Live from Falcons-Panthers: Is Cam still Carolina’s man?
Cam Newton: Is the gifted quarterback the Panthers' leader or a man apart? (AP photo)
The Cam Newton backlash has begun, as if on cue. The man who was going to elevate the woebegone Carolina Panthers, similar to the way he’d lifted the Auburn Tigers on high, has been the subject of much criticism for his play and, most especially, his demeanor.
Cam takes losses hard. When you’re the team leader, you can’t take losses so hard that you depress the rest of the team. (This tends to lead, as night follows day, to more losing.) The wide receiver Steve Smith upbraided Newton on the sideline during the fourth quarter of Carolina’s awful Thursday-night loss to the Giants, and in the 10 days since that has become the talk of the Queen City.
(Side note: Charlotte is known as the Queen City. So is Cincinnati.)
About the Falcons: They’ve looked as good as any team in the league. They should win today. But Cam is capable of extraordinary things. One of his best days came in this building in December 2010. Which isn’t to say I’m picking Cam’s team to win 56-17 today. I like the Falcons by 10.
Whatever happens, I’ll be here to watch, comment and converse. I hope you’ll join me. And I thank you, as ever, in advance.
By Mark Bradley
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1,070 comments Add your comment
Matt "I got your Noodle" Ryan
September 30th, 2012
4:32 pm
This is why Matt Ryan is an ELITE QUARTERBACK.
Just Asking?
September 30th, 2012
4:32 pm
Is it gr8 to be a Falcon Fan or what?
MONKATL
September 30th, 2012
4:32 pm
like i said choke on this
JSS
September 30th, 2012
4:32 pm
Ummmm… The airport…
kevkat
September 30th, 2012
4:32 pm
The win is good…but if they don’t do something about that offensive line…not only will this streak be over soon but you may be down to your second string quarterback..
FALKON FAN
September 30th, 2012
4:32 pm
Go Jackets your right, College Park is a dump and so is the school Cam graduated from.
Millsaps Major
September 30th, 2012
4:33 pm
Roger That, Go Jackets!
Get a life
September 30th, 2012
4:33 pm
Matt “Choke” Ryan – Do us all a favor and get a life. You’re really a sad, pathetic fool. No one here cares what you think.
Matt "I got your Noodle" Ryan
September 30th, 2012
4:33 pm
4-0 sounds GREAT!
Go Jackets
September 30th, 2012
4:33 pm
Who say Matty gots a weak arm?…..BETTA AKKS SUMBODY!!!!! WOO.
Todd Grantham
September 30th, 2012
4:33 pm
What a great weekend! Georgia won, Falcons won, Braves won…….Tech lost!
MONKATL
September 30th, 2012
4:33 pm
choke just give up this is a new falcon team WINNERS
JSS
September 30th, 2012
4:34 pm
4:31P…
And I’m “awaiting moderation?” Ha ha, nothing like Snaky Central…
FALKON FAN
September 30th, 2012
4:34 pm
On some of those sacks matt held the ball too long butthe offensive line didnt play that well today. I am not sure whathappened to Julio, but he cant have many more games like this!
Matt "I got your Noodle" Ryan
September 30th, 2012
4:34 pm
It will be a PERFECT DAY IF THE AINTS, I mean the CAINTS LOSE!
kevkat
September 30th, 2012
4:34 pm
Todd Grantham
September 30th, 2012
4:33 pm
What a great weekend! Georgia won, Falcons won, Braves won…….Tech lost!
And the Hawks didn’t play..so that’s a win too.
Matt "CHOKE" Ryan
September 30th, 2012
4:34 pm
Why all the hate………..
I need a moment…………boo hoo hoo
Is it the 2nd round of the playoffs yet?
HA HA
MONKATL
September 30th, 2012
4:34 pm
you cant deny that winning finish ,huh choke?
Dave
September 30th, 2012
4:34 pm
Love my boy, “ChokieWhokie.” But perhaps we should lay off some – he does obviously have some serious issues. I mean, following his logic – Hey, that Babe Ruth – sorry sucker, look how much he striked out in ihis career. What a piece of work. I just got online – didn’t even get to see the game, but I did take the past five minutes to read his philosophical musings! Dang, he is brilliant! Love my boy…
moorman
September 30th, 2012
4:35 pm
good win. if matt has a arm, his receivers would WALK into the endzone, but good win nonetheless..
FALCONSRUS
September 30th, 2012
4:35 pm
go jackets their golf course is cool
Once Recent Reader
September 30th, 2012
4:35 pm
Just got on blog during that last drive. Was quite interesting going back to Comments in . . .say section 14 and 15 . .. .then reading posts during the last drive. Good thing some folks have short term amnesia.
MONKATL
September 30th, 2012
4:35 pm
choke your the loser right now
MONKATL
September 30th, 2012
4:35 pm
da da da
Dave
September 30th, 2012
4:36 pm
D.E….nah, that’s what Ron Mexico gave his old lady and yours!
Matt "CHOKE" Ryan
September 30th, 2012
4:36 pm
72-23
Anybody know what those numbers represent?
Anybody?…..okay here’s clue……..
Green Bay + Giants……….
HA HA
Matt "I got your Noodle" Ryan
September 30th, 2012
4:37 pm
We HATE LOSERS CHOKE!
ijonathan
September 30th, 2012
4:37 pm
Assuming the Falcons have a very good regular season, do you cheer for the Packers or the Saints right now?
Jeremiah Wright
September 30th, 2012
4:37 pm
Advice to all. Do not let JSS get you upset. He uses Saul Alinsky tactics to get you upset and banned. This is the type of person he is. He is a very ignominious person and not worth it.
phil
September 30th, 2012
4:37 pm
What an aggravating day but what a win!
That should not have happened, obviously, but thank you, Scam, for the fumble and thank you, Matt, for making the effort to get stronger this past offseason.
It just paid off…..
Yes!!!
Go Jackets
September 30th, 2012
4:37 pm
I forgot……College Park has a yearly laptop toss…..Cam is the reigning champ……..
Little "Choke" where are u?
September 30th, 2012
4:37 pm
Little “Choke”, where are you now, idiot?
Todd Grantham
September 30th, 2012
4:37 pm
Word around is PC wants another shot as Tech.
Dave
September 30th, 2012
4:38 pm
Matt “CHOKE” Ryan…..you are a turd, I gotta give ya that much credit
Matt "CHOKE" Ryan
September 30th, 2012
4:38 pm
You guys are mean………….
I am just trying chat with you………
Why do you treat me so bad?
Are you still my friends?
HA HA
JSS
September 30th, 2012
4:38 pm
@ O.R.R.
“Good thing some folks have short term amnesia.”
Nah, it is their M.O., let them enjoy this, they’ll never confess…
Go away "Choke"
September 30th, 2012
4:38 pm
I guess if your team sux, you have to hang out on other teams (cities) blog sites and be critical of their team, huh Choke?
Ivan
September 30th, 2012
4:38 pm
When was the last time Vick was even in the playoffs?
RYAN>>>>>>>>>>>>vicky
Once Recent Reader
September 30th, 2012
4:39 pm
Aw come on. Give MCR a break. He makes the blog more interesting . . . .or contentious (which I find interesting) at least. But . . .is there nothing better for Falcon fans then reading MCR’s gloating posts with a little over 2 minutes left and then Falcs having a great last drive to win. As I said last year, when MCR is resorting to No Playoff WIns comments (which is sadly true under the Smith/Ryan era) . . .you know the Falcons must have done something good on that day.
Todd Grantham
September 30th, 2012
4:39 pm
At Tech
phil
September 30th, 2012
4:39 pm
Until we win in the postseason….
CHOKE IS RIGHT!
Let the bozo spew his crap, correct though it is.
How bout we win a few in january?
Sid
September 30th, 2012
4:39 pm
meanwhile, Packers 7…Aints 0……day just gets better and better.
AJC - You're PATHETIC
September 30th, 2012
4:39 pm
AJC spends the ENTIRE game promoting Carolina. Zero photos of any Falcon. Zero photos of any Falcon touchdown, field goal – zero, zip, nada. You guys are absolutely PATHETIC.
Not So Fast
September 30th, 2012
4:40 pm
People like Choke, JSS, etc….aren’t going to stop. Even if Matt Ryan wins a Super Bowl. We all know the real reason they don’t like Matt Ryan. I mean didn’t Peyton struggle at the beginning of his career in the playoffs? But that doesn’t matter to them like I said we all know why there is all the vitriol towards Ryan. Anyone who just saw that drive with no timeouts from the one and says that wasn’t clutch has zero football knowledge.
Josh Smith for 3
September 30th, 2012
4:40 pm
Hey Mark, can’t you ban this Matt Choke Ryan guy? Seriously, he fits the perfect description for what Schultz and your colleagues consider ban-worthy. Can’t have a decent conversation amongst fans without his cries for attention clogging up the board.
Go away "Choke"
September 30th, 2012
4:40 pm
Heh Phil……we gotta get there first. Unless you got a time machine.
JC
September 30th, 2012
4:40 pm
Go Jackets @4:29
1. Chick-fil-a headquarters.
2. Coca-Cola Bottling.
Some people can’t help where they come from, but look at where they are now. He’s doing better than you and me!
Matt "CHOKE" Ryan
September 30th, 2012
4:41 pm
This is my favorite blog…………
I don’t even live in Georgia……..hell not even in the South…..
I’m doing a college thesis on stupidity…..
You guys are going to get me an A+ for sure…………..
HA HA
JSS
September 30th, 2012
4:42 pm
Ha ha, “get you upset?” I can’t help laughing at a fool with your user -name trying to play that card… Busy trying to discredit long dead community activist?
Tumbledown
September 30th, 2012
4:42 pm
Way to come back at the end, Falcons. The best thing to do is ignore the hate-filled trolls on this and any other blog!