Cam Newton drew the ire of the NFL world after holding a contentious postgame press conference after losing the Super Bowl, eventually walking out after over-hearing a Broncos player speak about how they shut him down.
Newton was back at the Panthers’ facilities on Tuesday and re-addressed the media, and of course, one of the topics was his press conference.
Newton was generally unapologetic for his reaction, but responded in typical Cam Newton fashion.
“I’m on record as being a sore loser,†Cam said. “I hate losing. Show me a good loser and I’ll show you a loser.â€
Newton also addressed the criticism that he acted like a sore loser. noting that “when you sacrifice so much and things don’t go as planned, I think emotions take over.â€
As several reporters noted, Cam doesn’t usually speak during exit interviews, but spoke at length on Tuesday, clearly with the intention of sticking up for himself.
“If I offended anyone, that’s cool,†he continued. “I don’t have to conform to anybody’s wants for me. I’m not that guy. This is a great league with or without me. I am my own person.â€
He added that he has “no more tears to cry†and that at the time of the press conference, he really didn’t want to speak to anyone.
Ron Rivera also spoke to media and said he wished Cam handled it differently, but added that losing is difficult and Cam is who he is.
In general, Cam’s assertion that a good loser is a loser is a little off-base. Most other Panthers players handled the loss with dignity and still spoke to reporters. However, there’s no doubt that Cam is a unique individual and he remains unapologetic for being who he is. He said the NFL is a good league without him, but regardless of his reaction at the press conference, the NFL is a lot more fun with Cam around.
Here are Cam’s comments, via the NFL Network:
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