OMG, Cam Newton belittled
a Woman!
a cranky opinion for
CRANKY OPINION SATURDAY (on SUNDAY)
The following is the opinion of a
cranky old man who has little knowledge of the topic opined. Opposing opinions are welcome, but they are
wrong. As always please, no name
calling, and that means you, you big stupid-head!
Cam Newton
belittled a woman.
Cam Newton
is in a heap of trouble because he belittled a woman reporter.
Cam is a star
quarterback in the NFL. He is cocky and arrogant. A quarterback who is not cocky is a
quarterback on the bench. If I was one
of the best at what I did and what I did was watched by 50 million people every
week, I’d probably be arrogant too.
I know
nothing about Cam Newton. He may be a
really good dude. He may be an ass. He is a damn good quarterback. He is paid a lot of money to be a damn good
quarterback.
He is in
trouble because he was asked a question about football by a lady reporter and
he said, “It's funny to hear a female talk about routes." Not a
politically correct comment. A little degrading
to the lady reporter, but I gotta say, when I hear a woman talking football it
sounds funny to me also.
The unexpected is funny, it is what most jokes are based on. Female sports reporters are relatively new, and a football question from a female apparently struck Cam as funny...and in an off-the-cuff remark, he said as much.
Most of the
women I know hate football and know nothing about the game. The first question most women ask when the
game comes on TV is “Where is it being
played?” or “Which team is wearing
the pretty green uniforms?”
When a woman
asks an intelligent football question it is kind of funny because it is
different, it is unexpected. It’s like
when a black man, or an Asian from the UK speaks in a proper English accent, it is funny
because it is unexpected. Sorry, it just
is!
So, Cam
Newton was asked an intelligent football question from a female reporter, it
struck him as funny and he said as much.
Holy cow,
hang him out to dry.
People; he
is not a politician, he is not a brain surgeon, he is not a person to sway
public opinion, he is a quarterback. He
has been trained to dodge linebackers and to pick up defensive alignments and
call a play to defeat what he sees. He
has not been trained to walk on eggshells and watch his political correct P’s
and Q’s in every situation. Something struck
him as funny and he made a comment to that effect. SORRY!!
Have you
ever seen a 5’ 5” dude put a move on a 6’ 6” basketball player and dunk the
ball? It is funny as hell because it is
unexpected.
When Gomer
Pile suddenly sang in a brilliant baritone voice it was funny because it was so
unexpected.
When an Olympic
champion, the best male athlete in the world at one time, suddenly announces he
is becoming a woman, it became the brunt of many a joke because it was so
unexpected.
When a sweet
little nun gives someone the finger and say’s “Fuck You” it is funny because it is so unexpected.
When a prim
and proper librarian type farts in a crowded elevator, it is funny because it
is so unexpected.
When a young
female reporter asks an intelligent football question, it is unexpected. It struck Cam Newton as funny and he made a
comment to that effect. For this he has
lost endorsements and people are calling for him to be suspended and or fined.
I think that
is ridiculous.
Rosy Greer, was
a 6’5” 300-pound NFL lineman from the 60’s who crocheted to relax. People thought that was funny, especially
woman thought it was funny. Sure, it was
unexpected, but what, a football player can’t know how to crochet? It was
unexpected, but people who made fun of it should have been taken to task…right?
Nuclear
bombs scare me, racism upsets me, terrorism concerns me, but perhaps the
biggest threat to society today is if we all lose our sense of humor.
When we lose
the right to laugh, when the unexpected is no longer funny, when we have to
parse our every word and every thought for fear of upsetting someone or some
group it scares me.
“Experts”
today tell us what our voice inflections “really mean.” Our body language is dissected to determine a
person’s “real” thoughts. Living in fear of the thought police, losing
the ability to laugh, that is what I fear the most today.
Give Cam
Newton a break. He is a kid, he is a
quarterback, he is not a sociologist. He
has a job to do. His job is to win
football games, not mollycoddle every snow-flake reporter whose sensitivities
are easily hurt. If you are a reporter…suck
it up.
The preceding was the opinion of a
cranky old man and not necessarily that of management…Mrs. Cranky*.
*I was impressed with Mrs. Cranky
when the first football game we ever watched, on fourth down she asked me, “Are they going to kick or stick?” This
was a question only familiar to backyard touch-football players. Yes, it made me laugh like hell!
After the blog: Here is an example of the male press being belittled...was Cam so bad?
After the blog: Here is an example of the male press being belittled...was Cam so bad?
I saw a headline about it and read the article, and thought, "What's the big deal?" I kept looking for where he called her a name or something.
ReplyDeleteCam Newton is a bit full of himself. I remember how he pranced about during one of the play off games a few years back against the Arizona Cardinals when his team was doing everything right and the Cardinals were doing everything wrong. Funny how a few weeks later at another game when his team couldn't do anything right and the other team could do everything right, he was a total different person. With all that's going on in this world these days, this shouldn't even have been made a story, but it was. I might not know all the fouls I see flags thrown for, still not sure exactly what holding is, but I can appreciate and follow the game pretty darn well, considering I pretty much self taught myself years ago.
ReplyDeletebetty
I agree - this got too much attention and I'm a female and I do not take offense to it at all. I would think it's funny if I saw my husband knitting, and I know my husband would definitely crack a smile if I said something even remotely correct about a football play. It's not being sexist, it's just unexpected which makes it funny. It's coming out of the gender norms, and that can be a bit funny to witness.
ReplyDeleteThis should not be a big deal. As more women follow the sport and get into reporting, it will seem less odd, but he did nothing wrong here.
ReplyDeleteWellllllll.......normally I don't follow the PC religion, but in this case, I think he sounds like he might have been doing it just to get a dig in at woman sports reporters. If that's her career, WHY wouldn't she know football terms, etc? It doesn't seem anymore odd than a male fashion reporter asking an actress about her designer handbag.
ReplyDeleteHe is in the public eye and needs to speak more carefully, but I gotta say if I heard the term "Truck-sticking" from a male reporter, I would think it was pretty funny.
DeleteA home run comment Cranky. He didn't call her a blond bimbo or something condescending. She asked a fair but unexpected question, and he expressed surprise. Big deal. I'll bet the next time she asks him something technical he won't be surprised, and he'll give her a straight answer. This should be a non-event.
ReplyDeleteWell put Joe! I agree. Not a big NFL or Cam fan but you're right.
ReplyDeleteCan't hang with the guys? Don't be a sports reporter...
Ugh! I'm beginning to hate (yes, hate) all these thin skinned people!
ReplyDeleteThere is stuff like this all over the internet, coaches or players being a bit rough with reporters https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Arbrf8Tc3EA and they are making a fuss about this?
ReplyDeleteI agree with everything you said and I'm a woman sports fan. Leave him alone, if you don't want to hear what he has to say don't ask him questions. I give him points for honesty.
ReplyDeleteI believe way too much humor has been sucked out of life. That is why when I took the entire anti-freeze, self-siphon sillcock from my out door faucet into the hardware store to make sure I got the correct washer replacement and the ACE man said "Oh, THIS is gonna be a good one," I giggled as I hit him over the head with it.
ReplyDeleteOoh, and earlier he'd called her Sweetheart. Shocker, right? Have a great day, Cranky.
ReplyDeleteWhy was this even a story? Must have been a slow news day!!
ReplyDeleteI know under zero about football. But I can say, with authority, anyone who is berating this player is a horse's ass.
ReplyDeleteTempest in a tea pot if you ask me. I thought it was ridiculous to make a fuss over it as well. It's gotten to the point where we are all afraid to open our mouths for fear we inadvertently stick our size 7's in it.
ReplyDeleteToo bad he lost Dannon for I thought it was funny seeing a football player in full gear raving about yogurt.
ReplyDeleteThis did get too much attention but Joe, and Cam, women have been big into football since the 70's when they finally 'made it to the locker room' as professionals. I have one daughter who doesn't get it, but the other just loves football. Cam shouldn't have had the reaction he had (at least, not out loud) but he also should just be a punch line instead of being roasted for it.
ReplyDeleteThis was the dumbest thing ever. I kept trying to figure out what he said that was so wrong.
ReplyDeletemay be he was out of himself or much into himself ,both conditions go against the diplomacy .
ReplyDeletemy father loved hockey and mother loved cricket ,still remember when our cooking was off until the match cricket match finished and it was annoying for my father .
I confess i don't know anything about football but i loved watching it and when my son choose football in collage i was so happy it seemed that it is okay that i could not but at least "a part of me" my son is playing the game i loved most and if there was any women team or chance to join i would have choose it over all slow games
Great post- I totally agree
ReplyDelete