Former Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Cam Newton has made a seamless transition from his playing to the media side of the world of sports. The Former No. 1 overall pick who led the Carolina Panthers to the Super Bowl while also winning MVP in the same season has never been afraid to express himself.
In his choice of dress or words, Newton is very well versed in stirring the pot. That’s exactly what he did recently when he invited former ESPN analyst Jason Whitlock on appear on his “4th and 1” podcast. Whitlock and Smith have longstanding disdain for one another, and according to ESPN colleague Ryan Clark Newton choosing to have Whitlock on his puts his loyalty into question.
Clark Spews Fake Outrage
Speaking on X about to Newton for having Whitlock on his platform, Clark, who co-hosts “The Pivot” podcast alongside former NFL players Fred Taylor and Channing Crowder, had advice for Newton.
“If someone shows you love, has you on ‘their’ show twice a week… at least. You don’t bring his known enemy on your show and allow your guest to talk [poop emoji] about person. That’s not G at all. Loyalty is at a minimum these days,” Clark tweeted.
Cam Responds Bluntly To Ryan Clark
It didn’t take long for Cam to respond, and he did so on “4th and 1.”
“So you mean to tell me who me [I] can and can’t have on me [my] platform?” Newton said. “I don’t go and say to you who you can have on your platform.”
“One thing that’s not going to happen is a puppet string attached to my back,” he said, adding that throughout his career he has always operated on his own terms. “Ron Rivera knew that. Jerry Richardson knew that. Gene Chizik knew that. Bill Belichick knew that. Every single coach and player that I’ve ever played with knows that I’m gonna do things how I want to do it.”
“The reason why I decided to bring Jason Whitlock on ‘4th and 1’ was because he had strong takes that I wanted to talk man to man about,” Newton explained. “What better way to ease all that than through conversation?”
“Don’t micromanage me. Don’t tell me what I can and can’t do,” he said. “In this world of content, there’s no such thing as loyalty.”
“That was never your battle to fight,” Newton said. “If you knew the real, you would have known that Stephen A. Smith and I are good.”
Newton And Smith Call Out Fake Outrage
Despite the public disagreement, Newton indicated there is no lingering issue between him and Smith. Instead, his focus remains on maintaining independence as his media presence continues to grow.
As for Smith his only gripe was that Newton should’ve pushed back or defended against his nemesis.
“Cam Newton, next time, my brother, cause you know I love you, you gonna interview somebody and bring me up? Don’t just sit there and let them talk sh*t. Ask questions,” Smith said.
“Let them prove it. I’m a fraud? How? What facts do you have? I’m sitting there doing an interview with Graham Bensinger the other day and I talked about how growing up as a teenager, I saw a few people get murdered. … I’m lying about that, according to Jason Whitlock, like he was in Hollis Queens, New York 40-plus years ago. How would he know?” Smith continued.
“I’m a fraud, how do you know? I didn’t write my own book, how do you know? If you’re gonna bring me up and you’re somebody that’s in my inner circle and you talk to me, grill them. Don’t just let them talk smack,” he decalred
“I love that brother,” Smith said of Newton. “I’ll bet you he’ll have better questions for me than he did for Jason Whitlock.”
Seems like Newton and SAS are just fine in their working relationship and personal relationship.
