben Reothlisberger as he picks apart the worst pass defense in the league.