It’s one thing for an NFL analyst to comment on the way a quarterback plays. Jeff Garcia is an NBC Sports analyst and a retired quarterback — he should have insight into what went wrong for quarterback Cam Newton in the team’s 33-6 loss to the San Francisco 49ers. There was plenty of room for criticism on the field. But Garcia instead tore into Newton for the way he dressed.
“There’s nothing good going your way,” Garcia said Sunday. “Why are you dressing like that to bring more attention to yourself? I’d be asking the equipment manager to sneak me in the sock cart and I’ll show up on the field and do the best that I can. … This goes back to a couple of years of just watching this guy and seeing him at the podium, but yet what he’s doing on the field does not translate to him being that guy.”
Nonsense.
Cam Newton has struck a nerve with Jeff Garcia pic.twitter.com/WXWvhtmClP
— Ryan Glasspiegel (@sportsrapport) October 26, 2020
Newton likes getting dressed up for game day. Is he supposed to change into different clothes after a loss? That’s absurd.
Newton shows up to work looking professional, with beautiful clothes that are, without a doubt, bold. But that’s fashion. That’s style. That’s swag. Most important, that’s free expression. Garcia has no place to tell Newton what to wear and when to wear it. If the quarterback feels most comfortable and most confident in big hats and snakeskin boots, then that’s what he should wear. Athletes can do more than play sports. They can be activists and public speakers. They can be models and fashion icons. They don’t need to win football games to dabble in the world beyond sports.
Newton’s press conference, by the way, was filled with substance and accountability. If Garcia could get past appearances, maybe he could have heard what Newton had to say and respected the way he presented himself: with the utmost professionalism.
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