NFL star Cam Newton gave a lengthy interview to GQ, which was posted online Monday morning, and there was immediate backlash to some of his comments on race in America.
The Carolina Panthers' quarterback was voted Most Valued Player last year for his tremendous play during the NFL regular season, but he also regularly was ridiculed for his demeanor and antics on the field, which came to a head after the Denver Broncos beat the Panthers in Super Bowl 50.
The 27-year-old Newton told GQ he believes people's dislike of him has nothing to do with the fact that he is African-American.
"It's not racism," Newton told the magazine. "Everybody's entitled to their own opinion."
When asked about a comment he made before Super Bowl 50 — “I’m an African-American quarterback that may scare a lot of people because they haven’t seen nothing that they can compare me to" — Newton replied, "I don't want this to be about race, because it's not. It's not. Like, we're beyond that. As a nation."
When pressed about the dislike some have for him, Newton said, “I’ll let you be the judge. I don’t look at it like that. I look at it like some people have certain beliefs, and I have my own belief, and we can agree to disagree on certain things.
It would be wrong to suggest that everybody hates him because of his skin color. Perhaps that was the point he was trying to make.
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When asked about a comment he made before Super Bowl 50 — “I’m an African-American quarterback that may scare a lot of people because they haven’t seen nothing that they can compare me to" — Newton replied, "I don't want this to be about race, because it's not. It's not. Like, we're beyond that. As a nation.
does he not remember what happened to Richard Sherman