Cam Newton: The MVP’s Story Continues After Super Bowl Loss

By now, every media member, current and former professional athlete, and, well, maybe even your mother, has let their opinion about Cam Newton and the way he handled the Super Bowl loss on Sunday be heard.

I’m not sure what everyone wanted. The man had just played in the biggest game of his life and lost. Was he supposed to be jovial? Was he supposed to laugh it off? Act like it was just another game?

The facts: he left the press conference after just a few questions. On tape, you can hear a Denver player in the same room sort of taunting him. (By the way, in what world, besides the biggest football game on the planet, are the opposing teams in the same interview room after a game?)

So, Newton left the room. He didn’t try and attack an opponent like John Chaney. He didn’t use a derogatory term to describe an opponent like Andrew Harrison did after Kentucky’s loss to Wisconsin last year in the Final Four. He didn’t throw teammates or coaches under the bus.

No, in what I would think was one of the most difficult times of his football career, he left the room.

I’m not here to focus on that, though. I’m not an angry scribe who is upset that he didn’t get to ask the losing quarterback a question. I’m a football fan who just watched one of the greatest seasons by a quarterback in NFL history.

You remember that, don’t you? The 35 passing touchdowns along with 10 rushing TDs? Those moments watching Newton and saying, “I have NEVER seen a quarterback do that in my life!”  All those kids having the day of their life as Cam handed them a football?

Oh, those kids. The ones that lined up once the Panthers were in striking distance of the end zone at the mere chance of their hero handing them a football.

That is forty-five kids whose day was made by Newton, if you count only his touchdowns. His teammates followed his path and started giving out their scoring footballs on their own.

Newton passed over, ran around and sliced through defenses all season long, up until a Broncos defense that will go down as one of the all-time greatest.

The Panthers, yes, the Carolina Panthers, became must-watch television. The defense was stout, the offense explosive, and the collective team seemed like they were having (gasp!) fun.

For the two weeks leading up to the Super Bowl, Newton’s antics were discussed ad naseum.  He was called polarizing (when was the last time you heard a white quarterback called that?) and it was as if a major storm was forming so that if Newton slipped just ONCE, the media would be ready to pounce.

The Broncos dominated the Panthers’ offense, Peyton Manning will likely retire on top, and Newton will have to put the game in the past and use it as motivation to get back and win the big one.

The MVP met Manning at midfield, offered up a smile, and wished the legend congratulations. After a great season where Newton became Superman, he left the field after the final game disappointed.

His performance in one game cannot diminish the effect he had on the game this season. Everyone loses, and everyone has moments where they don’t shine. Athletes train their entire lives not to lose, and when it happens, it can be difficult to handle.

Newton will be back and wowing everyone next year, and all this faux outrage by everyone will be forgotten.

That is what a MVP does.