Thursday, February 11, 2016

David Whitley, columnist Orlando Sentinel




In light of Cam Newton's boorish, pouty, spoiled brat behavior after losing in Super Bowl 50, I found David Whitley's column in our local paper quite interesting.

Headline states

            Columnist apologizes to Newton

When I saw this in our local paper, I thought, "wait a minute", however, in reading it, David is actually retracting his original defense of Cam Newton.

I am going to use some of what he wrote for his editorial.

"I'd like to apologize to Cam Newton. I was one of the millions who pounced on him for his post-Super Bowl performance.

I wrote the controversy over his press conference pout might be a good learning experience for Newton. I thought that after a cooling-off period, he would realize what a clown he had made of himself.

Jeepers, was I wrong.

(Quoting Newton here) "Who likes to lose?" Newton said. "You show me a good loser and I'm going to show you a loser (sounds a lot like Donald Trump, that's me talking now). It's not a popularity contest. I'm here to win football games."
And he's the first?

I suppose Wilson (Seattle Seahawks quarterback) wasn't there to win last year's Super Bowl, Peyton Manning wasn't there to win the one before that. Yet they managed to get through post-game press conferences after crushing defeats without needing a pacifier. According to that definition, here are other members of Cam's Loser Club:
    Tom Brady, Kurt Warner, Tony Dungy, Roger Federer, Arthur Ashe, John Wooden, Phil Mickelson, Mike Krzyzewski, Jimmie Johnson, Annika Sorenstam, Pat Summitt, David Robinson, Wayne Gretzky, John McCain and Meryl Streep.

Everybody feels soreness when they lose, but there is such a thing as being gracious in defeat. Newton's excuse is that he wears his emotions on his sleeve, he's a competitor and he's just misunderstood.

After Tuesday, we actually understand Newton better than ever. He's a spotlight-loving football warrior when things are going his way.

When they don't, he's a self-absorbed peeve who refuses to truly grow up.

I apologize for thinking he was better than that."

Thank you David for writing a very thoughtful piece.

And if you haven't read the entire article, look it up and read it from the beginning to the end, I only quoted particularly insightful (to me) highlights.




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