It is easy to kick a man when he is down. That's what I've always been told. It seems just as easy to wish a successful man to fail. That's just part of human nature, I guess.
I've heard people say for many years that everybody loves a winner, but I know that's just not true. The truth is, everybody loves a winner, so long as they are just like them.
Being a bit different than the crowd puts you in a position to face the slings and arrows of critics who wish you didn't stick out like a sore thumb so much. That's part of human nature, too.
While there are people who don't entirely agree with your lifestyle (don't count me among them, by the way), that doesn't mean you can't be different. What kind of world would we have where there was only one flavor of ice cream? Or one kind of pizza? One kind of music? BORRRRINNGGG...!!!!
Variety is the spice of life. That's the fact, Jack. It's seasoning that makes food taste better, and we can add as little or as much as we like. It all depends on our taste.
Guys like you are seasoning. You make football, and sports as a whole, much more fun to watch. Less predictable. More enjoyable. Like it or not, agree with it or not, that's the main reason people tune in. Sports represent the ultimate reality show.
Like Forrest Gump's box of chocolates, you never know what you're going to get. You never see the same thing twice. We're drawn to it like moths to a flame. Even if we get burned from time to time, the attraction is there. We get a chance to behold and bask in its glow.
I'm not going to jump on the bandwagon of folks that criticize you for your so-called "antics." Neither am I going to bash you for being a "sore loser," as some are doing.
Courage isn't required to bash someone for walking away when he's dealing with feelings of anguish in the immediate aftermath of a setback. It takes no guts to second guess someone who has trouble facing the cameras when most critics will never have their failures displayed so publicly.
Some of us remember what it feels like to fail, to get back up after falling down when our hearts ache with the heaviness of defeat. So this note isn't to rub salt in your wounds. You have enough people doing that to you already.
This note is to encourage you, to let you know that your best days are still ahead of you. As the late Phil Rizzuto once said, "Even in defeat, the seeds of future greatness can be sown."
You may have trouble seeing that now when your heart is clouded with pain but let me remind you it was just two years ago your opponent was confronted with the same feelings of frustration you are experiencing now.
Did you notice they found a way to rise from the ashes of that failure? I did. Others did. I trust you will do the same.
So hold your head up, Cameron Newton. There are people in your life who love and respect you. There are still fans who admire you, who remain in your corner, who support you now more than ever, at the time you need it most.
And now that you're a new daddy, I can share this advice with you:
When my son was little we watched many films together, shared many father/son moments. One of my favorites was The Lion King, where the wise baboon Rafiki shared some profound wisdom with a still grieving Simba over the pain of his past:
Enjoy your offseason, spend as much precious time as possible with your new baby boy (I assume you will teach him how to dab before he's 2...smile), and come back stronger than ever.
Let this moment be a stepping stone to your next triumph. When you get to the mountaintop you'll be able to enjoy the view...and best of all you'll appreciate every step of the way.
Take care, be safe, enjoy your family...and we'll see you again in the fall...
#KeepPounding
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