Does Cam Newton have a legitimate beef with the NFL?
Cam Newton got his call into Roger Goodell, but, the NFL came out yesterday and said Cam Newton is being officiated no differently than any other NFL QB.
I don't know what is was about Tony Dungey on the set of Sunday night football but the man just rubbed me the wrong way with his 'little' reprimand of Carolina QB Cam Newton after Newton complained about the low and late hits in Sunday's game with the Cardinals. Newton was essentially complaining about the officiating and said he was going to personally call Roger Goodell.
Dungey agreed with Newton's assessment of the officiating but suggested he should leave that kind of 'talking-to' to the head coach or the GM.
I'm sorry Mr. Dungey, you stand in the pocket and take the kind of hits that Newton is taking, game after game after game and not want to have a chat with the guy who oversees the league, the commissioner.
Saw a great stat on ESPN last night comparing the amount of Roughing the QB hits that Newton has garnered in the last two years as compared to Drew Brees, Tom Brady and himself.
Roughing the QB calls drawn in the last two seasons:
Drew Brees 10
Tom Brady 8
Cam Newton 0
The Denver game to open this season this year was just ridiculous. The amount of late and un-called violent hits to Newton's head. Don't care that Newton is a freak specimen at QB and don't care that he plays a different style that Brady or Brees or Carr, he's getting punished, physically. He's missing games (concussion), he's not playing at the same level as last season and the repeated hits are likely going to cost him the longevity he deserves.
And of course the NFL came out yesterday with the typical, "Cam Newton isn't being officiated any differently than any other NFL QB," comments.
The heck he's not!
Me personally: It seems like every time commentators or 'people in the know' are talking about Newton they always gush over the idea that they have a hard time grasping how big Newton is until you actually see him up close, and he's a big, thick dude. I think refs get caught up in the idea that Newton is this freak athlete, and like Ben Roethlisberger, even with bodies flying around and even having hold, the refs expect that Newton can 'handle' it or that he'll break free.
Newsflash, he's handling it pretty well but it's only a matter of time before one of those hits sends him to the sideline permanently!
Fix it NFL..Now!!
