An NFL quarterback scores a touchdown and celebrates by pointing toward his groin area with a "championship-belt" move. Another NFL quarterback dances after scoring a touchdown and makes sure to give the ball to a kid in the back of the end zone.
One of these quarterbacks is not criticized at all and has a line of commercials built around the celebration move. The other quarterback is ripped apart by many in the media for being arrogant and unprofessional. One of these quarterbacks is Aaron Rodgers and the other is Cam Newton. With the Panthers going through most of the season undefeated and Newton likely winning the MVP, the attention on Newton's celebrations has been a storyline all season.
Newton is a phenomenal player and this season he has shown that he has the physical ability to dominate the league at his position. Newton plays the game like a kid and he enjoys the game with the same type of exuberance. Newton celebrates first downs, dances after he scores touchdowns and takes pictures with his teammates on the sidelines after (and sometimes just before) a big win.
All of this rubs some people the wrong way and in this modern age of social media, the Panthers QB has often had to deal with backlash for how he acts on the field. But is it justified? It partially is, as some fans and others around the NFL see all types of celebrations as one-upmanship or arrogance, but some parts of the criticism just simply do not stand up.
Newton addressed this leading into the Super Bowl last week, saying that "I'm an African-American quarterback that scares people because they haven't seen nothing that they can compare me to." Race surely is a factor in the discussion, but it also is about what it means to be a quarterback in the NFL today. Newton is not the classic drop back passer and the debate between old school and new school is a factor.
Both things could play a part in the discussion, but either way, Newton brings it out of people in a way that simply doesn't happen with Rodgers or Tom Brady (who often can be seen screaming at teammates, celebrating and cursing on the sidelines). Not to just zero in on Rodgers, but is what he does any better or worse than what Newton does after a first down or a touchdown? State Farm has built a line of commercials around Rodgers' celebration, while Newton has to deal with mothers in Charlotte writing op-eds to the newspaper about why he is a bad example for children.
Both players do a ton of work outside of football while working with the community, but it seems that factor is forgotten when talking about Newton. The Panthers being in the Super Bowl has only magnified the conversation, as Newton is matching up with Peyton Manning, who handles touchdowns and celebrations in the exact opposite way of Rodgers and Newton. Whether or not the criticism is justified, Newton playing on a worldwide stage on Sunday should only add to the conversation.
