BedellBrave
It's OVER 5,000!
Not quite sure where to put this - so I'll put it here.
Let me say this out front:
1. The Broncos flat out beat the Panthers.
2. Cam Newton could have handled the postgame far better.
3. Fans are fans - they can be irrational homers and haters. Got it.
Those caveats out of the way, I'll say that reading, listening and watching how critics of Cam Newton have responded to him throughout the year and how the media has played him both up and then down, has been helpful. Here's what I'm seeing:
1. Confirmation bias - we see what we want to see to confirm our already held opinions. For example, there's one photo of Coach Rivera and Cam during the singing of the National Anthem (and btw Lady gaga actually did a great job) and folks are critiquing it. Rivera has his hand over his heart. Newton doesn't. Therefore Newton has to be an unpatriotic thug. Right? But I seem to recall while watching it, Newton wasn't being disrespectful, he actually seemed to be listening, maybe even mouthing the words as Gaga sang. That's the way I took it. Reminds me of the photos taken of politicians we don't like standing on podiums with other politicians who've gotten their hands over their hearts a split second or two before the ones we don't like did and the photo is taken at that precise moment. Then is goes viral showing us what we want to see.
2. Media Manipulation - that shows to me at least, how easily we can be manipulated. It's gutter stuff - but that's where we reside too often when it's someone we don't like. And it's all about ratings, clicks, and the bucks for the media.
3. Context matters - and this builds upon the first two points. Take the press conference where admittedly Newton was petulant - or maybe better put, pissed. Yet, as we now know, those pressers were going on in the same room - and as he has his and you listen carefully to the audio you hear Harris's nearby and Harris is making the point that they game planned to make Newton throw - and lose - and Newton is hearing all that. Yes, I'd wished he had of sucked it up better and responded better and more graciously, but the larger context makes it more understandable. But again, he's my QB.
4. Racism - yeah, I'm going there. This year has been helpful for me, and I think many in this area, we've seen tons of criticism of his exuberance, his dancing, and Superman poses, and selfies, etc., and frankly, so much of it just seems to be aimed at him because he's black and not acting like white folks think a superstar should act. Maybe I'm just being a homer. Or maybe, there's more truth to this than we'd like to admit... I wonder if a white QB who keeps himself out of trouble off the field played like Newton does, if he'd receive the same amount of vitriol thrown his way...
Here's hoping he continues to be a guy who plays with passion - win or lose.
Let me say this out front:
1. The Broncos flat out beat the Panthers.
2. Cam Newton could have handled the postgame far better.
3. Fans are fans - they can be irrational homers and haters. Got it.
Those caveats out of the way, I'll say that reading, listening and watching how critics of Cam Newton have responded to him throughout the year and how the media has played him both up and then down, has been helpful. Here's what I'm seeing:
1. Confirmation bias - we see what we want to see to confirm our already held opinions. For example, there's one photo of Coach Rivera and Cam during the singing of the National Anthem (and btw Lady gaga actually did a great job) and folks are critiquing it. Rivera has his hand over his heart. Newton doesn't. Therefore Newton has to be an unpatriotic thug. Right? But I seem to recall while watching it, Newton wasn't being disrespectful, he actually seemed to be listening, maybe even mouthing the words as Gaga sang. That's the way I took it. Reminds me of the photos taken of politicians we don't like standing on podiums with other politicians who've gotten their hands over their hearts a split second or two before the ones we don't like did and the photo is taken at that precise moment. Then is goes viral showing us what we want to see.
2. Media Manipulation - that shows to me at least, how easily we can be manipulated. It's gutter stuff - but that's where we reside too often when it's someone we don't like. And it's all about ratings, clicks, and the bucks for the media.
3. Context matters - and this builds upon the first two points. Take the press conference where admittedly Newton was petulant - or maybe better put, pissed. Yet, as we now know, those pressers were going on in the same room - and as he has his and you listen carefully to the audio you hear Harris's nearby and Harris is making the point that they game planned to make Newton throw - and lose - and Newton is hearing all that. Yes, I'd wished he had of sucked it up better and responded better and more graciously, but the larger context makes it more understandable. But again, he's my QB.
4. Racism - yeah, I'm going there. This year has been helpful for me, and I think many in this area, we've seen tons of criticism of his exuberance, his dancing, and Superman poses, and selfies, etc., and frankly, so much of it just seems to be aimed at him because he's black and not acting like white folks think a superstar should act. Maybe I'm just being a homer. Or maybe, there's more truth to this than we'd like to admit... I wonder if a white QB who keeps himself out of trouble off the field played like Newton does, if he'd receive the same amount of vitriol thrown his way...
Here's hoping he continues to be a guy who plays with passion - win or lose.
