For young athletes, finding good role models is vital. They need someone who they can pattern their game and off the field lives after. While Cam Newton has proved himself to be one of the best players on the football field last season, he is not someone people should look up to.

Newton became iconic this season for his touchdown celebration known as “dabbing.” His celebration brought about much debate on whether it was too much. Some people thought it was too much while others feel as though it’s just Newton being who he is. One mother took her daughter to the Tennessee Titans vs. Carolina Panthers game this year and Newton’s behavior sparked her to write a letter to a Tennessee newspaper for Newton. In the letter, she stated, “what you modeled for [children everywhere] was egotism, arrogance and poor sportsmanship.

I am not totally against Newton’s celebrations, but he has to realize that a lot of people view them as incredibly cocky. However, if Newton wants to win and behave like that, he has to behave appropriately when they lose. You cannot be arrogant like he is when you win and then be incapable of getting out a sentence response when you lose. Losing sucks, we’ve all been there, but he gets paid millions of dollars a year and part of that job is to do press conferences.

While Newton admits to being a sore loser, that does not excuse his actions. “You show me a good loser and I’m going to show you a loser,” said Newton. No one is saying you have to be happy when you lose, just act like a human being when you do. Behavior like this was what people saw and hoped he would grow out of when he first entered the league, but it doesn’t even seem as though Newton is making an attempt to improve.

My biggest issue with Cam is not that he is a sore loser and winner, but that he tries to hide behind his race. In a press conference Newton stated that, “I’m an African American quarterback that may scare a lot of people because they haven’t seen nothing that they can compare me to.’’ He acts like a toddler who always has to get his way to be happy and then states that it’s because he is African American. No! It’s because of your behavior.

While Cam Newton is an incredibly talented football player and does great work with charitable organizations, he needs to get his behavior in line if he ever wants to be respected the way guys such as Manning, Brees, and Rodgers are.