Cam's Beef with the Local Media

[Cookie Lyon]

This article was written by Vashti Hurt AKA Carolina Blitz. A woman that many posters on here have tried to discredit. Ms. Hurt is the founder and editor-in-chief of CarolinaBlitz.com- a website dedicated to providing sports information across North and South Carolina. She is the co-host of Game Over with Vashti and Sharona and contributes to Black Sports Online. Ms. Hurt also makes regular appearances on other sports radio shows.

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I must admit, I cheered Cam’s departure from that podium like a Blue Devil fan watching Austin Rivers’ buzzer beater in 2012 or a Tar Heel fan watching Luke Maye take down Kentucky last March.

Cam’s treatment by the media has been unrelenting since day one:

1.)Treating him like the Panthers’ consolation prize after Andrew Luck elected to stay in college.
2.) Criticizing him for putting a towel over his head and not losing more graciously as a rookie.
3.) Finding displeasure in his reveling in on-field achievements by criticizing his first down gesture and superman pose.

 

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The media seems to always find something to denounce the Panthers’ quarterback about.  The Observer’s mishandling of the Jourdan Rodrigue drama is just another branch on Newton’s media relations tree rooted in distrust and hypocrisy.

Let me start by saying Cam’s comment to Jourdan Rodrigue was stupid and sexist.  There should be an assumption that a female beat reporter would have advance knowledge of the sport she’s covering, up to and including routes, but I don’t think he was trying to be malicious or offend.

The problems started with how the Observer and its reporters handled the situation afterward.  Media members left that presser thinking the comment was a “non-story.”  It was only after many took issue with the remark, once it went viral on social media, that Rodrigue played perfectly into the role of victim and fellow Observer writers strapped on their superman capes in order to be champions against sexism.

Rodrigue played up the incident by saying she spoke with Newton about the comment  “and it was worse.”  How do we know it was worse?  Because she said it was?  Newton has said nothing about that interaction, but I have spoken with someone who witnessed the conversation and said that they walked away from each other smiling.

Rodrigue then, seeing all the social media warriors and instant rise in following, ignited the fire by tweeting “I don’t think it’s ‘funny’ to be a female and talk about routes.  I think it’s my job.”  Meryl Streep couldn’t play this damsel in distress role better.  Insert the Richard Gere-like male Observer writers ready to save Rodrigue and defend her against Big Bad Cam’s sexist remarks.

Scott Fowler wrote a piece criticizing Newton and Joe Person tweeted that Cam’s reply to Rodrigue was “uncalled for.”  Everyone was eating off this story – especially at the Observer.  No one could predict, while outrage swirled over Cam’s sexism, the Sixth Sense type plot twist.

The same medium used to spark criticisms and accusations of sexism against Newton unearthed Jourdan Rodrigue’s own “ism.”

 

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As a black woman who has experienced her own share of racism, joking about it is never funny and I honestly have to question the morality of someone who was raised by man who thinks it is.

Newton and Rodrigue both apologized for their remarks, but other than posting a story reporting the existence of Jourdan’s tweets ,which included a comment from Observer Editor Sherry Chisenhall calling them “regrettable”, none of the supermen who were champions against sexism, denounced racism.  They were silent.  Deadly silent.  Offensively silent.  No one said racism or making light of racism was “uncalled for.”  No one said joking about racism “wasn’t one bit funny.”  They acted like it didn’t happen.

Jourdan subsequently pulled an abrupt departure of her own, going missing from pressers, games and social media for two weeks before returning to the Panthers locker room the week of October 16th.  During that time there was nothing mentioned about a suspension or hiatus.  Not even an acknowledgment of her departure.

There is no coincidence that the week she returned, Cam went missing.  For the first time in his NFL career, Carolina’s QB1 declined to speak with the media.  THIS WAS NEWS and anyone with cursory journalism knowledge would know it.  Did the Observer reporters mention the correlation?  No.

From the fake outrage over sexism and complete disregard of racism, to the clearly biased and incomplete reporting of the story, the Observer’s handling of this situation has been bad journalism at best, completely severing what was already a strained relationship between them and many in the Panthers locker room.

So I applaud Cam as he unapologetically gives the media the same nasty treatment they’ve given him.

Somewhere along the way the media got things twisted.  Somewhere along the way a sense of entitlement seeped in. Somewhere along the way media started believing the athletes they interview owed them something.   Somewhere along the way the media started believing athletes should feel privileged that they were interviewing them.  Somewhere along the way media starting caring more about being the story than telling them.

http://carolinablitz.com/2017/10/26/cam-newtons-beef-with-local-media-has-been-brewing-for-years-now-hes-doing-something-about-it/

[Nate Dogg]

Wow, now that's an article. Wish I could give this a whole pie myself.

[KillerKat]

Might wanna change the title to get more views. I came in expecting a new recipe. Great article anyway.

[the butch]

eh

[Panthers Fanatic]

Great article and thanks for posting. It gives a lot of context and I personally don't blame Cam if he pulled a Marshawn the rest of his career here with this BS local media.

[Cookie Lyon]

7 minutes ago, the butch said:

eh

Care to explain why you disagree with the article?

[TheRed]

This is about as on point about the entire situation as you can get.

I still contend that if Jourdan were not white that this whole thing would have gone another direction. I'm genuinely not trying to TB this thread, but it's just the truth.

[Cookie Lyon]

What I hate about the Charlotte Observer is that they don't ask the tough questions that other sports teams local media does. Everything is geared toward creating a CAMtroversy. They've just recently started asking Rivera about his in-game dumbness and that was only after fans started criticizing the beat writers on Twitter .

Vashti Hurt is a great writer and reporter and I appreciate her for writing this article. 

[chbright]

Agree cam gets put under a microscope, but let's not equate Jourdan's return as newsworthy as the 2015 NFL MVP blowing off an interview. Nor the soft response to her remarks on social media as a reason to boycott a job function. Nor that it sends a clear message.

Brutal honesty is society doesn't really care about the reporters, society care about athletes. So why the huff over where was Jourdan, what happened to her??????? Its not sexist, because a myriad of beat writers that could have been MIA due to suspension and not a word would be said, or a thought given.

Society has put these athletes under the spotlight. Charles Barkley can attest to this. No matter what the athlete wants, its a burden society cast on them as part of the life of star athlete. Right or wrong, it now comes with the job. 

Has it been racially charged and biased: hell yes it has. And its a shame. The current state is better than the Jackie Robinson days, but that's nothing to be proud of. Its better than the Warren Moon days, yet again, nothing to champion. it's still not an equal treatment for some players. Some get the ire of the media others don't. Unfortunately, IMO, its sadly more racially charged than team, local, political, or religious (though golden calf of bristol was up there as a polarizing figure).

I completely agree with authors push that cam is unfairly treated. Agree its deplorable that we rush to justly combat sexism, but only offer a muted response to racism that was clearly displayed. I don't agree with using Jourdan's return as an excuse to stay away from a job function. As long as the reports remain professional: show up. All this does is feed the entitled athlete mantra, plus takes away from his ability to use the presser as a pulpit for pointing out the double standard

If he had shown up issued an opening statement that clearly questioned the media' double standard, then went into the Marshawn Lynch, Drew Rosenhaus defense, the message would have been clear and to the point and abiding to his commitment. That would have been a loud and clear message to society/media on his frustrations with the situation rather than being a no show. Let society/media show its ass again, don't feed into the perception they cast on you.

I don't agree with his response, but understand why he did it after so much flack he has received.

And this is a TB destined thread.

[Snake]

Problem with today is everything is wrong to someone and instead of ignoring it we cultivate it. What Cam said was truthful and wasn't wrong because it wasn't meant as slander. News media today is just a reality show spin off. We need good stories and tough questions because quality reporting comes from that. 

[AggieLean]

Great piece by Ms Vashti, and I appreciate her reporting and writing on this subject. As a woman and person of color, she was affected by both sides, so I figure she’s not as biased with this particular topic as some might be. 

Either way, great write up!

[rayzor]

pretty much on point.

[Burnout189]

Spot on article and very well said. Anything Cam does is going to be critiqued, regardless if it's good or bad. It is what it is sadly. I just want him to own that poo and motivate him to play better and win, just so he can throw it right back in the face of the media and reporters.

[The Huddler]

fug the media.  

 

Bunch of entitled stuck up retards.