Newton's child-like enthusiasm very Favre-ian

Sometimes it is amazing the double-standards that exist. With the Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers set to meet in Super Bowl L (50 for those not in-tuned with Roman Numerals) in Santa Clara, CA, on Sunday, the hot topics have centered on the quarterbacks, whether it is a) Can Denver’s Peyton Manning strengthen his legacy by winning his second Super Bowl ring? And b) Why is Carolina’s Cam Newton such a polarizing figure?

In this blog entry, I’ll focus on the former. Newton runs into the end zone, spikes the football and does his patented touchdown celebration. He and various Panther players have been known to give footballs to kids after scoring a touchdown. There is a segment of people that are rubbed the wrong way by Newton’s child-like passion as he routinely flashes a smile.

His aforementioned child-like enthusiasm is not much different than Brett Favre. 

Given how some players have puckered up rearends in games like the Super Bowl, Newton’s approach can be a plus or a minus. To refresh your memory, after touchdowns, Favre was notorious for running down the field with his helmet off and jumping on the backs of teammates. Yet the same people that take issue with Newton’s behavior had no issue with Favre. Newton also has been known to strike a Superman pose. Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers does a “discount double check” pose. The former is called a showboat while the latter is celebrated and gets a commercial.

Some have even painted this as being an issue of race given than Newton is black and Favre and Rodgers are white. I am normally the first one to throw anything race card related under the bus because a) the term racist, while still legitimate, has been bastardized because it gets used to frequently and b) there are racist people in all nationalities, not just whites.

Whether race is a factor or not in Newton’s polarization is open for debate because a) it’s a matter of opinion, b) even if it is, the person with such beliefs will never admit it. However, I don’t think you can just toss it aside as not being a factor because white players like Rob Gronkowski and Clay Matthews are every bit as cerebral as Newton and they are celebrated while Newton is vilified.

Taking race out of the equation, I have also heard several people (fans and media) suggest we have never seen a quarterback like Newton.

I beg to differ.

Having already mentioned how his child-like enthusiasm is similar to Favre, as a player Newton’s skills are similar to John Elway and Randall Cunningham. Like Newton, when Elway and Cunningham entered the NFL, they had a flair for doing the spectacular but struggled with the routine plays. The former was inducted into the pro football Hall-of-Fame.

Translation, they were “athletes” as opposed to “quarterbacks.” Gradually, however, both evolved into quarterbacks. Newton, who is in his fifth NFL season, can still beat teams with his athleticism but continues to evolve into becoming a quarterback, which is exactly why he is likely to be the NFL MVP.

Newton has also evolved into becoming a leader. Though he was a Heisman Trophy winner who led his team to a National Championship at Auburn in 2011, I must say I was not a fan of Newton when he first entered the NFL. However, I must he has grown on me.

In his early seasons in the NFL, he showed a lack of leadership skills at a position that demands. He frequently pouted when things didn’t go right. Cameras would show him on the sideline with a towel over his head, not engaged with his teammates. Newton, however, has become a leader with his child-like enthusiasm being a big reason why his Panther teammates have followed his lead all the way to Santa Clara, one win away from hoisting the Vince Lombardi Trophy for the first time in the franchise’s 20-year history.

So Newton’s passion rubs some people the wrong way. I’m not here to change those people but food for thought, you don’t see Newton’s name littering the police blotter and he is a respected member of his community. Plus, he has worked hard to become a quarterback instead of just an athlete – so I have no problem with how he acts.