The only demographic I know of which cares about a Super Bowl losing team's players answering questions at a post-game press conference is the sports media, and when a star player or coach doesn't satisfy their odd needs, it's quite common for them to let the world know about it. The latest such case is with regard to Carolina Panthers starting quarterback and league MVP Cam Newton, who, after his team's disappointing 24-10 loss to the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl 50 on Sunday night, didn't have a whole lot to say at the post-game press conference. While I've heard a few in the sports media say things such as, "Cam's play on the field was a much bigger deal than what he had to say after the game" and "It's not the first time this kind of thing has happened. He'll learn," I've heard many blast the quarterback like they would a player who had just been arrested for domestic violence. Could Cam have handled the situation better? No question about it. But is the sports media kind of blowing things out-of-proportion? Yes again.
While there are times a quick-witted athlete or coach will provide some fun quotes for the media, these occasions are few and far between, and the least interesting thing for most fans are the ridiculous questions asked by sports reporters and the coach-speak-like responses provided by both athletes and coaches.
Reporter: "Sooooooo, why do you think you won today?"
Player: "You know, we stuck together, gave it 110% all the way, and the hard work paid off!"
If I had a penny for every time I heard that question and answer, I could own a pair of mansions and be able to retire at 35 (which is in a couple weeks).
So, no, Cam Newton's behavior postgame didn't place him in the classiest and maturest of lights, but how many people really cared about this Q-and-A session, well, besides sports reporters? Were they going to stumble on some profound bits of wisdom due to a well thought out question which would catch the Panthers quarterback by surprise, leading to a headline for all the ages? Highly unlikely.
Reporter: "So, Cam, why do you think you guys didn't win today?"
Newton: "'Cause we didn't play good."
Reporter: "How was Denver's defense able to contain your offense?"
Newton: "They played better than us."
Reporter: "Is there anything you'd like to say to disappointed Panthers fans right now?"
Newton: "We'll be back. We'll be back."
Groundbreaking stuff, I know... While Cam Newton should have behaved more maturely following the game on Sunday, the sports media shouldn't have made the story a bigger deal than it was. It's really not the end of the world when a star quarterback doesn't provide predictable answers to predictable questions following a disappointing Super Bowl loss. After all, we're essentially talking about members of the media complaining about grown men acting immaturely after getting paid millions of dollars for playing a kids' game...
While there are times a quick-witted athlete or coach will provide some fun quotes for the media, these occasions are few and far between, and the least interesting thing for most fans are the ridiculous questions asked by sports reporters and the coach-speak-like responses provided by both athletes and coaches.
Reporter: "Sooooooo, why do you think you won today?"
Player: "You know, we stuck together, gave it 110% all the way, and the hard work paid off!"
If I had a penny for every time I heard that question and answer, I could own a pair of mansions and be able to retire at 35 (which is in a couple weeks).
So, no, Cam Newton's behavior postgame didn't place him in the classiest and maturest of lights, but how many people really cared about this Q-and-A session, well, besides sports reporters? Were they going to stumble on some profound bits of wisdom due to a well thought out question which would catch the Panthers quarterback by surprise, leading to a headline for all the ages? Highly unlikely.
Reporter: "So, Cam, why do you think you guys didn't win today?"
Newton: "'Cause we didn't play good."
Reporter: "How was Denver's defense able to contain your offense?"
Newton: "They played better than us."
Reporter: "Is there anything you'd like to say to disappointed Panthers fans right now?"
Newton: "We'll be back. We'll be back."
Groundbreaking stuff, I know... While Cam Newton should have behaved more maturely following the game on Sunday, the sports media shouldn't have made the story a bigger deal than it was. It's really not the end of the world when a star quarterback doesn't provide predictable answers to predictable questions following a disappointing Super Bowl loss. After all, we're essentially talking about members of the media complaining about grown men acting immaturely after getting paid millions of dollars for playing a kids' game...
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