Randy Smith
I am not a "Cam Hater". Cam Newton is one of the best athletes to ever play the game of football; perhaps the best pure football player ever. But I don't hate him and I really don't even dislike him. The former Heisman Trophy winner from Auburn guided his Carolina Panthers to a 15-1 record this past season and they're now 17-1 overall heading into Super Bowl 50. If they were playing a team other than Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos, I would probably be pulling for them to win on Sunday. Folks who don't follow the NFL on a somewhat regular basis likely don't understand why some "hate" Cam Newton.
He's brash, he brags, after scoring a touchdown he pretends to tear his jersey apart in the front (ala Superman), he dabs, and so on and son. He's not the first NFL player to pull shenanigans like that however.
Remember Joe Namath or "Broadway Joe " as he was known just a few seasons after signing with the New York Jets out of Alabama. His hair was longer, he was a ladies' man, and even wore a mink coat. After Joe guaranteed a victory, then led the Jets in a huge upset of my beloved Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III, I really hated him; now, not so much. Terrell Owens was another brash young player who did things to seemingly just make fans hate him.
As recently as 2014, when Seahawks defensive back Richard Sherman became a household name for his hard hits and brash attitude, claimed he was the greatest ever, among other things. Now, he's calmed down a bit and is one of the most respected players in the game. The actions that cause fans to "hate" certain athletes transcends football. Remember Dennis Rodman of the NBA's Chicago Bulls, or "The straw that stirs the drink", and Reggie Jackson, then with the New York Yankees. Even Muhammad Ali, "The Greatest of all-time" has his share of "haters" around the globe.
Cam's primary opponent in Super Bowl 50 is totally opposite from him. Peyton Manning is loved by all, except perhaps for Tom Brady's fans. Peyton is always the consummate professional, always complimenting his opponent, and handling his business with humility and grace. Peyton is the oldest quarterback to ever start a Super Bowl contest, and is one of the greatest signal-callers of all-time, though you never hear him make that claim. He will very likely retire following this game, win or lose, and outside of Carolina's fans, most people are pulling for Peyton to win and close his fabulous career with a second Super Bowl ring.
No one can doubt Cam Newton's ability, nor the greatness of his team. Carolina is a very good NFL team; one that is favored to beat the Broncos by almost a touchdown. They roared through the NFC playoffs while Denver edged two great opponents to win the AFC title. Regardless of who wins we should be in for a really super, Super Bowl, but be prepared to see Cam Newton "show out" on the world's biggest stage. To do that he will have to face the NFL's top defensive unit. The Broncos are just nasty on that side of the football. They beat poor Tom Brady to death in the AFC Championship game two weeks ago and they're all playing very well right now.
Then there is the Peyton factor. He's not as big as Cam is, he's much slower and much less agile and his throwing arm is nothing like it once was. But he's still "The Sheriff" and if I were a betting man I would put my money on him, because nothing would be better than to watch him ride off into the sunset one last time as a Super Bowl champion.
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Randy Smith has been covering sports on radio, television and print for the past 45 years. After leaving WRCB-TV in 2009, he has written two books, and has continued to free-lance as a play-by-play announcer. He is currently teaching Broadcasting at Coahulla Creek High School near Dalton, Ga.
His career has included a 17-year stretch as host of the Kickoff Call In Show on the University of Tennessee’s prestigious Vol Network. He has been a member of the Vol Network staff for thirty years.
He has done play-by-play on ESPN, ESPN II, CSS, and Fox SportSouth, totaling more than 500 games, and served as a well-known sports anchor on Chattanooga Television for more than a quarter-century.
In 2003, he became the first television broadcaster to be inducted into the Greater Chattanooga Area Sports Hall of Fame. Randy and his wife Shelia reside in Hixson. They have two married children, (Christi and Chris Perry; Davey and Alison Smith.) They have four grandchildren, Coleman, Boone, DellaMae and CoraLee.