Bill betting Newton is a winner ...
And the rest of the NFL better hope he is wrong
Are we done talking about Cam Newton?
No?
Of course, no. We’re going to be talking about Cam Newton for a while. That’s what happens when the haters were ready — gleeful, even — to put a fork in the greatest dynasty since the Lannisters.
The earth shook when the Patriots coughed up a Week 17 game against Miami that squandered an epic season start and a first-round bye. Tom Brady’s pick-six in the Wild Card round against Tennessee signaled to the world that the end was beginning in earnest.
Then Brady fled to Tampa, followed soon after by Rob Gronkowski’s unretirement and forcing his rights to be traded to the Bucs.
Each action delighted the fans of 31 other NFL teams. Finally, we’re done with these guys.
The draft came along and coach Bill Belichick passed on drafting a “can’t-miss” QB. And a few talented reclamation projects — Jameis Winston particularly — drew zero interest from New England. The Patriots were going to go with second-year pro Jarrett Stidham out of Auburn, who went 18-9 on The Plains, but lost twice in the SEC title game and lost to Central Florida in the Jan. 1, 2018, Peach Bowl. Stidham’s pick-six in that game sealed the loss.
People were licking their chops. Then came last Sunday, when the Pats made their splash, signing Newton to an extremely teamfriendly one-year deal.
I haven’t met Belichick yet, and I’m sure he’s just fine with that. He seems like the kind of guy who would know exactly what Faye Dunaway and Mickey Rourke were talking about in this exchange from the 1987 film “Barfly,” written by the late great Charles Bukowski:
Dunaway’s Wanda Wilcox: “I can’t stand people. I hate them.”
Rourke’s Bukowski alter-ego Henry Chinaski: “Oh yeah?” Dunaway: “Do you hate them?” Rourke: “No, uh … but I seem to feel better when they’re not around.”
As a fan of the game, or of teams, you want one thing: A ferocious, driven commitment to winning. Imagine being a fan of the Detroit Lions (Sorry, Danny V; sorry, Brooks.) Imagine being a fan of the Cleveland Browns. (Sorry, people not in old folks’ homes.) In the
Robert Kraft/Bill Belichick era, there’s no question what the bottom line is: winning. Most of the world’s most hated teams — the Dallas Cowboys, the New York Yankees, the Los Angeles Lakers, the Montreal Canadiens, the Celtics, the Patriots — have one thing in common. Winning.
(Aside: Why aren’t the San Antonio Spurs on this list?)
So when the Pats landed Cam Newton, the first thing you heard was a collective groan from NFL fans who thought they’d just about slain this Jason Voorhees-like beast. Nope.
So now the naysayers have pivoted to different takes:
“Cam Newton’s too injured, he’s washed up.”
“Cam Newton’s not that great, he had one good season so what?”
“Cam Newton’s a hot dog, he’ll never fit in here, Patriots Way baby!”
Newton has been injured. A shoulder injury dashed what was looking like a return to 2015 MVP form midway through 2018. Then a foot injury wrecked almost all of 2019, when he had two mediocre games before being shelved.
Cam’s a 6-5, 245-pound man at quarterback. He’s a physically imposing dude. And a lot of people have felt like he gets treated like Shaquille O’Neal used to be treated … as a guy so big and strong that officials seemed to let defenders get away with taking liberties. Check out Cam’s workout videos on his Instagram page. The guy is cut. He’s not a chunky 6-5, he is a Greek god. Do you think Belichick doesn’t know what he’s doing?
The “not that great” argument is stupid, possibly borne of some dislike of Cam’s style. Some folks don’t like his swagger, don’t like his flashy wardrobe. And let’s face it: Some people don’t like his skin color, because recent events have shown racism is alive and well in 2020. The “not so great” argument is weak.
Then there’s those who think that this wild horse cannot be tamed. Probably the dumbest argument of all.
Bill Belichick is a cowboy. He isn’t intimidated by a single personality in the NFL world. You’re talking about a guy who managed Corey Dillon, Randy Moss, Aaron Hernandez (on the field, anyway), Rob Gronkowski, Wes Welker, Chad Ochocinco … and tried to tame Josh Gordon and Antonio Brown. Belichick ain’t skeered of nobody. And he ain’t skeered of Cam Newton.
Bill Belichick is about winning. If you help him win, you have a place at the table. If you cause problems, he’ll get rid of you. This isn’t a surprise to anyone. This is who the man is. He wants to win football games and understands how to mine talent.
And now he has a former MVP, a guy who fits into the trend toward mobile QBs — heck, he practically created the modern version of it — and he has teams once again dreading the Patriots. It’s going to be a fun ride.