Cam Newton Shuts Down Detractors Who Called His Friends ‘Thugs’

Cam Newton joined the Carolina Panthers’ team in 2011, and he’s been a popular topic of conversation since. On Thursday, though, Cam became a topic for a reason other than his performance on the field. He posted a photo on his public Facebook page, and negative comments began rolling in. On Friday, Newton responded with a new photo and informed detractors that they were focused too much on appearance and missing the people inside.

When Cam Newton uploaded the first photo, which you can see below, the comment section went wild with people telling the NFL player that he was damaging his wholesome image, that he shouldn’t hang around with “thugs,” and that he was at risk of losing his contract and sponsorships.

Commenters complained that the pointed fingers in the photo look as though Newton’s companions were pointing guns at their viewers and that Cam himself appeared to be flashing a gang sign. However, Newton explained to Fox 8 that there was no gang sign — he was making a “W” to refer to Westlake High School, his alma mater.

As for his friends being labeled as “thugs,” Cam responded to that by sharing a second photo, along with a scolding commentary. He pointed out that the same people were in both photos, and that they all have degrees and are educated. The first photo was a group of guys having fun on vacation. Newton’s second photo showed a more serious setting.

In the commentary, Cam declared that he wasn’t trying to live up to anyone else’s image of him — just to be himself.

He wondered why people were so judgmental and asked, “Is this picture better for you S1MPLEminded PEOP1E…?”

He further informed his audience that those passing judgment are no better than those being judged — and Cam drove it home by asking whether people are seeing what’s in front of them, or what they choose to perceive.

On Cam Newton’s Facebook page, the debate still carries on, with some fans declaring that the first photo was inappropriate for someone who is in the public eye and acts as a role model, and others declaring that the photos have made a definitive impression and sent a strong message about judging people based on appearances. However, one thing is clear: After the second photo, the debate sharply changed. While some viewers are still name-calling and disparaging Cam Newton and his friends, the flow of negative comments has slowed, and the number of viewers thanking him for dispelling a stereotype has skyrocketed.

[Images via: Cam Newton’s Facebook]