Cam's big, even if Carolina isn't

[redbuddha]

QB's talent — and glam appeal — won't be confined by small-market Charlotte

Chuck Burton / AP

A Carolina Panthers fan holds up a large image of quarterback Cam Newton during practice in Spartanburg, S.C., on July 28.

OPINION

updated 11:28 a.m. ET Aug. 8, 2012

Jelisa Castrodale

It used to be one of my go-to conversation starters, whether I was holding my carry-on in a Midwestern airport or waiting for a lunch order at a West Coast taco truck. If I saw someone wearing a Carolina Panthers t-shirt, I'd always ask "So what part of North Carolina are you from?" The answer was typically a town that was, like, three Cracker Barrels from my own.

Well, it was until Cam Newton changed all of that. Lately, when I see teal-tipped jerseys, they're on the backs of newly-minted Panthers fans or — even more likely — new fans of Newton himself. And we're probably not neighbors.

Newton heads into his second season surprisingly close to superstar status, if he isn't there already. According to Forbes, Newton's is the No. 9 best-selling NFL jersey, right between Tom Brady and Troy Polamalu. He shows up during commercial breaks, sweating through his Under Armour and pounding cartons of Gatorade afterward. He's flashed an orthodontically perfect smile on magazine covers and has scored a GQ photo spread (and only the finest quarterbacks are photographed in the season's softest cable knits, so don't even stretch that over your big dumb head, Kevin Kolb).

He's also the first legit leading man to come out of one of the mid-'90s expansion franchises, Carolina and Jacksonville. (I don't count that team that Art Modell boxed up and shipped 375 miles to Baltimore as an expansion team. Since joining the league in 1995, the Panthers have one Super Bowl appearance but have had zero back-to-back winning seasons. They've been around the same amount of time as the Backstreet Boys, but have significantly less hardware to show for it.

Until Nike put "Newton" above a No. 1, the word seen most frequently on the back of a Carolina jersey was a bright orange "CLEARANCE" sticker. With some exceptions (cover your ears, Julius Peppers and Steve Smith) the Panthers' roster has been stocked with prospects who didn't pan out or last-gasp veterans who showed up in Charlotte to see if they still had anything to offer, like moving a worn piece of furniture to a different room in your house before you eventually dump it off at Goodwill. Rodney Peete and Vinny Testeverde are your old sofas.

The biggest of big names to come out of a small market has to be Peyton Manning, whose rookie records now have Newton's Under Armour-sponsored cleat marks all over them.

He bettered Manning in completion percentage, total yards, yards per game and total touchdowns, setting all-time rookie marks for yards (4,051), combined TDs (21 passing, 14 rushing) and earning a trip to the Pro Bowl. He also pushed Carolina's offense from last place in total offense in 2010 to seventh in the league last year, a difference worth 2,102 yards, 201 points and four more wins.

So if Newton becomes the NFL's next big man on Cam-pus, it's largely through his own abilities, appeal and charisma (and his cheese-grater sharp cheekbones don't hurt either.) After being drafted, he didn't walk off the Radio City stage and into the arms of a built-in fan base, one that covers the country like a 3G coverage map. Charlotte has been known for NASCAR than its football, although "guys going around in circles all afternoon" could describe either the Coca-Cola 600 or Carolina's pre-Newton offense.

But still: Manning had his daddy's legacy and last name to work with.

Drew Brees unpacked his U-Haul in New Orleans — the NFL's second smallest market — when the country was focusing its attention on the hurricane-ravaged city in the hopes that he could help it heal. (He could. He did.)

And Green Bay might be the NFL's smallest stop, but players from Brett Favre to Aaron Rodgers have gotten a boost from standing on Vince Lombardi's shoulders. There's more than 80 years of history stacked on top of that frozen tundra.

Carolina will be playing beneath a new logo this year, but the real face of that franchise wasn't tweaked by a team of graphic designers. The Panthers' front office knows it, the players know it and the Associated Press knows it.

http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/48568254/ns/sports-nfl/

[Cape Fear Cat]

I understand the point she's trying to make here, but I do take issue with her contention that Carolina has never had any noteworthy players before Cam, Julius, and Steve. While they may not have gotten spreads in GQ, as a guy who has watched and been a fan of this team since 1995, I cannot help but have warm memories of many former Panthers. Some that come to mind include Jake Delhomme, Steve Buereline (sp?), Kevin Greene, Sam Mills, Lamar Lathon, Wesley Walls, Ricky Proehl, Brentson Buckner, Mike Rucker, Mushin Muhammed, Mike MInter, and several others. Granted, they may not have been the guys that Under Armour and Nike wanted to pitch their products, but they were all fine players for Carolina who are responsible for many, many hours of pleasurable football viewing for me over a large portion of my life.

[Rip Saw]

fluff

[Kurb]

]teal-tipped jerseys

*sigh*

[bleys]

Charlotte has been known for NASCAR than its football, although "guys going around in circles all afternoon" could describe either the Coca-Cola 600 or Carolina's pre-Newton offense.

damn.

I understand the point she's trying to make here, but I do take issue with her contention that Carolina has never had any noteworthy players before Cam, Julius, and Steve. While they may not have gotten spreads in GQ, as a guy who has watched and been a fan of this team since 1995, I cannot help but have warm memories of many former Panthers. Some that come to mind include Jake Delhomme, Steve Buereline (sp?), Kevin Greene, Sam Mills, Lamar Lathon, Wesley Walls, Ricky Proehl, Brentson Buckner, Mike Rucker, Mushin Muhammed, Mike MInter, and several others. Granted, they may not have been the guys that Under Armour and Nike wanted to pitch their products, but they were all fine players for Carolina who are responsible for many, many hours of pleasurable football viewing for me over a large portion of my life.

you missed her point. no one at the peak of their career had the lights shining bright on Carolina like a Cam Newton, Brett Favre, Tom Brady, Peyton Manning.

[JawnyBlaze]

Decent little fluff piece. I can relate to her opening anecdote. As someone who moves every few years, I'm used to being the only Panther jersey at the sports bar on Sundays. During last season I was walking through the mall here in Australia with my black Cam jersey on and a young Australian guy, probably around 20, hollered out "Go Carolina woohoo!" I was so shocked I just turned to look at him and muttered a "yea!" heh.

[SCP]

Teal?

I'll say one thing about this franchise, we are on a fast track rise. Last night I watched the Panther/Cardinals season opener from last year. The number of Panther fans at that game was pretty suprising. TV could have been playing a trick on me, but I saw a lot of Panther blue in that stadium.

Fug the rest of the world, go Panthers.

[davos]

A rather silly article imo

Acts like Charlotte is no man's land haha

[Guest]

Bitch can suck it.

[Iceberg Slim]

Disrespectful article is disrespectful.....seriously...cracker barrel.....

[RelaxImaPro]

I understand what she's trying to say... but damn if she didn't come off as a snide bitch. Seriously, it seemed like every other word she typed was some sort of condescending remark.

I guess 'dem ho's is ready for the season to start as well.

[rayzor]

I understand the point she's trying to make here, but I do take issue with her contention that Carolina has never had any noteworthy players before Cam, Julius, and Steve. While they may not have gotten spreads in GQ, as a guy who has watched and been a fan of this team since 1995, I cannot help but have warm memories of many former Panthers. Some that come to mind include Jake Delhomme, Steve Buereline (sp?), Kevin Greene, Sam Mills, Lamar Lathon, Wesley Walls, Ricky Proehl, Brentson Buckner, Mike Rucker, Mushin Muhammed, Mike MInter, and several others. Granted, they may not have been the guys that Under Armour and Nike wanted to pitch their products, but they were all fine players for Carolina who are responsible for many, many hours of pleasurable football viewing for me over a large portion of my life.

outside of long term carolina fans and the more hard core NFL fans, those other guys you listed were just guys and barely known. they weren't big names that generated a lot of excitement. they didn't bring in many fans from outside the carolinas they didn't bring in bandwagon fans (which isn't necessarily a bad thing).

we had good players, but not "star" players.

[rayzor]

wow you guys a re a bunch of sensitive ninnies.

[CBDellinger]

The article makes sense. And it's a good thing for us... Cam doesnt have to be in a big market, like he would if he played NBA or MLB. In the NFL big stars can thrive in smaller markets and that give us a great chance to resign him when the time comes.

Cam is already by far our biggest star ever. He lives up to the hype and you might as well make his face the logo.