Cam Newton: "Not My Job To Lobby for My Health"

[Favre4Ever+ 4,476]

Cam Newton on the punishment he took in Week 1 and not getting any flags:

"My job is to win football games. My job is not to lobby for my health," Newton said Wednesday when asked by reporters about the controversy surrounding his Week 1 loss to the Broncos. "I feel as if there's been times that I've been taking hits, they haven't been called. But that's understandable. Sometimes I've been hit and they have been called. So I just can't point a finger and say I haven't got no calls because I have.

"I'm worried about winning. That's it. Winning. Winning football games," he said. "That's why I'm here. I'm not here to worry about retirement plans. I'm not here to worry about pensions. I'm not here to worry about workers comp. I'm here to win football games. Simple and plain. This is a contact sport. This is a physical sport. I play the game for the right reasons to whatever coach asks me to do, I'm gonna do it, to win football games."

He ended the line of questioning as quickly as possible.
"Listen, I see where this is going. We're dwelling on something that I don't want to dwell on. My focus is San Francisco 49ers' defense," he said. "NaVorro Bowman and the team that shut out the Los Angeles Rams. I gain nothing by talking about the past."

 

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000702511/article/cam-newton-my-job-is-not-to-lobby-for-my-health

 

Cam gained some respect in my eye. It's kind of an ignorant perspective (one the NFL, no doubt loves) but I like it. You can't control the refs of their perspective of you as a player... And unfortunately for Cam, the perception of him is as a big, strong QB who isn't shaken by much and has a propensity to run.

It isn't fair, but that's the way it is. I like how he handled this.

[ATL_Predator+ 1,196]

For once I can actually say I agree with Cam.

 

People want to get so caught up in the rules and regs of the game and not the game itself. It's real easy to sit here and talk about the long term effects of those kind of hits...

 

 

But in all reality do you think any of those players during the game give two shits about that?

 

What matters to most players is either money, or winning... the NFL is a violent sport by nature...and as long as we have human beings as refs...shit like this will happen.

 

Please go ahead and type 'Well we need to reduce these kind of hits as much as possible!' when in 2001 you didn't give a shit about that. All you gave a shit about was your team smacking the ever loving fuck out of the other and winning. Here in PC 2016, I am one of the few that thinks all the ridiculous penalties for protecting the QB and targeting should not be in place.

 

The NFL is violent, you know what you are signing up for when you put those cleats on as a kid and all the way up through. It's a risk, just like a damn risk it is to sign up for the military and you get wounded in action. Nothing is fair, so all you PC activists that want the violent game of the NFL to become flag football can get the fuck out.

 

Go watch that sport you all want to make fun of in soccer since you don't want to see hard hits.

[DonovanMcnabb for H.O.F 2,241]

Who's job is it then?

 

Edit: I guess you can say The Players Union, but why should they actually give a fuck about your health if you don't about your own?

Edited September 15, 2016 by DonovanMcnabb for H.O.F

[Thanatos 2,847]

Charles keeps bringing up 2001 as if its the same situation. In '01, at least for me, I did not have any clue about CTE, what it was, or the long term effects of concussions from hits like Cam took on Thursday. In '16, I know what CTE is, I know that long term effects come from violent head to head hits and so I am all for taking that aspect of the game out as much as is possible.

 

Macho men who beat their chests and proclaim that we are pussifying the sport by trying to protect people from killing themselves because they don't know who they are anymore- and lest you think I exaggerate, that is basically what happened to Junior Seau, one of the greatest players I've ever personally seen play- can go watch gladiator fights to get your rocks off.

 

I'm here to watch a sport and have fun doing so, but just because the game is incredibly fun to watch doesn't absolve the NFL of their responsibility to their players. Now that we know what kind of effects violent head to head hits can have, it is borderline criminal and certainly negligent on our part to sweep it under the rug and act like its "just part of the game."

 

When I'm in my 50s, I don't want to hear about how a lot of players I loved watching play can no longer remember their own names.

 

And this doesn't mean you can't have huge hits. This hit is a great example. Its a fantastic defensive play by Darian Stewart. He stops Tolbert in his tracks and knocks him backwards.

 

But he does so by going low and taking him out with a great shot. This is to be applauded. This is one of the ways you take down someone who's bigger than you, without resorting to illegal headshots to "rattle" them.

 

Cam's mindset is correct. He can ask the officials about hits, as he did on Thursday, but in the end its supposed to be the NFL's job to protect their players. It does not mean he's going to be immune to the long term consequences if the league allows him to keep taking shots like he did in week 1, but it also doesn't mean others aren't going to lobby for him.

Edited September 15, 2016 by Thanatos

[theMileHighGuy 656]

I understand and agree that Cam took some bad hits and there should be an uproar about it. The NFL needs to call these things with consistency. At some point though, Cam does need to be responsible for his own health. He runs recklessly, he puts hit head down at the end of runs. He can't have it both ways complaining about getting hit in the head, and then putting his head down on runs. You can't play physical and not expect to be hit back.

[Thanatos 2,847]

I understand and agree that Cam took some bad hits and there should be an uproar about it. The NFL needs to call these things with consistency. At some point though, Cam does need to be responsible for his own health. He runs recklessly, he puts hit head down at the end of runs. He can't have it both ways complaining about getting hit in the head, and then putting his head down on runs. You can't play physical and not expect to be hit back.

 

This is a bullshit argument. Cam doesn't get RTP calls, period.

 

No calls prior to opening day since week 11, 2014.

[seanbrock 1,684]

QB's are fair game if they're running and they don't give themselves up, period, but you have to at least some what protect the QB's when they're in the pocket. It's the same thing as hitting a punter or a kicker because they can't brace for impact or defend themselves in anyway. I don't care how big Cam is, he's defenseless in the pocket just as much as any other QB. It's pretty cut and dry.

 

I don't care for a lot of Cam's antic's but I respect his game. Show me a QB that doesn't bitch about flags.

[Sarge+ 3,436]

Cam Newton said after the win against Arizona that the lack of calls for hits he takes is getting extremely frustrating. "It's taking the fun out of the game for me."

 

Bit of a different tune now. FTR, I agree that he should be getting calls, but it's interesting to see him change his tune quite abruptly.

[Zack_of_Steel+ 3,014]

Got tired of listening to his agent.

[Favre4Ever+ 4,476]

Maybe Cam's offensive lineman should block the guy across from him (or anyone).. I think Calais was expecting to get held up a little and get some resistance from the lineman... he didn't so he kind of lost his balance and was falling forward -- resulting in the low hit.

Doesn't excuse it and I am sure that gets called depending on the crew and day.

 

Hopefully the league / refs can correct the situation without over-correcting.

[Thanatos 2,847]

Another obvious penalty not called against Cam. I think maybe he thought by taking the high road something would get done about it, but clearly the situation is not improving.

[Favre4Ever+ 4,476]

Marcus Gilbert had some words for Cam Newton

"Ben gets hit more than anybody in the league, and he never complains. C'mon, man. This is the game of football," Gilbert said, according toESPN's Jeremy Fowler. "If you're out there and you're scared to take a shot, then don't be out there, especially if you're a running quarterback. (Defenses) are going to take shots at you. Just the way, his style of playing football, how he celebrates, I guess he gives the guys a chip, like let's go hit the reigning NFL MVP."

"If you don't like it, then tell the coach or the coordinator to change the whole game plan," he said. "Try to do something to protect you, because back a couple of years ago, when Ben was getting hit a lot, we had to change our offense a little bit, put in a little extra protection to help him stay upright because he is the franchise player."

 

And he is absolutely right. As I have said before, I think there are hits that should be called, but the nature of Newton's play dictates that he is going to take more punishment by default. And he isn't wrong in the 2nd portion either.. Like I said earlier, the low hit Calais Campbell got on Cam in that game was ONLY because the... I think it was the RG (I would have to watch it again) just WHIFFS....

Either that player blows or he was supposed to let the pressure through on maybe a little screen or route to open up some passing lanes... but if that's the case, Cam needs to be getting the ball out before he gets hit and should've known a guy would be in his face if left unblocked (if purposeful).

 

edit: link

http://www.thescore.com/news/1143022

Edited November 1, 2016 by Favre4Ever

[Thanatos 2,847]

Actually, Cam gets hit more than anybody in the league. Either way, Calais launches at his feet. Its a foul, period.

 

Defensive players know they can take shots on Cam without it being called. It's ridiculous and it needs to stop.

 

Ben gets hit a lot, but he didn't go through a year and a half stretch without a single fucking RTP call.

[Thanatos 2,847]

Just for reference, here is an article that even includes direct comparisons to other QBs on similar hits.

 

http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/17939672/cam-newton-get-superstar-qb-treatment-nfl-officials-2016

 

Newton doesn't get the calls the Bradys and the Mannings and the Brees's do.

[Favre4Ever+ 4,476]

I agree it was a penalty... but your offensive line needs to at least try protecting him. The only reason Calais was able to get there so fast in the first place was because Andrew Norwell is hot garbage.

 

That may have been one of the most effective swim moves in NFL history.

If your line is going to allow opposing lineman to go practically unblocked... I think it's obvious Cam is going to take hits and a lot of them. And again, that is no excuse for the illegal hits and the lack of flags.

Point being is that there are things the team and Cam's teammates can do themselves to help out just a little.

[DonovanMcnabb for H.O.F 2,241]

I'm almost convinced defenders know they can get away with doing the most when it comes to taking him down.

 

The same way a lot of the Seahawks DBs know they can get away with a little extra contact.

[Thanatos 2,847]

Andrew Norwell is hot garbage? He's one of the best in the league, lmao.

 

Sure there are things that can be done. Doesn't excuse the constant late hits and the constant blatantly illegal hits.

[Favre4Ever+ 4,476]

Andrew Norwell is hot garbage? He's one of the best in the league, lmao.

 

Sure there are things that can be done. Doesn't excuse the constant late hits and the constant blatantly illegal hits.

 

Not on that play he wasn't. Barely gets his hands up before the man he is paid to stop is taking a shot at your QBs knees.

[Thanatos 2,847]

Which has absolutely zero relevance to the topic at hand. Just because a guy gets a free shot at a QB doesn't mean he gets to him illegally.

[Favre4Ever+ 4,476]

Which has absolutely zero relevance to the topic at hand. Just because a guy gets a free shot at a QB doesn't mean he gets to him illegally.

 

You're right, but it it is relevant. You and Cam just looking to blame somebody else isn't really going to help. Play better, and a lot of the hits Cam takes -- illegal or not can be avoided. Coach better and hits that Cam takes can be be avoided. Be smarter and a lot of the hits Cam takes can be avoided.

 

The hit that caused him to suffer a concussion.. that subsequently put Derek Anderson at the helm of the Panthers.. Completely avoidable. He wants to complain about the game not being fun because he isn't safe? Cam Newton puts Cam Newton at risk more than anybody does.

 

The refs can help protect him only so much. Cam, his teammates, and his coaches need to help protect Cam as well.

Edited November 3, 2016 by Favre4Ever

[Thanatos 2,847]

Exactly the type of mindset that blames the victim, lmao.

 

There is zero question Cam is targeted more often than other QBs illegally. And I can't even really blame the defenders for doing it, the refs have shown that they will let it go because he's bigger than most.