DYLAN FORMAN
Sports Writer
foremadf@plu.edu
Leadership is defined by how you act in crisis. It’s not defined after a win. My grandpa Frosty Westering used to say, “How you win a game shows some of your character, how you lose a game, shows all of it.”
Lets rewind the clocks back a year to
Super Bowl XLIX. Russell Wilson lost on a soul crushing play when he threw a pick to end the game. Thirty minutes later when asked whose fault it was Russell Wilson said in crisis, “I’ll take the blame. It’s on me, it’s a big moment and we will get better from it.”
Now let’s flash forward back to present day. Thirty minutes after Super Bowl XLIX, Cam Newton who leads by dab constantly, answered the 11 of the 13 questions that he was asked; with three words or less. He put his hood on and reminded me of a little kid who didn’t get dessert and so isn’t talking to his parents because of it. Yet last week when he was winning his attitude was look at me, I’m the guy.
Now when he faces a little crisis, he pouts as well as walks off the podium during his press conference.
Now of course he was upset after the loss. As an athlete myself I can totally understandthat. But don’t you think Russell Wilson was upset after throwing a pick to lose the super bowl? You better believe he was. Yet he exemplified class by taking the blame and being a professional in front of the media.
That’s leadership and that’s what separates Cam Newton and Russell Wilson. You want Russell in your foxhole because you know when things get tough, he’s not going to quit. Cam won’t even dive for a fumble in the Super Bowl because he worried about getting injured. I bet that sat well with the other 52 Carolina Panthers that were playing their hearts out to win that game.
Seahawks Linebacker Bruce Irvin tweeted after that play took place thatRussellwould’ve tried to recover that football. So I’m not the only one who thinks this. A few Lute athletes have their own take on Cam Newton’s press conference.
Junior football player Brady Daly said, “I lost a lot of respect for Cam after the way he conducted himself in the press conference. He’s supposed to be the leader of the team. I’m quite sure he’s going to regret it.” Senior ultimate Frisbee player Greg Danese had this to say on the matter: “The way he acted after the game was extremely immature and he needs togrow up.”
When Cam broke into this league, you saw him pout, sulk, and throw many temper tantrums because he played onan average team and he faced adversity. You never get a second chance to make a first impression I look at Cam as a transcendent athletic figure, but a lot of the stuff that Cam did four years ago has now resurfaced.
