Carolina Panthers: Ron Rivera’s stance undermines Cam Newton
Carolina Panther head coach Ron Rivera picked the wrong time to shield Cam Newton.
As the NFL off-season continues to creep on, there are a number of interesting stories to capture media attention. One such story is the conversation that builds surrounding how Carolina Panthers quarterback, Cam Newton, reacted to losing Super Bowl 50 to the Denver Broncos. This time his coach, Ron Rivera, came to Newton’s defense, but doing so actually causes more damage than good.
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David Newton of ESPN reported the story in which Rivera spent an excessive amount of time defending Newton. Bu this point in time it’s well aware how Newton took the loss; he carried an understandable look of disdain on his face before storming out of the post-game press conference.
The criticism that followed his actions came very swiftly, as many people felt that Newton’s actions exhibited a twinge of immaturity. While some of the response was racially charged, such as four-time Super Bowl champion Bill Romanowski calling Newton “boy,” it was widely considered that Newton’s response wasn’t the best.
Still, Rivera spent twenty minutes defending the 2016 NFL MVP. He called the situation “tremendously unfair” to put players in a position to answer questions after such an emotional moment.
“Personally, I’ve always felt that in a situation like that there is only one person that needs to talk, and that’s the head coach,” Rivera said as reported by Newton of ESPN. “That’s the person you should pull out and put in front of everybody and let him answer the questions. If not, that’s what you’re going to get. You’re going to get guys that come across in certain ways. And that’s unfortunate.”
Rivera’s stance is clear, but there are questions that need to be raised within the conversation.
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First, would Rivera feel the same way if the conversation was about Peyton Manning instead? Remember, Manning did something similar when he walked off of the field without congratulating Drew Brees when his team fell to the New Orleans Saints in 2010. If Rivera’s Panthers defeated the Broncos and Manning reacted the same way, there’s a strong chance that Rivera’s sentiment would change. Rivera is doing exactly what he should do in protecting his quarterback, but he is doing so in the wrong way.
Second, if other players were capable of answering questions after a devastating loss, the Newton should be able to do the same – especially since he is the leader of this team. Names such as Luke Kuechly, Josh Norman, Greg Olsen and others stayed to receive questions in a situation in which they felt a pain a kin to what Newton was experiencing.
Rivera didn’t find the need to protect those players, so why did he take the time to do so for Newton? Does Newton need his protection more than these other players? The answer to that question is “no” and Rivera doing so undermines the position that Newton worked so hard to achieve.
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Newton faced a lot of undeserved, racially-toned criticism throughout the year. He faced it and excelled in such an atmosphere. He excelled in a way that many experts never expected for the former Heisman Trophy winner. He took a team to the Super Bowl that was expected to fall well short of the playoffs due to injuries and other issues.
Unfortunately, these negative moments are going to be the focus for the off-season and probably the start of next year. It is commendable that Rivera wanted to protect his quarterback from the incessant attacks sent his way. But, this wasn’t the right situation to take that stance.