If you’re a football fan, or not, you may have heard about a recent story involving the Carolina Panthers QB, Cam Newton’s “controversial” dancing in the end zone after a touchdown (those are aggressive scare-quotes). I get most of my news from social media but it sounds like this was all over the airwaves as well. In some ways this is a story that’s as old as sports; but it’s also one that constantly revisits us in new ways. If, when, how, and why athletes play their games is nothing new. But questions around the styles of sports reminds us that sports are always about more than end zones, balls, and goal posts—they’re a microcosm of life—and therefore, cultural diversity.
To catch you up, Cam did what he does best—score touchdowns. But he’s also not so bad as a dancer and entertainer. He plays the game at a high level and visibly enjoys entertaining his teammates and fans along the way. In fact, one of his rituals—not involved in this incident—is making sure he personally delivers every touchdown ball into the hands of the closest child in the stands behind the end zone. Just the other week another player, Julius Peppers, tried to deny Cam his ritual and he went out of his way to make sure a child received the ball before the game went on. These small acts of kindness however, are really symbols of the much bigger acts of kindness that Cam is known for. He is repeatedly in the news for his dedication to children with terminally ill diseases and his off-the-filed charities. It’s undeniable that in every aspect of the game, Cam is an exceptional leader. So what’s the buzz?
Well, after a touchdown Cam did a dance—“the dab”—that caused one angry mom to write a letter which has since gone viral. In the letter the woman berates Cam for his “pelvic thrusting” and “puffing his chest” as a sign of his bad sportsmanship and bad example for her daughter—and presumably for other fans in the stadium. At one point she credits Cam’s dance for causing other fans to act brashly during the game. Many have wondered if this angry-mom had ever been to a football game before—it’s not the ballet. In fact, another angry-mom (albeit for different reasons) wrote a response letter that I think communicates my sentiments exactly. In this letter, the woman writes that it is ironic that Cam was being targeted for dancing while there are so many other serious allegations for other men in the NFL—including domestic abuse charges of Greg Hardy. Not to mention that the nature of football, and football stadiums, are inherently violent and expressive. This is not new. But ultimately the second letter raises the very real possibility that the critiques of Cam’s dance are really code for critiques of his race. In fact, Carson Palmer, Aaron Rodgers, and Tom Brady (all white) are rarely criticized for similar comments and gestures that are celebratory in nature.
Of course this is not to dismiss the reality that sports fans of all colors have varying degrees of opinions of their preference on athlete expressions. But this is part of what makes sports so great—the great diversity. I have friends who prefer their athletes of the “clean-cut”, “dignified”, and “classy” variety, who could take or leave what they see as overly expressive celebrations. That’s not me. Again, who and what defines our definitions of “classy”. I realize there are degrees of freedom here. But we should all recognize that sports, and sports celebrations, don’t happen in a vacuum. They happen within the arenas of life—which are filled with histories of different cultural expressions and experiences. Recognizing this means paying attention to which players get scrutinized disproportionately and unfairly.
The worst part of this story is that a player that is objectively—by any measure—a great leader who loves children and enjoys playing the game (not just for the money) received a lot of bad press that overshadowed all his great qualities. But the best part of this story is that it created a dialogue around race, sportsmanship and what great leaders are really all about—not just if they dance. And I would add, as a Charlotte native and die-hard Panthers fan, it drew further attention to our perfect record—NINE and ZERO! You can watch sports however you want—in your home or at the stadium—but I for one will be “dabbing” with my QB!
