Voth talks about Rivera and Newton

[Mr. Scot]

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After each of the past four seasons, Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton left Bank of America Stadium and headed into the offseason without saying goodbye. To reporters, at least.

So when the Panthers packed up their things Tuesday, about 36 hours after Newton sulked and stormed off stage at the post-Super Bowl press conference, few expected him to stop and chat.

Surprise!

"Obviously somebody had a great conversation with him," said coach Ron Rivera, who added he wasn't the one who suggested Newton spend a few minutes explaining himself.

"He was able to compose himself today and speak to you folks, and I think that's huge. I think what he did today is part of his growth. He is still growing and maturing as a man in this world."

 

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Newton's maturation has been fascinating to watch, and not just because of how he's grown since coming to Carolina. How people have reacted to his growth—It's not fast enough, or, It's not happening the right way, or this or that—has said plenty as well. But Sunday night was different because it came on the biggest night in American sports.

Should Newton have handled himself better despite the most disappointing loss of his short career?

Most would say yes.

Many could even make an argument that doesn't involve race, or any other larger topic that often muddies the waters of a good Newton discussion, by saying his position both on the team and in the NFL means he needs to be held to a higher standard.

 

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When Rivera was asked if he was OK with Newton wearing his sore loser act almost as a badge of honor, the coach didn't completely absolve his quarterback.

"I wouldn't say we like it; we don't want to promote it. Most certainly there's a lot of young people out there looking at who we are. We are role models for them," Rivera said.

For the Panthers, this is a tough balance. Rivera is loved in the locker room because he allows his guys to be who they are. But sometimes, giving players too much freedom might be seen as enabling.

"I don't want to say we accept it, but we know who he is," Rivera said. "He does take it hard, and quite honestly if he's going to take it hard then maybe the public service is we can avoid having to have him talk right away.

"People take a loss—not just football losses, but personal losses a specific way as well. Time is probably the best thing. So in some circumstances, maybe it'd be better to give people a little bit more time to collect their thoughts and their emotions."

 

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"That's definitely part of his edge," Rivera said. "He hates to lose and that’s what you love in him. I’d much rather have a guy that hates to lose than a guy that accepts it. The guy that accepts it, you might as well just push him out of your locker room, because you don’t want him around."

General manager Dave Gettleman had the same message.

"I want players that hate to lose, plain and simple," Gettleman said. "I want players that I know when the game is over, they are crawling into the locker room and they need help getting their gear off, and it’s going to take them time to get in the shower and get cleaned up. I want the buses to be late for the airport if we’re traveling."

 

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"I think people draw a conclusion off a snapshot," Rivera said. "Don’t take a snapshot—take the whole album. Take time to read the whole book. There’s that great saying, ‘You can't judge a book by its cover.’ This is a young man, I think, that some people are looking at the cover and looking at it the wrong way.

"You don't know the young man. You don't know the young man personally. Losing is not an easy thing. He really does not like to lose."

That has become clear—painfully so.

Like most people in their early 20s, Newton came to Carolina with plenty of growing up to do. Although his growth has been too slow for some, it's there. That it didn't show after the Super Bowl doesn't mean we should define him as one thing or another thing. It's just that, like all of us, he has room to grow.

"Time will heal it for him and time will make it better for him," Rivera said. "He’ll be able to handle it, which he did today. ... We don't play these games because we want to get a participation trophy. We play this game to win. That's what it's really about. I’m proud of who he is as a competitor and a football player.

"Do I wish he had handled it better or differently? Yes. But that’s who he is, and I understand who the young man is for us."

 

Charlotte Magazine: Panthers patient with Newton's rough edges

[Jeremy Igo]

Panthers interest in how well Cam Newton plays on the field

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Panthers interest in how well Cam Newton plays with media. 

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[Carl Spackler]

11 minutes ago, Jeremy Igo said:

Panthers interest in how well Cam Newton plays on the field

_______________

 

 

Panthers interest in how well Cam Newton plays with media. 

_

Given the onslaught Cam has faced from many reporters with an agenda, I find it impressive he's as gracious as he is TBH

When I was around him in Auburn, his demeanor was great – until dickheads like Thayer Evans came to attack him, then he was nowhere near as engaging. I don't blame him

[rayzor]

22 minutes ago, Mr. Scot said:

"I don't want to say we accept it, but we know who he is," Rivera said. "He does take it hard, and quite honestly if he's going to take it hard then maybe the public service is we can avoid having to have him talk right away.

"People take a loss—not just football losses, but personal losses a specific way as well. Time is probably the best thing. So in some circumstances, maybe it'd be better to give people a little bit more time to collect their thoughts and their emotions."

i don't know how realistic this option is considering the control the media has on the league, but i don't see why players are forced to take part in that, esp. so soon after a game. it's ridiculous.

the more i look at this whole situation, the more anti-media/press i become. i guarantee you that even as balanced as voth is compared to some of the other hacks we have talking about the panthers, that he would be right there out in front bitching and whining about not having immediate access to the players. he did it when the media wasn't allowed at a player organized practice during the lockout a few years back. i don't see that changing. press people have a massive sense of entitlement, but i guess their jobs depend on that so....

[jdpanther5]

Voth was being awful presumptuous about him not interviewing, and was honestly acting pretty entitled about the whole thing (like most of the media guys, to be fair) . 

"The quarterback hasn't talked to us on the way out for 4 years, wouldn't expect that to change."

"Oh....Cam is talking!!"

[d-dave]

If the media wants players to play nice with the, you need to let them take a shower and collect their thoughts immediately after a game.

Just saying...

[truthjuice]

The media wants him to play nice with them but they're certainly not playing nice with him. Cam's reactions towards the media is the medias own doings. He would be a lot more open and willing had it not been a smear campaign halfway through his championship season at Auburn. People fail to realize people will treat you like you treat them. Athletes are no different. 

[Zaximus]

Does it not annoy anyone else how the media and even regular people try to judge people they don't even know's "maturity".  I always found it pretty lame.   

[Carl Spackler]

20 minutes ago, jdpanther5 said:

Voth was being awful presumptuous about him not interviewing, and was honestly acting pretty entitled about the whole thing (like most of the media guys, to be fair) . 

"The quarterback hasn't talked to us on the way out for 4 years, wouldn't expect that to change."

"Oh....Cam is talking!!"

I think he was playing up how important it was that he was talking, not how immature he was in the past by not talking.

[t96]

19 minutes ago, rayzor said:

i don't know how realistic this option is considering the control the media has on the league, but i don't see why players are forced to take part in that, esp. so soon after a game. it's ridiculous.

the more i look at this whole situation, the more anti-media/press i become. i guarantee you that even as balanced as voth is compared to some of the other hacks we have talking about the panthers, that he would be right there out in front bitching and whining about not having immediate access to the players. he did it when the media wasn't allowed at a player organized practice during the lockout a few years back. i don't see that changing. press people have a massive sense of entitlement, but i guess their jobs depend on that so....

Voth was ripping Cam a new one for the way he acted in that press conference when it happened. He's just as entitled as every other PoS in the media. If I was a player I'd eat the fines and say fug them. Wouldn't even pull a Lynch and say "just here not to get fined" since that's a story itself. As a fan I love hearing my favorite players talk, especially guys like Josh, Smitty when he was here, Hardy when he was here, etc. But when looking at it from the player's point of view I think it's ridiculous.

[ickmule]

Fug the media. They are a big part with what is wrong with this country. Honestly, I would have done worse than Cam in the situation he was placed in. At first I thought it was wrong, but the more I hear and read I totally agree with his position. 

[Nomad82]

2 minutes ago, Zaximus said:

Does it not annoy anyone else how the media and even regular people try to judge people they don't even know's "maturity".  I always found it pretty lame.   

When it comes to black athletes, it's magnified.

Black people are still considered property to SOME white folks.. That's just how it is.

[Cookie Lyon]

3 minutes ago, Nomad82 said:

When it comes to black athletes, it's magnified.

Black people are still considered property to SOME white folks.. That's just how it is.

Agreed.

Just look at how the media is being sympathetic towards that alcoholic woman beater Johnny Manziel.

They feel sorry for Manziel and want him to get help, but if a black player did what he did, there wouldn't be any sympathy whatsoever.

[Nomad82]

Damned if you do, damned if you don't.