San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick caused quite the stir earlier this month when he was seen rocking a Miami Dolphins hat and later mocked fans for having an issue with it. Now, Cam Newton is sure to have infuriated Carolina Panthers fans with his own show of affection for an opposing NFL team.
Newton, who grew up in the Atlanta area, admitted during a recent interview with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (via the Charlotte Observer) that he is still an Atlanta Falcons fan.
“It’s always a heavily critiqued game…” he said when asked if it is tough to play the Falcons. “I’ve always been a Falcons fan, and I’m still a Falcons fan except for those two times a year.”
Considering the Panthers and Falcons are division rivals, Atlanta fans will likely cringe when they read the quote. That being said, I wouldn’t put this on the same level as Kaepernick’s hat in terms of loyalty or a lack thereof. Newton has admitted in the past that he grew up idolizing Michael Vick and rooting for the Falcons. Those feelings don’t have to disappear overnight for him to care about winning.
We know how fans can be. There’s a reason people in Atlanta didn’t want their street named after Newton. A couple of years back, Panthers defensive lineman Charles Johnson took it a step further by wearing a Falcons hat and posing with a certain celebrity. That may be a bit much, but there’s nothing wrong with Newton admitting he still has a thing for his favorite team growing up. Most professional athletes do, whether they admit it or not.
H/T Shutdown Corner
