Cam Newton addresses backlash from his recent comments

Aug 22, 2019; Foxborough, MA, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton (1) warms up prior to the start of a game against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

Cam Newton made some remarks earlier this month that were perceived by many to be sexist, and the former NFL MVP has finally responded to the criticism.

Newton was a guest on a recent episode of Barstool Sports’ “Million Dollaz Worth of Game” podcast. While discussing his childhood, Newton praised his parents and said they did a great job of showing him what a strong relationship looks like. The free agent quarterback then criticized women who carry the “bad b–ch” mentality.

“Now a women for me is, handling your own but knowing how to cater to a man’s needs. Right?” Newton said. “And I think a lot of times when you get that aesthetic of, ‘I’m a boss b–ch, I’m a this, I’m a that.’ No, baby, but you can’t cook. You don’t know when to be quiet. You don’t know how to allow a man to lead.”

During his latest “Funky Friday” segment on YouTube, Newton said the comments were taken “completely out of context.” He expressed regret over not going more in-depth with the topic.

“Not only am I bringing awareness to what the ‘bad (expletive)’ is. I’m also bringing awareness to what a ‘(expletive) boy’ is — what a man should be to their kids, to their families,” Newton said, as transcribed by Chris Mason of MLive.com. “I’ll be the first person to tell you: Did I make a mistake by not going into depth on a certain topic? Yes. I should have said on top of what I also said and mentioned, that not only should a woman know when to be quiet, a man also should know when to be quiet.

“The whole premise of my tone and how I was talking was this: You can’t expect so much from a person and give so little. No matter if you’re the breadwinner in your family dynamic as a man or you’re the breadwinner in your family dynamic as a woman. You’ve gotta uphold your end of the bargain.”

Part of the problem for Newton is that he has not earned the benefit of the doubt. When the free-agent quarterback was with the Carolina Panthers in 2017, he made a sexist remark to a female reporter who asked him a very standard question. You can see that video here.

Newton signed with the Panthers midway through last year and played poorly. The odds are stacked against him this offseason given his injury history and recent performance. The latest controversy probably did not help.