I was hoping to avoid writing this column for as long as possible, (unlike many other sportswriters around the country) but reading post-NFL Sunday columns has gotten me fed up.
I want to make this perfectly clear: there is absolutely nothing wrong with celebrating something good you did in sports. Nothing. Zip. Nada.
In my opinion, Cam Newton is a pretty good dude and has been, by many accounts, since his time at Auburn. You can’t ignore the fact that he devotes a lot of time and energy to fan interactions, treating all of them far better than most athletes do. His quarterback play in his season at Auburn was the best in NCAA history, and his play is about to take the Panthers to, potentially, the best season in team history.
He is on top of the world right now. Why can’t he dance from time to time?
Over the past few weeks, Cam’s tendency to hit the “dab” (the dance move that makes him look like he’s sneezing) has gotten bad press.
“He sets a horrible example for kids,” critics say, hopefully sarcastically.
Or, my favorite: ‘Scam’ Newton has no class.
This is ridiculous. Where were these people when Ray Lewis spent an entire career dancing after sacks and other big plays he made? Why do things like the Ickey Shuffle and Deion Sanders’s high-step get fondly remembered, but not a dance move? Were people asleep when, in this season’s Cardinals-Seahawks game, Carson Palmer made an obscene gesture toward Seattle fans?
I don’t condone doing what Palmer did to the Seahawks fans, but I’ll always condone celebrating. Maybe it’s partly out of selfishness, as I’m always looking for good photos. But it’s in large part because we’re all watching glorified kids’ games. Half of the songs that are played over the PA systems — the whip/nae nae, the quan and the Cupid Shuffle, to name a few — encourage dancing. Let the kids (and NFL quarterbacks) have some fun.
Cam may kill the dab, but is that really killing anyone?
I’ve compiled a list of some situations where, in my opinion, it’s OK for America’s young athletes to celebrate with dancing or other (family-friendly) gestures:
• Scoring a touchdown (especially if it’s an offensive or defensive lineman)
• Dunking a basketball
• Scoring a crucial goal, basket, touchdown or whatever (think go-ahead or late-game tying scores)
• During timeouts and intermissions
• Getting a hat trick
• On the sideline/bench (but not when the coach is trying to tell you something)
• Sacking a quarterback
• Pre-game huddle shenanigans
• Post-game victory shenanigans
There’s definitely a time and a place to be serious in sports. But it’s also foolish to forget that these games were created for us to have fun. If kids know that they and their favorite athletes are allowed to have fun while playing, it’ll help them want to play too.
Of course, it’s also important to remember that there are rules in sports that govern when you can and can’t celebrate. I encourage young athletes to know these rules and plan their celebrations accordingly.
Also, it’s OK if you or your child looks up to Cam Newton. There’s nothing wrong with dancing, or being good to people in the community or (and I can’t believe he gets flak for this) smiling all the time.
If you’re going to tell your kid to not be like Cam, then do not use the dancing as the catalyst for your argument — he once did foolishly steal and then attempt to hide a laptop while at Florida.
In light of that incident, athletes have done far worse things before and since that happened, and Cam has certainly taken great steps to stop being a dumb college freshman. Heck, maybe it’s good to teach kids that you can learn from your mistakes, overcome them and rise to the top?
Don’t ever let anyone tell you that you can’t have fun playing sports.
Contact Justin Kline at jkline@plantcityobserver.com.