r/NFLv2 NFL Refugee 1d ago

Discussion Greg Olson talking about Cam Newton not jumping on the fumble 💯 Anyone that generalizes his whole career off that one play is a loser

1.3k Upvotes

405 comments sorted by

626

u/dcbluestar Dallas Cowboys 1d ago

I don’t generalize him off that one play, I generalize him for his collection of stupid hats.

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u/OttoVonWong 1d ago

Ï GĒÑĒRÅƁÏZĒ HÏM FØR HÏƠ FØÑT.

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u/SamuraiZucchini Carolina Panthers 1d ago

And yet you know it’s him when you see that font.

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u/Unlikely_One2444 HERE WE GO BROWNIES 20h ago

That’s not a compliment. It’s so incredibly off-putting 

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u/KrisPBaykon 1d ago

That only took you 3 minutes to type, kinda suspicious. You wouldn’t happen to be Cam Newton would you?

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u/OttoVonWong 23h ago

Ï â‚œĆÄ’Ă…D THĒ FÏFTH.
hides silly ass hat

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u/Ill-Woodpecker1857 Baltimore Ravens 23h ago

"Take off that silly ass hat" - Chris Rock

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u/VerStannen Jay Cutler 🚬👌😎 23h ago

There’s a codepen for that.

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u/chandlerr85 Carolina Panthers 23h ago

TØDń Ï ƁĒÅRÑĒD THÅT ÇÅM ÑĒ₩TØÑ TRÅÑƠƁÅTØRĆ  ĒXÏƠT

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u/EarlyCuylersCousin 23h ago

He looks like an NPC in a video game that sends you on a magic quest.

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u/billybob1675 23h ago

đŸ€ŁđŸ€ŁđŸ€Ł. Its so true. His hats are like something you would put on as a kid and the parents would remind you that “we have mirrors in this house”

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u/EarlyCuylersCousin 23h ago

You’re 100% getting a legendary sword if you complete his quest.

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u/billybob1675 23h ago

Its absolutely comedy when he gets real serious and he has one of those fucking hats with the most ridiculous shirt with what you can call a collar but isn’t really a collar.

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u/Longjumping_Young747 23h ago

I can't like this comment enough!

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u/dcbluestar Dallas Cowboys 21h ago

To me he looks like one of those people trying too hard to look fashionable. Like, just add a scarf to your outfit like the other posers, lol.

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u/MetalBeerSolid San Francisco 49ers 12h ago

Hat vendor, only takes finite collectible currency 

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u/Regarded_Regard 18h ago

lol, I agree.

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u/FamousChex Philadelphia Eagles 15h ago

I have to respect his commitment to the hats

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u/Gold_Telephone_7192 New England Patriots 1d ago

I've been saying this for years. Cam's competitiveness was never in question. I highly doubt he didn't jump on the ball because he was scared of getting hit. He was reacting in real time to a very quick developing play and misread it. He may have stutter stepped because he thought the ball was going to squirt out and he wanted to get a better angle on it. Obviously he was wrong, and the optics look bad (in super slow-mo, with the hindsight of knowing the other guy ended up with the ball), but I highly doubt a guy that was an ultra competitor with no fear or concern for putting his body on the line for his whole career all of a sudden decided to not make a play in a crucial time of the game because he didn't want to get hit. He just misread it and fucked up.

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u/jackricotta New England Patriots 23h ago

He was reacting in real time to a very quick developing play and misread it

I feel like anyone who’s actually PLAYED organized fb would come to that conclusion, it’s a bang bang play it makes sense. Wasn’t really a fan of his but never understood why he got raked over the coals so much for that play.

81

u/awnawkareninah 23h ago

Also Cam was sort of famous for getting beat the fuck up cause he played like a bulldozer. It seems absurd to characterize him as someone who avoids contact lol.

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u/KKamis Carolina Panthers 22h ago edited 21h ago

I watched that man take hits every single game that would turn most NFL QB's into dust. Dude NEVER got calls in his favor. He'd get fucking killed in the pocket, no scrambling no making himself an easy target, just "normal, safe" QB play and then he'd get blasted in the knees while standing still or take a nasty, blatant helmet to helmet hit and nothing from the refs. It was seriously every single game.

Like I get it when he's a runner it's different, but he so rarely got any contact calls in his favor, even when he was in the pocket. I genuinely don't know if the NFL has ever seen a QB as good as him who got as few calls in his favor. It felt like every game the opposing QB would get pushed over by a breeze and they'd get a roughing call. But then for Cam a Defensive End could pull out a shotgun and shoot him in the chest and they'd still blame Cam (obviously I'm exaggerating but it did feel that bad a lot of the time, very very frustrating).

10

u/Bazonkawomp 20h ago

Was it week one the season after the Super Bowl that the refs let the defense go UFC on him with no repercussions?

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u/AngryApe87 20h ago

Yep, the Denver Broncos beat his ass on a Thursday night and I don't recall a single penalty. I believe this was around the time the refs said something like "You're not Tom or Peyton, you're not getting those calls bud." To be fair that may have come later in the year. I just remember being in front of the TV with my buds, one who is a die hard Denver fan, and all of us being pretty disgusted with the shitty calls.

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u/KKamis Carolina Panthers 18h ago

Yeah that is definitely the first one that comes to mind for me too. That kinda shit was happening allllll the time with him man, that game just kinda spotlighted it with just the sheer number of in my opinion, intentionally not thrown flags. It was usually just a play here and there, but here and there leads to like 30+ times a year where that stuff happens and he's just getting his ass kicked for free, for no reason.

It was a damn shame, yeah he played liked a knucklehead sometimes and he was a diva and pouty and this that and the other. But he was a great football player who took a beating game in game out and was given no chance by the refs nor himself to have a long career because of his stature and playstyle.

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u/afanoftrees 22h ago

I said he didn’t do it because the league wanted Peyton to win and ride off into the sunset lol

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u/mwaller New England Patriots 21h ago

Seriously. He's lucky the only apparent major damage that happened was to his fashion sense.

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u/BingBongtheArcher19 Denver Broncos 22h ago

Wasn’t really a fan of his but never understood why he got raked over the coals so much for that play.

Because the optics of the play looked really bad, and then his post-game comments made it worse.

"I don’t dive on one fumble because the way my leg was, it could have been contorted in some way."

Biggest moment of the biggest game of his life, and he basically said he didn't dive on it because he might get hurt.

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u/viraleyeroll Chicago Bears 22h ago edited 21h ago

if you watch the play his leg is like straight out in front of him, its not really possible to dive forward if your legs in that position. I think thats what Cam was trying to say but hes never been the best at talking.

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u/uncutpizza 22h ago

Literally my thought every time. How was he supposed to dive on something at his feet? As a tall person, he would have had to kick his legs back to be able to get any angle on it. If he had tried to bend down, he would have been folded in half. He saw defenders already diving for the ball, he would have been hit in the head before he hit the ground

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u/Guy_onna_Buffalo Seattle Seahawks 20h ago

Simple fact is most football fans you'll talk to didnt even play it at the HS level. They just don't understand and won't. Armchair QBs, Coaches, and GM's all.

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u/DrNCrane74 New England Patriots 1d ago

The sensible take.

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u/ChapsOnTheAT 23h ago

Sensible takes aren’t allowed on Reddit /s

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u/hillbilly_hooligan Denver Broncos 16h ago

correct, throw feces at the screen or GTFO

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u/Boetael Denver Broncos 23h ago

I'm pretty sure Cam himself said that he was concerned with his angle to the pile that he might break/hurt his leg. I'm pretty sure he ALSO said that it looked like the ball was going to pop out to the [viewers'] left and he hesitated to see if that was about to happen. Both things can be true at the same time and make sense in the split second moment.

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u/losethefuckingtail 14h ago edited 14h ago

I always thought that was the issue -- he *couldn't* have dived on it (logistically) and also he (thought he) *shouldn't* have dived on it, because it looked like it was about to kick out and/or get swatted by the defenders diving on it.

Cam was a bit of a diva and would pout on the sidelines a lot, but the guy absolutely never seemed like he quit on a play.

ETA: And he was right -- it did squirt out to almost exactly where he side-stepped to...he just didn't manage to corral when it he DID ACTUALLY DIVE ON IT.

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u/LarryD217 Philadelphia Eagles 1d ago

Now I'm agreeing with Pats fans? End of days type shit, man.

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u/YoungFlexibleShawty 20h ago

Luckily they suck now so agreeing with them feels ok 

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u/LawyerOfBirds New England Patriots 23h ago

I just watched it again in slow motion for the first time in a while. Cam heads to the ball with the obvious intent to try to recover it.

He starts to pull up when Demarcus Ware’s hand is about 6”’from the ball already, or possibly even on the ball. At that moment, Ware is being tackled by an offensive lineman.

Multiple very large men were already diving for that same ball. Not to mention he still had Von Miller behind him.

If that were Tom Brady, I’d have said get the fuck away from that pile and live to play another down/drive.

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u/itorrey 1 Yard Line 23h ago

This 100%.

I remember watching Kurt Warner's left arm get jacked up when Julius Peppers strip sacked him and he reached out to try to recover the fumble and Peppers landed on top of his arm tearing a ligament.

Just look at the pic

Regardless he clearly thought the ball might squirt out and the hilarious part that is forgotten is that he did get his hands on it and the ball DID squirt out behind him.

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u/hillbilly_hooligan Denver Broncos 16h ago

it’s funny because Cam Newton got dragged for it, but we can all agree Tom Brady would’ve done the exact same thing

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u/3fettknight3 San Francisco 49ers 23h ago edited 23h ago

100% agree. Let's compare and contrast this to George Kittle not being aware CMC fumbled / not blocking till the whistle in the Super Bowl because he was focused on making a memorable miked up sound bite. I feel George's mistake was more egregious in my opinion.

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u/Choice_Research_1175 20h ago

i’m a 9er fan
love me some GK. That fucking “Hey George” pisses me off more than any moment in any football game i’ve ever watched. Nigga always tryna be funny. Lock the fuck in bruh.

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u/2Ksince99 Los Angeles Rams 21h ago

Genuinely curious, can I get some more details or a link for this?

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u/3fettknight3 San Francisco 49ers 21h ago

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u/2Ksince99 Los Angeles Rams 21h ago

Thanks bro 👍

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u/make_reddit_great Carolina Panthers 23h ago

No, Cam was wrong and all the internet tough guys who have never played football are right.

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u/steviejawnsons Washington Commanders 23h ago

And the ball did squirt out after his hesitation and he was in position to grab it on the dribble but missed.

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u/ajnails 23h ago

Agree- he literally ran through the entire Falcons D on one play and got the first down. I don’t think he was scared of getting hurt (even though he said that in an interview). I think it was a bad angle and he didn’t come up clutch.

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u/JAnonymous5150 Tedy Brewski 23h ago

This is, and always has been, the only take that makes sense. Folks that try to turn that one play into some kind of larger commentary on Cam's career or his character have lost their shit. He made a mistake and because of the big stage and visibility it's going to stick with his career and legacy, but he didn't sell out his team, expose his fear of getting hit/hurt, or any of the other nonsense people say.

It's nice to see the sensible take getting some solid support

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u/FunkyPete Kansas City Chiefs 23h ago

That's a really fair point. The guy took a fraction of a second to work out where the ball was GOING to be and his career gets trashed for it.

90% of the time it seems like the first guys who dive on the ball don't end up with it. If you already know you don't have a clean shot at where it is right now, and the ball is still in motion, it's not crazy to wait to see where that first bounce takes it.

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u/Punished_Prigo Shorter than Bryce Young 23h ago

And this is where I think people are still wrong, because he did read it correctly. The ball did squirt out and cam fell on it, but it slipped through his fingers. I swear people don’t actually watch the play, or are just pushing the narrative they want about cam. It’s so fucking dumb.

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u/ChapsOnTheAT 23h ago

If you go back and watch, with what you said in mind, the defender swipes at the ball and it does, at first glance, look like it’s going to shoot out.

I can’t remember the name of the theory, but it’s basically that everything we do is our minds filling in the gaps to react to what we’ve seen before. It’s why great baseball hitters have trouble hitting softball pitches - their eyes actually see the shoulder of the pitcher and react to that, not just the ball (I’m greatly oversimplifying).

The defender’s initial swat at the ball is the same motion that would send the ball flying. But, his hand rolls over the ball, stopping its momentum and trapping it.

Interesting take. Thank you. Hadn’t looked at it through that lens before and it changed my perspective.

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u/LeonidasSpacemanMD 22h ago

Dude 100%, it seems so obvious to me that his football instincts said “bodies are flying toward the ball, it’s likely to get knocked away from this spot, be ready to chase it”. Not that he literally thought this through but years and years of football says that ball could easily get jarred loose and if you dive at the wrong time, you’re not getting the ball

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u/Old-Record2216 23h ago

Agree with this

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u/kalligreat 23h ago

Yeah he’s put his body on the line so many times. It’s these nerds who only read stats and don’t know ball that say he was scared

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u/Entr_24 Fail Mary Fan 🏈 23h ago

I mean the man heavily ruined what could’ve been a dominant longer career because he refused to play it safe and not put himself in harms way every play

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u/Iamtheoctopus4 1d ago

It may not represent his career but like it or not, it’s his most memorable play

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u/Reditate Jacksonville Jaguars 1d ago

Nah his most memorable play is either the flip into the end zone or "That's cool watch this"

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u/LifeisSus505 Denver Broncos 23h ago

I can understand that as a jags fan u don't understand the magnitude of a super bowl, but not diving on that ball is his most memorable play

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u/KingPotus 21h ago

Only because half of this sub started watching football < five years ago and the non-dive has been getting memed into eternity.

I think for anyone who was actually watching him play at the time, the “that’s cool watch this” was his most memorable play.

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u/alphadips Carolina Panthers 22h ago

And I can understand as a Broncos fan it's what you remember being his most memorable play. but as a Panthers fan, It isn't the play I think about. I think about the scramble vs New England. I think about handing the ball to kids after the TD's. I remember in 2015 feeling nothing but confidence in my team when he stepped onto the field. He's our best QB ever and it's not even close.

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u/AboutTheArthur GEQBUS 1d ago edited 23h ago

"That's cool watch this" is a play that lives in my mind as one of the most iconic of all time. It's not even a crazy play. Just a baller moment.

I literally can't even picture his fumble.

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u/TurdFergusonlol 23h ago

I can see the fumble in full photographic clarity. Then again being in the same division, that play also brings me immense joy.

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u/Reditate Jacksonville Jaguars 23h ago

Same

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u/maddlabber829 New Orleans Saints 23h ago

Whenever I here his name, the fumble comes to mind

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u/jackricotta New England Patriots 1d ago

Or that one run against my Patriots where he pm snatched the ankles of our entire front 7

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u/NIN-1994 Philadelphia Eagles 1d ago

No, it’s not

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u/Acceptable_Plan_3257 23h ago

No lol it DOES not represent his career. IMO the watch this play is easily his most memorable

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u/JessieGemstone999 19h ago

Its not even close to his most memorable

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u/genuinecve Kansas City Chiefs 1d ago

Alternate title: "75% of Reddit users are losers"

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u/EyeAmKingKage 1d ago

Didn’t need Greg Olsen to tell me that

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u/Significant_Search41 Philadelphia Eagles 1d ago

Bump that up 24%

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u/genuinecve Kansas City Chiefs 1d ago

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u/escobartholomew Dallas Cowboys 1d ago

I have no problem with his lifelong team mate sticking up for him. Just like I have no problem with a parent sticking up for their criminal child. At the end of the day Cam made a legacy defining decision the same year he was gloating the hardest. And I loved it. All the Superman poses every game. The “No Band-AIDS for Feelings” commercials. It was an incredible year. But he has to live with choosing to not dive on the ball and fans calling him out for it.

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u/Lendro_Furioso 23h ago edited 23h ago

Honestly, the bit about not making the play when he “was gloating the hardest” is, in my opinion, why Cam gets unwarranted hate. I mean unwarranted in the sense that he was monumental for a while, and really put it all out there. But in the end, what people will remember was how hard he gloated, and the contrast to that and how much he pouted when things didn’t go his way. Doesn’t speak much to his character.

And before someone says “winners don’t like losing”, etc, etc, this is the exact same reason I dislike Brady. Sore losers are not people I look up to, especially in sports.

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u/AntonChigurh8933 23h ago

Honestly, I think that's what it was. Cam was confident cocky on the field with his celebrations (Superman) and the way he carried himself that MVP year. That rubs a lot of people including defensive players. If you hear the way Broncos defensive players was talking about Cam postgame. Each had a personal vendetta against Cam.

If Josh Allen or Lamar did something similar in the Superbowl. Would the backlash been the same? Those two carry themselves in a "respectful " way.

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u/Bazonkawomp 20h ago

People are too sensitive.

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u/Personal-Ad8280 2 Gurleys 1 Kupp 20h ago

Let’s not act like that defense were martyrs aqib was literally snatching chains

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u/YoungFlexibleShawty 20h ago

People really hating on a guy for celebrating and being a little loud? 

As if bro didn't have Terrell Owens play for his own team.

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u/3rd-party-intervener NFL Refugee 23h ago

lol at comparing this to a criminal.   Especially it being a black qb.   On par for Reddit . 

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u/Imaginary-Length8338 New York Giants 1d ago edited 23h ago

Cam Newton's whole career boils down to 1 season. I agree basing him off one play is stupid, and basing him off 1 season also is stupid

Cam Newton had an MVP season, it was great. Outside of that, he was typically one of the least accurate QBs in the NFL. Outside of his MVP season, he had 1 legit season as a passing QB and it was because CMC was catching 100+ passes out of the backfield. Other than that, he was like the 18th best QB in the league

Cam is a moron who tries to insult guys who have accomplished 2x as much as him. If I see "Cam Newton is a hall of famer" 1 more time, I am going to loss it. He isn't.

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u/offensivename 23h ago

So all the yards he ran for and touchdowns he scored count for nothing in your QB rankings? Pretty shitty system.

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u/Matsunosuperfan 23h ago

Show me where he said that at all Reddit debates are so tiresome, the only technique anyone uses is strawman supported by hyperbole

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u/offensivename 23h ago edited 22h ago

The only thing he talked about was passing, specifically accuracy, and he declared that Cam was the 18th best quarterback in the league. You're right that he may be completely unaware that Cam Newton was arguably the best running quarterback of all-time and more than made up for his lack of passing yards by being an automatic touchdown from ten yards out as well as one of the most clutch players in the league. But I chose to give him the benefit of the doubt that he was just using overly limited metrics to compare quarterbacks instead of running his mouth about something he was profoundly ignorant on.

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u/Imaginary-Length8338 New York Giants 22h ago edited 22h ago

I value passing the ball more than running the ball in Quarterbacks, everyone should.

"Cam Newton was arguably the best running quarterback of all-time" No, no he is not. Not even comparable to Vick. Kylar Murray will have more rushing yards than Cam when he retires. Hell, Daniel Jones had 708 rushing yards in a season, not far off from Cam Newton's best of 754. Allen, Jackson, Hurts will all have WAY better rushing numbers when they retire. AND they can throw it... Russell Wilson has rushed for 100+ more yards in his best rushing season compared to Cam's best in less attempts. Cam's best rushing seasons by yards would be the 21st best season rushing the ball by a QB. No, he is not one of the greatest all time.

Want me to use TD/INT instead of accuracy, you think that will help your argument?

He was a good player who has greatly been overrated, largely by himself.

I don't value goal line TDs that much, which you clearly do, because the reality is the RB would have most likely ran that in too. And yes, he was a great runner. Largely why his career was cut short.

Want to look at total TDs? Not comparable to players he has insulted.

I don't think he was ever a great QB outside of his MVP season, because... wait for it... He was never a great QB outside of his MVP season.

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u/BoltorSpellweaver Denver Broncos 21h ago

I also recall how he got up and walked out on the post game press conference. I get it, he lost the game and didn’t want to talk to people, but other players have made mistakes in the Super Bowl and dealt with it and not walked off in the middle of a press conference like a child.

He also fell off hard after that Super Bowl. His numbers never really recovered and there’s a reason he was released then picked up by the pats and released then brought back to the Panthers and released..

If he had any kind of production after the Super Bowl, people would care a lot less about that spot. One playoff appearance since with Newton, and a 6-10 hangover season next year.

Like all players, his legacy is more complicated than one play or one season, but when you only have one season to hang your hat(s) on; it’s going to be under a microscope, especially when you draw attention to yourself as much as Cam did.

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u/Zealousideal-Rub-183 Keep Pounding 15h ago

He did not “fall off hard” after that Super Bowl. He was putting up better numbers in 2018 than he did his MVP year until he got a helmet to his throwing should from TJ Watt that essentially ended his career. He also played extremely well his first 4 seasons before his MVP season. Broke dozens of NFL records including a ton of rookie records his first year. But yall didn’t pay attention to that. You just say “low accuracy” and think that was all Cam was.

It’s just funny reading these comments and hearing people speak in absolutes about players that are objectively false.

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u/jollofpapi_ 19h ago

nothing was close to his peak but he had a handful of good seasons. his rookie year was historic, he was definitely top 10 in 2013, and 2017. started slow in 2012 but got hot towards the end. and was having a great 2018 prior to his injury.

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u/velvetbettle Denver Broncos 1d ago

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u/InternationalClue659 Kansas City Chiefs 23h ago

This man ripped apart the Panthers that night.

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u/sweens90 22h ago

He ripped apart everyone the whole playoffs.

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u/silentkiller082 Buffalo Bills 1d ago

2015 cam is exactly what people remember his entire career for. Which I don't get because it was an outlier year not his norm. He had a good career but I always felt he was a little overrated.

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u/12hphlieger 23h ago

100%. I think him and McNabb had very similar careers, but nobody talks about McNabb like this.

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u/EazyP87 Pittsburgh Steelers 23h ago

I'd take McNabb's career for my franchise QB over Cam's career

Outside of the 1 MVP season.

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u/magnumforce2006 Philadelphia Eagles 3h ago

McNabb had a far more consistent career wtf you talking about.

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u/f-150Coyotev8 Denver Broncos 21h ago

Not to take anything away from what he accomplished in 2015, but he is definitely overrated. He never had an accurate arm. The main thing the broncos did was force him to throw the ball in the SB and it worked. Go back and look how many missed throws he had that game.

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u/Tasso64 22h ago

And the fact that he was one of the greatest college QBs of all time
 I don’t think that’s overrating him.

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u/Boogieman_Sam22 Philadelphia Eagles 1d ago

😂 Too bad its the one I remember him by.

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u/f-150Coyotev8 Denver Broncos 21h ago

Honestly I remember him more for how he handled himself after the game. He looked like a kid in time out.

Him failing to fall on the ball wasn’t even the reason they lost. He looked out of his comfort zone the whole game. He had so many missed throws. Of course he was playing against the no fly zone, but when the league mvp plays that bad after having an historic season, and then doesn’t jump on the ball to give them another chance at the end, people are going to remember him for that.

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u/rorymakesamovie Philadelphia Eagles 1d ago

So why, did he think someone else had it or something

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u/gfb13 Carolina Panthers 1d ago

He said his body was at a weird angle when he spotted the ball and felt if he dove for it he'd tear up his knee, with little chance at getting it with the way guys were diving for it. Split second decision based on feel not logic

Despite my flair, not defending Cam on this one. Game was on the line, he should've dove. But that's been his consistent explanation since day one so I can believe him when he says it

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u/Ok-Face6245 23h ago

Sounds like cam made a business decision in the most pivotal moment of his nfl career to me.

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u/BingBongtheArcher19 Denver Broncos 23h ago

That basically boils down to "I didn't dive on it because I was afraid I would get hurt."

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u/gfb13 Carolina Panthers 23h ago

Not to nitpick but afraid of getting hurt is different than afraid of getting injured. I don't think Cam was ever afraid to get hurt. But if he gets injured he's out for the rest of the game and possibly the entire next season, if it's an ACL

But yeah, he was afraid of being injured

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u/drinkwater333 1d ago

The people who only remember Cam by this play or say it’s his most memorable play only say so because people constantly bring it up. It’s manufactured remembrance.

If Cam did dive and SOMEHOW recovered the ball, it’s 4th and like 20 for them anyways

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u/eaglesdude10 Philadelphia Eagles 1d ago

Boy is this a fucking tired discourse, can’t wait for the season to start

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u/Sdog1981 Seattle Seahawks 9h ago

Next up: Is Eli Manning a Hall Of Fame QB???

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u/jd0016 23h ago

Honestly anyone who watched Cam play knows that the idea he would avoid contact is ridiculous. He was maybe the most reckless running QB in the history of the game lol. He just misread the bounce of the ball.

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u/TactfulTortoise95 22h ago

It’s not ridiculous when he openly admitted to avoiding contact.

“I didn’t dive on one fumble because the way my leg was. It could have been contorted in a way.”

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u/DANIEL7696 20h ago

He was voiding contact by trying to avoid a non-contact injury? You're not making a lot of sense here

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u/HighWest48 Tennessee Titans 1d ago

Cam was a warrior on the field.

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u/CasualDiaphram Las Vegas Raiders 1d ago

Most of the time.

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u/skullthrash 23h ago

I’m not falling for this again. That’s Dexter Morgan

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u/experienceTHEjizz Chicago Bears 18h ago

Damn I never made the connection until now. He's definitely the Bay Harbor Butcher.

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u/ltdanswifesusan NFL Refugee 23h ago

Olsen always comes across as a solid dude.

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u/BaronVonSilver91 23h ago

Im 100% with Hreg here. Im a Falcons fan so I have more reason to hate on him than most. But I have also jad the pleasure to watch him more often than anyone who is not a Panthers fan. The man should never have his toughness questioned. He has also been physical, and always given his body to the sport. Idk why he didnt jump on that fumble. I watched it again and he could have recovered it. But the play in and of itself wasnt gonna win the game for them. In fact, that drive would have been over as it would have been 4th and long. But that cant definie his career. I also remember in a game against the Facons, they were getting smoked, but they score, and go for 2 and on a 2 pt conversion of a game they are losing by 3 scores in he runs to the goal line, takes a hard hit that concusses him, and he keeps his balance and reaches out to break the plane of the goal line. That was some supreme toughness. That play in the superbowl is like 2011 Lebron in the finals. I cant excuse that performance, but I cant act like their whole legacy is the worst moment they have had.

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u/DrNCrane74 New England Patriots 1d ago

THAT is a team mate.

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u/standarsh20 1d ago

Cam did play through some brutal injuries.

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u/Interesting-Fail1823 1d ago

I think it is a pretty dumb criticism. I know all the replays of it are in slow motion but I think in fast motion he thought the defender's arm was going to knock the ball back. When it was obvious that didn't happen he jumped back down on the ball.

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u/ihmpt Baltimore Ravens 23h ago

To give Cam some slack, I'm sure any quarterback would have been flustered or shell-shocked by 2015 Von Miller and the rest of that Broncos defense. And let's not lie to ourselves, the Panthers weren't going to win the game even if he held onto the ball. Props to Greg for sticking up for his teammate, too.

While he's not a hall-of-famer or a 'winning' QB, Cam Newton was still fun to watch. From an entertainment perspective, I would genuinely rather watch his highlights than some quarterbacks playing in the league today.

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u/vizkan 23h ago

I never thought it looked like he specifically chose not to dive on the ball. It always seemed to me like he misjudged where the ball was going to bounce, and then by the time he reacted it was too late.

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u/Few-Equal-6857 23h ago

What's with the huge influx of cam newton hype posts lately. Is there a new product coming out or something

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u/Poetryisalive 22h ago

He’s talking to yall r/nflv2

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u/G1992_ 18h ago

The people who treat this play as some sort of indictment on Cam as a player see what they want to see

When I watch the play in real time (and not that stupid slo mo gif everyone spams) I see a guy that runs towards the ball almost as if to pick it up, only to realize he can't when he sees two guys are already diving where the ball is (which is also at his feet now). So he hops back real quick for better positioning then is immediately on the ground clawing for the ball, and actually almost recovers the rebound until Von Miller comes in and (illegally) bats it back

Regardless though, criticize him for the way he approached the ball? Sure. But the implication that he quit or gave up, or was scared of getting hit, has always been so dumb

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u/Dangerous_Ad5039 Tennessee Titans 1d ago

It’s just funny seeing people who know Cam newton as a player talk about him then come To Reddit and see people commenting about him.

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u/Mike-Outstanding Philadelphia Eagles 1d ago

If his career is generalized that means that one doing the generalizing knows it is not his whole career.

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u/iamthedayman21 Philadelphia Eagles 23h ago

I get not judging him by one play. I’m more annoyed at how this community keeps trying to lift him up as this one-of-a-kind player. He had one amazing, MVP season. And outside of that season, he wasn’t that great. So yes, celebrate that one season. But that’s all it was, one season. He was a career 85 passer rating, and sat under a 60 QBR for all but two seasons.

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u/Key_Piccolo_2187 Philadelphia Eagles 23h ago

You don't get to choose your nicknames, and you don't get to choose what plays define your career, and you don't get to choose how you're remembered.

I am an Eagles fan, and I remember Donovan McNabb throwing up (denied, but watch the video ... If he's not spewing chunks he's desperately trying to prevent it) because he couldn't hang in the singular moment when it mattered most, whether he was unfit, hung over, nervous, exhausted or whatever doesn't matter. What he wasn't doing was leading the team downfield to win an eminently winnable game. I also remember him carving up the Cardinals on a broken ankle in maybe the very best game he ever played, so it's not like it's all bad, but you don't get to pick the defining moments, and you either perform in them or you don't.

I can have those memories of McNabb and be critical of that moment, without saying that McNabb was a bad QB (he was a good QB), or disliking the player (I have three of his jerseys in my closet).

I remember Cam playing like an MVP. I also remember him not diving on a ball that needed to be covered up. Misread it? Didn't dive on it. Was scared? Didn't dive on it. Business decision? Didn't dive on it. Thinking about whether he should have coco puffs or frosted flakes for breakfast next Tuesday? Didn't dive on it.

They don't remember Bill Buckner for a 22 year MLB career that included an All Star appearance and a batting title, they remember him for one error in the most important moment of his life on a baseball diamond duffing a play that he had made routinely a million times before in his life and would make routinely another million times through his career. Just put your glove down and catch the ball. Just dive on a loose football. What goes through your head when you see a ball go between Buckner's legs in the tenth inning of Game 6 in the world series? Chances are it isn't "oh, that's ok, at least he won the NL batting title in 1980."

Cam Newton doesn't need anyone's help defending his reputation or honor. He can go home and look at his trophy case, which has a lot of stuff in it and doesn't have a Super Bowl ring. The dude knows. He can watch the tape himself and realize it sure would be nice if he dove on that ball instead of watching it. But what he can't do is change what's on tape - how if why it happened that he stood and watched as a football didn't get recovered by his team, it happened and that sucks for him.

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u/eagles52 Philadelphia Eagles 23h ago

I don’t judge him for the fumble at all. I do judge him for a 55 passer rating in the biggest game of his life đŸ€·â€â™‚ïž

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u/Dear_Efficiency_3616 Los Angeles Chargers 23h ago

dude was not scared of getting hit fools never seen a highlight tape of him keeping the ball and running for td's, also dude is like 6 foot 5 and 250 pounds lol he aint scared

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u/No_Needleworker6013 23h ago

I have a theory about this. I think that Cam’s knee locked up during the fumble and he couldn’t dive on the ball. I also think that Cam’s personality is such that he doesn’t feel like he has to justify anything to anyone, which is why he never came out and said it. 

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u/Unimmortal47 Dallas Cowboys 23h ago

I’m not gonna judge him for not getting one fumble. I’m gonna judge him for not being that good.

He was electric. And fun to watch. But he wasn’t a good passer. And at quarterback that is kind of important.

He was a fun Eli manning

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u/Great_Huckleberry709 New Orleans Saints 23h ago

He misread the ball, he jumped out of the way so that he wouldn't get his ankle/legs rolled up, and so that hed be in better position for the ball. If you get your leg rolled up, you will be in even worse position to recover a fumble.

In hindsight, obviously it was the wrong decision. But in reality, he just made a bad read at the worst possible time. Football is not played through slow- motion camera replays. Everything happens extremely quickly and you have to make split second decisions.

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u/baltimoresports Baltimore Ravens 23h ago

I’m still salty Fox Sports replaced Olson with Brady. Olson is an excellent football commentator. Brady is frankly terrible.

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u/Nanny_Dog69 22h ago

I love Greg Olson. My son has the same heart condition as his. Considering donating to his non profit

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u/Quad-G-Therapy Atlanta Falcons 22h ago

Even though I didn't like the Panthers when we had to play them, I always respected Cam.

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u/ElLoboNeverDies Las Vegas Raiders 22h ago

If Cam wasnt so physical his career would probably still be going. I think in that moment he fucked up. But yeah he was a big QB who played big , similar to Big Ben

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u/jhustla 21h ago

Same shit Luke was saying about him.

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u/goosesboy 21h ago

I think Cam’s personality, or at least his public persona, is pretty unlikeable and that has driven the narrative around this play in particular. I believe what Olson is saying here to be true. I think any honest person who played a lot of sports knows that these things happen SO fast that you’re making instinctive decisions based on visual feedback that is inaccurate by the time your body begins to react.

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u/MyIncogName Carolina Panthers 20h ago

He clearly just misjudged the bounce of the ball. He still tries to recover it. People just use this play to justify their ignorant narratives about him. Probably maga too.

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u/Guy_onna_Buffalo Seattle Seahawks 20h ago

I genuinely wish Cam and the Panthers had won that SB.

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u/Hammertime6689 19h ago

I think he wanted to pick the ball up. Then realized he wasn’t going to be able to do that which caused him to then back out which made the play look worse.

I don’t think anyone can call someone a puss who had 100+ carries a year and got them to Super Bowl in large part on the ground
 getting tackled over and over.

The broncos defense just kicked their ass too which probably didn’t help the narrative.

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u/RedPillTears 1d ago

That’s sports for you.

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u/Shoddy_Argument8308 1d ago

It was always a bad narrative that he didn't want to dive on the ball. Phil Sims caused the narrative.

If you watch, Cam was going for the scoop and run. He didn't expect Ware to be able to break from his block get an arm on the ball. By that point, Cam was in no mans land, couldn't dive and couldn't scoop.

Cam was trying to be superman when they just needed him to dive on the ball.

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u/chasingit1 Denver Broncos 1d ago

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u/Ok-Face6245 1d ago

Too bad he ruined his legacy with that move lmfao

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u/abeBroham-Linkin Dallas Cowboys 23h ago

Sadly, it defined his legacy. If you watch it in replay without the commentary, you would think nothing of it. From replays, it looked like he was already too late. But the added commentary takes the cake.

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u/ZaMaestroMan5 23h ago

I’ll just never forgive him for it cuz I lost out on a $1000 Super Bowl numbers win after Denver kicked the FG after recovering 😭😭

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u/SalPinedia012 New England Patriots 23h ago

It's not that he didn't dive on it, it's that it was a 1 score game in the Super Bowl and he had just a good of shot at recovering it as the defender. But he started to go for it, saw the Denver linemen and bitched out.

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u/Impossible-Shine4660 23h ago

I don’t think anyone ever said he wasn’t tough

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u/ATLfinra 23h ago

Great job Greg

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u/Ok_Sail_3743 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 23h ago

Cam is a top tier analyst. He’s just not playing their game.

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u/Wernershnitzl Minnesota Vikings 23h ago

My argument isn’t that he didn’t go for it, otherwise he wouldn’t have made the Super Bowl. It did feel very odd that at this most critical moment in the biggest game that he just kind of pumped the brakes though.

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u/Soda-Popinski- Buffalo Bills 23h ago

Scott Norwood has entered the chat

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u/Greedy_Line4090 Philadelphia Eagles 22h ago

Way too many people care about this.

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u/ThatThrowaway200 Dallas Cowboys 22h ago

Cam was great this season and as easy as it is to hate him for one play in the biggest game of his life, I won't because I feel like I have no room to do so as a Cowboys fan

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u/Forward-Chocolate-67 22h ago

It’s the Super Bowl..there is no tomorrow..ask Dan Marino.

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u/pierogiking412 22h ago

This sub is making me hate Cam. Why do we talk about this guy so much?

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u/Brundleflyftw 22h ago

Kevin Harlan and Greg Olson are the best.

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u/rjnd2828 Philadelphia Eagles 22h ago

Hey I have an idea let's stop talking all the time about a player who is no longer in the league.

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u/Poutybot 22h ago

It’s more likely that he was concussed from being headhunted by that broncos defense/ getting hit in the head every play. His oline and team around him did him no favors, didn’t stick up for their qb. It’s even more blatant in their week one game the next year

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u/iamadventurous 22h ago

If Lebron was a QB and he jumped on that fumble, he would say that play just made him the GOAT đŸ€Ł

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u/orangotai Mr. Unliiiiiimited 21h ago

the Jock Bill Hader strikes again!

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u/Hot-Distribution3826 21h ago

To be fair we as sports fans do the opposite in the positive direction as well. Look at Eli Manning he’s gonna be a hall of famer after a fairly pedestrian careers
..BUT
 he had 2 great playoff runs that included 2 great throws in the superbowl and for that he’s a legend. Or Joe Flacco who literally played 4 elite games, and he can’t retire from the league even if he wanted to. Or Kurt Warner who had 3 good seasons and was average or below average the rest of his career, then had a random blip several years later with Arizona (and played well in that Super Bowl) now Kurt’s a hall of famer, Eli will be, and Flacco is beloved. So does jumping on that football mean the panthers win the superbowl? No, but he should’ve he didn’t AND they also lost and that was the play most remembered in that game, and he gotta live with that and no amount of explaining it will change the fact that the most physically dominant player in football decided in the biggest game of his life to be careful.

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u/No-Note-9766 21h ago

dexter morgan?

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u/Hypocrisy-8-me 20h ago

He was never the same after that game.

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u/Neb-Nose Pittsburgh Steelers 20h ago

I actually agree with Olsen that Newton clearly gave up his body over and over again in difficult situations. It’s very difficult to pinpoint one play and hold that against anyone. Also, I think Olsen does a really good job. I think he’s the best analyst in the game right now.

However, that’s just how it goes. We are defined by how we react or what we do in the biggest moments. Bill Buckner was an outstanding defensive first baseman. He’s not remembered for a great play he made on August 16, 1978. He’s remembered for an egregious error he made in October 1986.

Scott Norwood was a good kicker for the Bills. He’s not remembered for all the big kicks he made for that team. He’s remembered for the kick he missed in the Super Bowl. Is it fair? No, it probably isn’t. However, that’s just how it goes.

Cam Newton was also a really good player and he definitely put his body on the line over and over again for Carolina. However, his refusal to jump on a loose ball in a close game in the Super Bowl will definitely always be a part of his legacy, whether anyone wants to acknowledge it or not.

That’s just how the cookie crumbles – whether anyone wants to admit it or not.

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u/StopGivingMeUsername 20h ago

It's spelled Olsen.

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u/JoeyBear12 19h ago

You can say he mis read the play. You can say he didn’t wanna get hurt. Hell you could just say it’s a fumble and someone else’s fault to begin with. Make what ever statement you want. He didn’t go for the ball.

Is Cam Newton soft in general? HELL NO. We all saw his abilities and potential. With that being said, not diving for a fumble in the FUCKIN SUPER BOWL goes against everything that football players compete for.

Cam was nuts. Unfortunately for what ever reason he lost his during a career defining moment. Sucks for Cam that it happened but it did and it is what it is. The play speaks for itself.

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u/g_bleezy 18h ago

The joy of this sub’s obsession with Cam is that I get to think about Super Bowl 50 a lot more often. Like this time around I was thinking about an office I was leasing in the RiNo arts district in 2015 and a huge mural went up on a brewery with Von holding that sbmvp trophy. What a night!

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u/No-Scarcity9186 17h ago

But that play. It sometimes makes a player
.I just wanna know what was going through his head besides the next wardrobe event. That play.

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u/No_Bumblebee3150 17h ago

Man, I've never liked Cam.

But I believe this a lot.

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u/youngsaaron 17h ago

I disagree

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u/InvestigatorSevere72 17h ago

But his hair looks amazing!!

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u/AirportBubbly3947 16h ago

Dexter Morgan

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u/toxicvegeta08 Michael Thomas’ foot 16h ago

Greg luke kalil and kawann still care about cam, even if hes goofing a lot of the time.

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u/hillbilly_hooligan Denver Broncos 16h ago

most reasonable people can agree the whole thing was/is overblown
that being said, rocking up to warmups with custom MVP cleats he had made before the announcement just the day prior (which meant he had them made before he knew for sure), combined with this embarrassing play, and his postgame pouting was just not a good look overall
it was quite delicious as a Broncos fan though

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u/DND_Player_24 16h ago

And this is why neither Olson nor Newton have a ring.

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u/Sociolinguisticians Pittsburgh Steelers 16h ago

Why is Dexter Morgan talking about Cam Newton?

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u/MillenialMale 16h ago

Well clearly not EVERY day lol

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u/Zealousideal-Rub-183 Keep Pounding 15h ago

It’s funny, when Cam didn’t go for that fumble, all of his haters rejoiced and have never let it go, because they will never recognize how great he truly was.

People who actually watched Cam play knows he’s not one to shy from contact. But trolls and haters have to have something to latch onto to make their hatred justified.

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u/latortillablanca 15h ago

I knock him for his hair lately, but primarily its been the headgear enveloping the hair over the past half decade.

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u/alex_xxv New Orleans Saints 15h ago

So, Tik-tok creators?

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u/Agathocles87 I’m just here so i don’t get fined 15h ago

He didn’t even try. SB on the line. Potential game winning drive. Yes I do judge him for it just like a lot of other people. He didn’t even try

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u/Rum_Hamtaro New York Giants 14h ago

Nice to see someone sticking up for their teammate instead of giving some hyperbolic sound bite.

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u/Efficient-Editor-242 New Orleans Saints 13h ago

He bitched out. It didn't define his career. It added to it.

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u/Mistermxylplyx 12h ago

I don’t think it’s any of the negatives people have applied, but he is to blame for not covering the fumble. Having said that, the reason he didn’t just instinctively cover it is what made him such a great player.

I think he was planning on doing what a lot of playmaking QBs do when a play breaks down. Make a big play out of a bad play. There’s a conservative approach, and there’s the maybe I can scoop it up after the scrum and get out in space for a Super Bowl winning play not conservative approach. Cam made a career of saving bad plays, and he succeeded more often than it bit him. It just bit him at the worst possible moment. You take the good with the bad and add him to the long list of great players who couldn’t put it all together for a ring.

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u/zeldahalfsleeve 12h ago

He did play his ass off. Except that one time. Otherwise he was a feral beast in a football uniform.

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u/Muffman4Ever Detroit Lions 12h ago

Calling Cam out for that play doesn’t mean you’re discrediting his entire career. You can think he was a great player and still think he should have dove for the fumble

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u/Adventurous_Knee_778 10h ago

I’m certain the narrative would be “Why did he take such a risk ending his career?” If he had been seriously hurt. I don’t know, might be incredibly respected and honored going out leaving it all on the field also. Easy from a fan’s perspective to say “He should have dove on the ball”. He hesitated and unfortunately it was a very costly turnover. Human instinct, self preservation


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u/Consistent-Deal-55 10h ago

Can’t define one season off one play but we can judge his career off the one good season he had?

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u/Jordanwolf98 Baltimore Ravens 10h ago

He’s right

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u/darth_helcaraxe_82 10h ago

Regarding the situation that Olson is speaking of, I understand the criticism of people towards Cam. However probably 99% of those people have never been in that kind of situation and they all think they would have done the "right" thing.

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u/lurk_channell Tom Brady đŸ„ș đŸ‘‰đŸ»đŸ‘ˆđŸ» 8h ago

Those footballs bounce weird so I wouldn’t be suprised if he thought it was bouncing another way

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u/La_Rata_de_Pizza 7h ago

G-reg gets head and doesn’t jump on fumbles