Opinion: Should Carolina Panthers QB Cam Newton Join The Movement?

Cam Newton is a major personality who could become a major voice for social change.

The ESPYs are a celebratory moment when ESPN awards a variety of accolades from the past year of superb sporting performances. The 2016 edition was loaded with jokes and inspirational messages. But the way the show opened with powerful words by Carmelo Anthony, LeBron James, Chris Paul and Dwyane Wade (courtesy of Melissa Chan of Time.com) speaks to a larger situation enveloping the entire country. In fact, their act expresses a growing trend of athletes speaking out against the injustices that continue to ravage the country. Carolina Panthers star, Cam Newton, could also be a powerful voice for that message, if he so chose.

Newton was a fan favorite from the moment he joined the NFL in 2011. His 2015 performance pushed his notoriety to a level of crossover star that is beyond that of just a franchise quarterback. His Nickelodeon series, “All In With Cam Newton” is an example of just how big a star he’s become. With that in mind, one could only hope that he joins in with the likes of James, Anthony, Paul and the Minnesota Lynx as voices for many of the fans that support them day in and day out.

Newton’s personality and presence would make him a major voice if her were to join the conversation. Athletes across sports are taking strong stands in many ways that can have a long-term impact; especially if they became a unified group. Many already see Newton as an inspiration for the levels of success that he’s reached; joining this conversation would make him an even larger hero to most.

Asking a professional athlete to take a position on a public matter is a vastly dangerous position. Athletes, especially when reaching the status that Newton carries, are a major business. Anytime they take a stand that’s opposite to that of what a portion of the public believes, controversy follows.

The situation is even worse when it comes to superstars, because there is a tone that is writhe with the idea that they should only “shut up and play,” rather than use the same First Amendment right we all have. This is especially so for the highly controversial topics like gun control and the #BlackLivesMatter movement.

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Take Andrew Hawkins for example. The Cleveland Browns wide receiver spoke out against the death of Tamir Rice in a way that wasn’t disrespectful. However, that didn’t stop Jeffery Follmer, President of the Cleveland Patrolmen’s Association from coming after Hawkins calling his actions “pathetic” and demanding an apology. Thankfully, the NFL and the Browns stood behind their player and the story slowly went away.

Newton is in an entirely different position. His brand has developed into a powerful force within the Charlotte community and is finally reaching beyond that point. If he took a stand that is directly opposed to what many people push at this time, there would be calls for him to apologize, lose endorsements, lose his show and even some of his “fans” would end their support.

Winning, which the Carolina Panthers have done pretty consistently as of late, helps cure some of those issues, but that doesn’t always solve the problem. LeBron James is coming off of a championship season and that didn’t stop some of the negative vitriol that was sent his way after Wednesday’s appearance at the ESPYs.

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The sports industry is in an interesting position as athletes are using their platform to shine a line on negative situations in society. Jim Brown was a huge star that did so during his time in the NFL, but the lights shine much brighter in this day of technology and social media. Cam Newton is the type of athlete and personality that would attract attention with everything he says. Joining the cause would be a compelling and controversial moment in his career.