To set up the reasoning for writing this, I start with a story from last night. I was sitting down with my Dad eating dinner and talking about the Conference Championship games going on that night. Naturally the discussion turned to the Green Bay-Seattle tilt. That game was a doozy and a half. I didn't get to see all of it, but got to see some of the more interesting parts. As we are discussing this game, I found myself getting angry. I couldn't figure out why. The more I talked with my Dad about the game, the more upset I got. I tried figuring out what it was... it wasn't that we lost to Seattle last week, it wasn't because of school (*yet), wasn't because I was hungry. I couldn't put my finger on what it was that was upsetting me so much. Then it hit me.

Well, not hit me, more like popped up on my phone. It was the recap to the NFC Championship game and it read:

I read that and thought, really? A guy who played like garbage and nearly single handedly lost the game for the Seattle Seahawks LED them to victory? Sure, he led them on the drives to tie and win the game, but any QB that throws 4 picks in a game should never be lauded for doing well in said game. Now don't get me wrong, I do have respect for Wilson and I am not trying to take anything away from what he has accomplished. He is a very good QB, he knows how to win, and he's also a very high character guy. My issue isn't even with him really. The issue, and the reason why I was so upset, was the attention and praise that I feel is unfairly given to him, at least for this game by the media and fans. My main thought was: what if Cam Newton played like this? Would he receive similar words of jubilant glory?

Now, to many of you extremely rational fans, you'll perhaps stop reading this because this will simply sound like a typical fan temper tantrum about how "their" QB doesn't get enough attention, and blah blah blah. You might be right. I might be crazy. But I do know how people perceive Newton, and it is truly a damned shame that so many have a false perception of the man. Be honest with yourself: would that headline read the same if Newton had played like that? Would the sports world and general NFL fans react with the same type of praise? Why in the hell do people hate Cam Newton so damned much?

Honest answer is, I don't know. I know and know of people who utterly hate him or strongly dislike him. I have a few examples I'll cover as reasons why these people seemingly detest him so much, starting with the infamous incident at Auburn. Covering these reasons may give us an idea of why Newton gets a double standard in the NFL.

The Case of the Stolen Laptop

Many Newton haterade drinkers love using this as a point of emphasis. In 2008, when Cam was 19 and a student at THE University of Florida, he was arrested for stealing a fellow students laptop. Now this was something he did, and he was caught red handed, and was subsequently suspended from the team for doing so. After undergoing a court appoitned program, all charges against Newton were dropped. Soon afterwards he would transfer to the D-II school, Blinn College.

Now let's dissect this some. First off, Newton was a sophomore at a college that, under the leadership of now Ohio State HC Urban Meyer, saw numerous players have run ins with the law, including: Chris Rainey, Matt Elam, Carlos Dunlap, Janoris Jenkins, and others (you can read the list here). Oh, and let's not forget about ole six gun himself Aaron Hernandez, who was suspect during his time at that program. This isn't meant to exonerate Newton of his wrong doing, rather it is meant to show the extremely poor environment he was in at Florida, and how easy it was for players to get into trouble. If we are going to continue hounding him for this, something from seven years ago, then hound Ohio State QB Cardale Jones and this tweet he sent out two years ago:

People change, we all change. Are you the same person you were two years ago? Doubtful. Even more doubtful you are the same person you were seven years ago.

Ever since that incident, Newton has been spotless. Never having any major issues at Blinn, Auburn, or here in Carolina. To me, that is evidence that his environment was a huge contributing factor to his misstep while at Florida. There is no pattern to trace, no long list of crimes committed. No, it was a singular, stupid moment in the life of a teenager at a university that didn't police it's players enough. Don't use this as a reason to hate him. It is pathetic.

Superman

Nobody likes a showboater. Nobody likes an "in your face I scored" kind of guy... unless you root for that player or team. So here's the thing, people dislike the Superman moniker that Newton has developed. I get it ok? It makes him seem arrogant or detached. So let me ask you this? Do you get just as mad when Colin Kaepernick does his bicep kissing? Do you get just as mad whenever Russell Wilson celebrates in the endzone after running the ball in? How about when Andrew Luck spikes the ball into the 400 section after a score? Do you get as incensed whenever ANY OTHER PLAYER does a celebration in the endzone?

If you want him to stop doing that, just hope your team can stop him from scoring. Problem solved. I don't blame any player for celebrating a score. Getting a touchdown in the NFL is a special thing that very few people get to do in their lives. I may have a very strong dislike of Kaepernick myself, but that doesn't mean I should hate his move and subsequently him for it. Superman is just Cam's thing. For people to get all bent in a wad over it is childish. Not to mention he always, ALWAYS hands a touchdown ball to a kid in the stands. Does anyone else, anyone at all in the NFL do that on a regular basis? Hmph... something else that goes soundly unnoticed by the NFL at large.

Gatorade Towel Guy and Bad Press Conference Cam

TowelGate. Mopey Cam. Sad Cam. Whatever the hell you want to call it, this is another ridiculous tool for those on a crusade to bash Newton to hell. Here is a news flash: this is something Cam has done throughout his career. He wears one at the start of the game. He wears one when the Panthers are up by 10. He wears one when they are down by 10. He wears one when they win and wears one when the lose. It is just a thing he does. I don't see people lose their minds over it when Tom Brady does it, so why hang this supposed albatross solely around his neck?

And yes, I'll concede for his first two years, Newton was unhappy in numerous post game press conferences that ended in a loss. For a guy that hadn't lost a game throughout his time at Blinn College and Auburn, coming to the NFL and not having the same success likely took some time getting used to. Let me ask this though: if you dislike and hate Newton for this, do you hate Colin Kaepernick? Marshawn Lynch? Tom Brady? Drew Brees? Any NFL player who loses a game? Seriously people.

Do you expect someone to be happy after a loss? I know Newton went a bit over the top with some of it, but has he been like that at all the past two years? No. Not a single time has he done that. He has grown up as a man and as a player. Stop bringing up crap from two years ago that doesn't even happen anymore as a reason to hate him.

Ok, so what then?

I'm sure there are more things people hate about him I could list. You could probably find some on the Facebook page "I Hate Cam Newton" (a page I won't link to give them the satisfaction), or just by Googling his name. Again, I don't understand the hate. I don't understand how people will eviscerate him for one thing, and then give another guy a pass for doing the exact same thing. Why do people hate this man so much? He has been nothing short of a completely upstanding citizen in the city of Charlotte.

Newton's main charity, The Cam Newton Foundation aims at helping local kids succeed not only on the field, but in the classroom and at home as well. This past year alone, he helped feed 800 local kids through his Thanksgiving Jam. And as Christmas approached, Newton treated several lucky kids to a shopping spree at a Charlotte area Dick's Sporting Goods. Did I forget to mention this happened roughly a week AFTER his near death car accident? And these are not isolated incidents that Newton has suddenly taken up. These are activities he has undertaken nearly his entire career so far as a Carolina Panther.

As for his play on the field, he may not have the Super Bowl ring that Wilson has, or the gaudy stats that Luck has, but that shouldn't mean those players get a free pass by fans and the media when they have a bad game. As I said, praise has been lauded on Wilson for a game he had no business winning and nearly singularly lost for his team, winning thanks to the ineptitude of the Packers. It is all too often that when Cam Newton has a bad game, no quarter is granted to him, and "analysts" wonder if he will "ever get it" because he had a bad game. If we are going to criticize and deny credit, let's be equal about it folks.

Compared to the numerous other trash receptacles that are out there in the NFL, Cam Newton is the exact opposite of those kinds of guys. It boggles my mind that he is not listed with the Russell Wilson's of the NFL in terms of being the "good guys" of the NFL. Going back to the Championship game chatter, I remember seeing someone say in a tweet that (and this is verbatim) Russell Wilson is the type of guy kids should emulate. Ok, that isn't a bad choice at all. But would that same guy agree that Cam Newton is one people should emulate? I'm willing to bet a beer he wouldn't. Really nobody outside of the Carolina's or the Panthers fanbase would agree with that, and I don't know why and it pains and angers me that they don't. They don't understand the type of man he is, the philanthropy that he engages in off the field. If you want to dislike him because he is a Panther and you are a Falcons or Bengals, or any of the 31 other teams fans, fine.

But don't hate the man. Don't hang onto your irrational dislike for him because of a Gatorade towel he wears on his head, or an incident with a laptop from seven years ago, or from his touchdown celebration or because of his choice of post-game attire (ask BW about this one). The Cam Newton Double Standard needs to stop. Far too much focus is placed on the "bad" and exaggerated BS people create and sensationalize. The media needs to stop it, fans need to stop it, and we here at CSR need to do our best to keep this myth from perpetuating any further. It may be childish of me, but until I see Cam Newton's name replacing Wilson's or Luck's, or any other player in a similar statement given the context of what happened in the game like in that post game wrap up, I won't be happy. Cam isn't perfect, but he is just as good of a man as Wilson, Luck, or any of these QB's or players that get soundly applauded for nearly everything they do.

It is time Cam Newton got that same kind of fair treatment from everyone.