Yahoo Sports: Comparing Newton to Russell was foolish

[tiger7_88]

Well, DUH.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news;_ylt=AmlOUkOVXU7E1AB50qVzzndDubYF?slug=lc-carpenter_cam_newton_panthers_jamarcus_russell_122911

But in the end Newton might just save them after all. On Sunday he will throw for his 4,000th yard. It will make this, statistically, the best season a rookie quarterback has ever had. The marvel of this will be lost because the Panthers are rebuilding and there have been brilliant seasons from older, more polished passers like Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees and Tom Brady – men who have won championships.

And yet this week the talk is about race because of something Newton said in a magazine interview, swiping away the stigma dangled over his name simply over other men’s failures. Because no matter how good he was in college, no matter how much he impressed in interviews with teams and tried desperately to prove he was a leader, there was always a comparison to JaMarcus Russell. Like Newton, Russell was a one-year star in the SEC with great physical promise. Like Newton, Russell was destined to be the first overall pick. And like Newton, Russell was African-American. And so the link was made.

Really they were nothing alike. Russell clearly didn’t love football. He didn’t grasp what it took to be Peyton Manning or Tom Brady, and showed little interest in trying to be great. He didn’t want to be a leader and it showed in the way he ballooned over 300 pounds and slumped out of the league as a punch line to an expensive joke.

[footballisasport]

They knew that but there were enough hatred out there and folks who still want to believe that "we're al the same," that comparing Cam to Jamarcus was way to easy.

[fieryprophet]

JaMarcus could barely run in college. Young could barely throw in college.

How did Cam get compared to those two dunces again?

[X-Clown]

JaMarcus could barely run in college. Young could barely throw in college.

How did Cam get compared to those two dunces again?

VY's problem was never that he couldn't throw the ball, more of a mental/emotional type thing.

[footballisasport]

FWIW...still don't get why Cam was even compared to all the failed black QBs in the NFL except to stigmatize him...

Don't hear anyone worrying that Luck becoming the next Ryan Leaf or any of the other failed white QBs who were expected to be successful. And I'm sure there are way more of them...JMO

Can never stop ignorant thinking if our media continues to feed it.

[Lumps]

I doubt the comparison had any racial intent, there are other black QBs to compare him to. People compared them because they were both big and black. As in a physical appearance rather than racial intent (this includes all the black QBs he was compared too). If you believe otherwise you may have an inward issue reflecting outward you might need some help with. So really only morons who know nothing about football compared them, not racists.

I am sure some people have racial feelings towards him but I am sure they are in the very minority and I am also sure they probably don't watch football.

With that said any analyst that compared the two should be fired.

The person I hear him being compared to the most has always been Steve Young, at least for me.

[woco]

bike stolen in park. look it up on youtube. people don't realize they are doing things and judging people. It is what it is.

[King Taharqa]

Cam shouldve been compared to Manning and Marino. His rookie season is comparable to theirs if not better.

[SgtJoo]

Cam shouldve been compared to Manning and Marino. His rookie season is comparable to theirs if not better.

Better than Marino? Really?

[Mr Mojo Risin]

Better than Marino? Really?

Yes Cams rookie season > Marinos.

Cam-4700 all purpose yards 34 tds 18 total turnovers 60% completion

Marino-2300 yards 22 tds 8 turnovers 58% completion

[mav1234]

such a radically different time, trying to really compare stats like that is really hard. no doubt what cam has done is amazing but I think that trying to "rank" him I think is a bit unfair. No doubt his rookie season is pretty much one of the all time greats though.

fwiw, I don't think VY was an unfair comparison coming out of college; both ran offenses that were perceived to be simple etc. Both were very athletic QBs who were very impressive in college. and tbh I don't think VY is such an evil comparison, because VY's problems have mostly been outside the game IMO.

russell was a stupid one for a ton of reasons... the didn't even play the game vaguely similar at all.

[RedMage138]

JaMarcus could barely run in college. Young could barely throw in college.

How did Cam get compared to those two dunces again?

Do you really have to ask that question?

[Awesomeness!!]

I thought the VY comparisons were legit. VY is big (tall) and could run. Personally, I would have loved VY a few years ago. That guy was a lunatic though..

The J Russ comparisons were almost all racial in motive imo seeing how the two guys had nothing in common other than the fact that they were big and black

[TopCat]

JaMarcus could barely run in college. Young could barely throw in college.

How did Cam get compared to those two dunces again?

Truthfully because they're all black...White QBs get compared to other white QBs and Black QBs get compared to other black QBs.

Although I do think its getting better now since people have started calling analysis out on it.