Bye week boredom: What's your take on Cam Newton's remarks?

[MeanGreenTexan]

I'd love to hear some of y'all's thoughts on what went down with Cam Newton and the reporter he offended.

http://www.businessinsider.com/cam-newton-female-reporter-routes-question-funny-to-hear-2017-10

Personally,
After watching the footage of the presser, I'm sad this thing took off in the direction it did, and that a sponsor actually canned him for it.  Have they never met the guy they're paying to advertise for them?  If you have even HEARD of this guy before, you'd know his entire career he's been a light-hearted, casual, candid guy.

How many of you here would be shocked to have a young lady ask you about football details in a way that demanded a knowledgeable answer?  I know a few women who actually pay attention to football enough to have an educated conversation (lucky-for-me, my wife is one!), but they are very few & far between.
The dude was light-hearted in his response... making a casual observation, then going on to answer the question in detail & without any kind of sarcasm towards the reporter.   If he said, "Oh sweetie, you wouldn't understand the intricacies of route-running like a man would..."  That would be different.
   
IMO, this is the kind of mob-mentality response that will force ALL football players to turn into coach-speaking robots for fear of offending someone, anyone.

Thanks America.

[oldguystudent]

I'm commenting so I won't get fined. 

[aztecskin]

He might have gotten away with that in different circumstances but it was at a press conference. That's the problem. 

Considering lots of college programs still put on Women Football clinics with lots of similar jokes, it is not like a good portion of people don't agree with him but he was talking to a reporter which is way different. 

If it was a random woman fan at a signing event that would be one thing, but when it is a reporter he shouldn't have been so shocked. 

[brooks91]

 

[THOR]

i don't think it's a big deal.  let people say what they want.  if you don't like what is said, oh well...deal with it. 

what i find odd is that dannon dropped him because of this, but they were ok with him protesting during the national anthem....so he can speak his mind about some things, but not others...i understand that it is the businesses choice, but dannon seems to be making a statement as well in that they are ok to protest during the anthem, but you can't say something that might be sexist.

Edited October 6, 2017 by THOR

[aztecskin]

27 minutes ago, THOR said:

i don't think it's a big deal.  let people say what they want.  if you don't like what is said, oh well...deal with it. 

what i find odd is that dannon dropped him because of this, but they were ok with him protesting during the national anthem....so he can speak his mind about some things, but not others...i understand that it is the businesses choice, but dannon seems to be making a statement as well in that they are ok to protest during the anthem, but you can't say something that might be sexist.

I mean Dannon can make their own statements and if they think protesting during the national anthem is fine (I agree, personally) but saying women reporters asking solid football questions is 'funny' is not fine (agree, also) I think it is pretty clear. 

After all, the issue is not if he can speak his mind about things but if Dannon wants to associate themselves with all the things he is speaking his mind about. 

Furthermore, from everything I've read previously (I don't have the latest and greatest market research in front of me) yogurt skews female. So it stands to reason that Dannon would react quicker when the the demographic that purchases its product is disrespected by its most visible spokesperson. Like, _of course_ they would pull that as quick as they can.  

Edited October 6, 2017 by aztecskin

[MeanGreenTexan]

17 minutes ago, aztecskin said:

He might have gotten away with that in different circumstances but it was at a press conference. That's the problem. 

Considering lots of college programs still put on Women Football clinics with lots of similar jokes, it is not like a good portion of people don't agree with him but he was talking to a reporter which is way different. 

If it was a random woman fan at a signing event that would be one thing, but when it is a reporter he shouldn't have been so shocked. 

This particular reporter has been covering the Panthers for less than a year.   
Has she ever had interactions with Cam before?   Ever asked him any questions about the nuances of football during a presser before?    I don't really know.   
I think their history would be a very critical detail of this story.    If this was her first time to ask a question of this nature during a presser, it may have shocked him a little... and being the kind of candid guy he is, he just made a silly remark.   I don't really follow Charlotte sportswriters very closely though.

[oldguystudent]

Maybe Cam can get picked up by activia:
 

 

 

[aztecskin]

Just now, MeanGreenTexan said:

This particular reporter has been covering the Panthers for less than a year.   
Has she ever had interactions with Cam before?   Ever asked him any questions about the nuances of football during a presser before?    I don't really know.   
I think their history would be a very critical detail of this story.    If this was her first time to ask a question of this nature during a presser, it may have shocked him a little... and being the kind of candid guy he is, he just made a silly remark.   I don't really follow Charlotte sportswriters very closely though.

Yeah I agree generally there. 

From what I've heard / read second-hand I heard she does/has asked those kinds of questions. I think it was a bad look for Cam and I don't think he should be crucified. But he probably deserves the high profile criticism he is getting. 

[NorthTexan95]

"It's funny to hear a black man talk about playing quarterback" ... said the NFL 40 years ago. 

[THOR]

15 minutes ago, aztecskin said:

I mean Dannon can make their own statements and if they think protesting during the national anthem is fine (I agree, personally) but saying women reporters asking solid football questions is 'funny' is not fine (agree, also) I think it is pretty clear. 

After all, the issue is not if he can speak his mind about things but if Dannon wants to associate themselves with all the things he is speaking his mind about. 

Furthermore, from everything I've read previously (I don't have the latest and greatest market research in front of me) yogurt skews female. So it stands to reason that Dannon would react quicker when the the demographic that purchases its product is disrespected by its most visible spokesperson. Like, _of course_ they would pull that as quick as they can.  

didn't think about that part....good thought

[TIgreen01]

Never really been a fan of Cam and it's mostly for this kind of behavior.  It was a really dumb thing to say on camera.  He just comes off as really spoiled and flippant from what I've seen of him on TV.  Which is to say I have no idea what he's like in real life when not under the prism of what the media wants you to know about him.

Now, should this have blown up into a national conversation?  Everything is blown out of proportion these days when it comes to what people say in short snippets/video clips.  Forget context or past history.  Not saying that would save Cam from criticism here.  It may, in fact, bring even more scrutiny. Either way, I would think that we're past the point of questioning whether or not a female is qualified to cover the more in depth aspects of sports....but as with everything, there are always outliers who may be stuck in the past.

[GOMG2013]

Cam should have known better, but it shouldn't have been this big of a story.  A woman asking about specifics such as route running does seem out of place to me.  Seems like a question that was given to her or she was trying very hard to look football smart.  Maybe she is that knowledgeable...but I would still think it was out of the ordinary.

I have heard others bring up women who have performed/coached at a high level and who are knowledgeable, but tackle football is totally different than sports like soccer, baseball/softball, and basketball where the men's game is very similar to the women's. 

[MeanGreenTexan]

1 minute ago, GOMG2013 said:

Cam should have known better, but it shouldn't have been this big of a story.  A woman asking about specifics such as route running does seem out of place to me.  Seems like a question that was given to her or she was trying very hard to look football smart.  Maybe she is that knowledgeable...but I would still think it was out of the ordinary.

I have heard others bring up women who have performed/coached at a high level and who are knowledgeable, but tackle football is totally different than sports like soccer, baseball/softball, and basketball where the men's game is very similar to the women's. 

I think this is the stigma that people are fighting against. 

I don't think that's the case for this reporter.  I think she IS football smart, and genuinely asked that question (out of her own brain) to hear Cam's answer.  She is a beat writer for the local paper... she has to be qualified to be one.
It's not like she writes for the fashion section of the paper, and the Observer sent her to a Panthers presser.

 I just don't think Cam thinks this way either.  He has likely met quite a few football-savvy women along his road to & in the NFL.  That's why it almost seems to me like this question caught him off-guard a little.

[GOMG2013]

9 minutes ago, MeanGreenTexan said:

I think this is the stigma that people are fighting against. 

I don't think that's the case for this reporter.  I think she IS football smart, and genuinely asked that question (out of her own brain) to hear Cam's answer.  She is a beat writer for the local paper... she has to be qualified to be one.
It's not like she writes for the fashion section of the paper, and the Observer sent her to a Panthers presser.

 I just don't think Cam thinks this way either.  He has likely met quite a few football-savvy women along his road to & in the NFL.  That's why it almost seems to me like this question caught him off-guard a little.

There's some football smart women, but come on.  Route running is very specific...especially for a post game press conference.  Who has had time to review the film?  Has route running been mentioned before as an issue?  You would have to be specifically paying attention to the routes during the game to come up with a technique question like that.  

And athletes don't just question women's knowledge of sports. Athletes are going to question even a male coach if they don't have credentials and skins on the wall. If you are a man and not proven, your knowledge is questioned. And it happens on EVERY level.  Athletes respect those that played.  This is not new.  If you coached and never played, you better have some wins under your belt.  Some male reporters get attitudes from players too. Like, who is this nerd, who never played asking me this for.  You can't criticize me cause you never played...

 

[Moobs]

He looked and sounded like he could have been really stoned.

[UNTexas]

My take is America's PC culture sucks. Everyone is wound up tight and addicted to outrage. My take is America needs to stop taking everything so seriously. 

[keith]

Everyone gets offended way too easily these days and that offends me.

[SteaminWillieBeamin]

He is a proven moron, which means the sum of all his previous 'candid lighthearted' comments are continuing to be judged. Each time he selects another segment of people to joke about, it make the next time even more. If it were a one time thing - sure - it would be laughed off. This isn't about "PC culture." It is about a guy that can't read his audience and maybe doesn't understand.

 

[MeanGreenTexan]

11 minutes ago, GOMG2013 said:

There's some football smart women, but come on.  Route running is very specific...especially for a post game press conference.  Who has had time to review the film?  Has route running been mentioned before as an issue?  You would have to be specifically paying attention to the routes during the game to come up with a technique question like that.  

And athletes don't just question women's knowledge of sports. Athletes are going to question even a male coach if they don't have credentials and skins on the wall. If you are a man and not proven, your knowledge is questioned. And it happens on EVERY level.  Athletes respect those that played.  This is not new.  If you coached and never played, you better have some wins under your belt.  Some male reporters get attitudes from players too. Like, who is this nerd, who never played asking me this for.  You can't criticize me cause you never played...

 

It wasn't a postgame presser.  It was after practice on Wednesday (10/4).   She had plenty of time to watch footage of Funchess run better routes... if he did (I don't know anything about Funchess's route running).

And if her job is to cover the team, then I would expect her to know quite a bit about the game she's covering.   I doubt she'd have a job if she were only asking  Cam about his wardrobe.

I agree with you about athletes questioning everyone.   They take a lot of criticism from people who could only do the things they're doing in their wildest dreams.  

[Aldo]

1 hour ago, GOMG2013 said:

A woman asking about specifics such as route running does seem out of place to me.

Who cares? It's a room full of professionals. She asked a good question, Cam just needs to answer it. End of story.

 

-----------------------------------------

This whole situation is a mess from start to finish, and if you kept up with this story it will surely lock this thread, sooooo...let's move on.

Seriously. It's incredible. As in, wtf is happening.

[MeanGreenTexan]

56 minutes ago, SteaminWillieBeamin said:

He is a proven moron, which means the sum of all his previous 'candid lighthearted' comments are continuing to be judged. Each time he selects another segment of people to joke about, it make the next time even more. If it were a one time thing - sure - it would be laughed off. This isn't about "PC culture." It is about a guy that can't read his audience and maybe doesn't understand.

 

A bunch of generalizations in here.   I have no idea what you mean.

14 minutes ago, Aldo said:

Who cares? It's a room full of professionals. She asked a good question, Cam just needs to answer it. End of story.

 

-----------------------------------------

This whole situation is a mess from start to finish, and if you kept up with this story it will surely lock this thread, sooooo...let's move on.

Seriously. It's incredible. As in, wtf is happening.

He did answer it.   He injected some harmless candor beforehand, but he did answer the question thoroughly.   Nothing in his tone tells me he meant to degrade this woman.

[UNTFan23]

18 minutes ago, MeanGreenTexan said:

A bunch of generalizations in here.   I have no idea what you mean.

He did answer it.   He injected some harmless candor beforehand, but he did answer the question thoroughly.   Nothing in his tone tells me he meant to degrade this woman.

It's not harmless if someone felt offended or put off by his comment or the tone in which he said it.

[MeanGreenTexan]

3 minutes ago, UNTFan23 said:

It's not harmless if someone felt offended or put off by his comment or the tone in which he said it.

I suppose that's another angle of the discussion:  Has the measuring stick that determines "offensive" moved at all?

It seems like it has (exponentially) over the past 10 years or so... to the point that now, depending on how you frame it (eliciting emotional responses), you can take something to social media, and get it viral within hours.   

To me, that is exactly what appears to have happened here.   Something that no one would have batted an eye at pre-Twitter, has now cost Cam Newton Millions of dollars and a black eye publicity-wise.

[Aldo]

1 hour ago, MeanGreenTexan said:

He injected some harmless candor beforehand, but he did answer the question thoroughly.   Nothing in his tone tells me he meant to degrade this woman.

I think your point/observation starts off on the wrong foot. It's not about degrading. It's about tact and acceptance of a fact.

Sure, she's a woman in a role that has been dominated by men. But he didn't point that out - he specifically called out her talking x's and o's which is a question of ability within the context of being "female" which is what the subject of his statement was.

33 minutes ago, MeanGreenTexan said:

It seems like it has (exponentially) over the past 10 years or so... to the point that now, depending on how you frame it (eliciting emotional responses), you can take something to social media, and get it viral within hours.   

I think people are just able to stand up for themselves more effectively than they could 10 years ago, and the best defense mechanism now is "oh don't get offended" instead of "oh my bad I said something stupid."

I think it matters more, and these conversations are more meaningful, to folks that have had to endure these same "non PC" conversations for more than just 10 years ago.

Edited October 6, 2017 by Aldo