Getty Cam Newton and Caitlin Clark.
Former NFL MVP Cam Newton is questioning why Indiana Fever player Caitlin Clark is considered “America’s sweetheart.”
Newton made the comments on the podcast, “4th&1.” The podcaster played a clip referring to Chennedy Carter’s flagrant foul body check of Clark.
“Why are we acting as if she’s America’s sweetheart in a league that, she’s in a league full of hyenas and lions, tigers and bears?” he said.
“Why is this even a clip? I understand she’s probably the face of the WNBA. If we’re going to hold everybody accountable, cool,” Newton said, but he added, “Let’s change leagues. NBA. This happens to LeBron; this is not even mentioned. This happens to Patrick Mahomes, this isn’t even mentioned.”
“Was it a cheap shot? It’s basketball. It’s competition,” Newton said, adding, “It’s basketball. It’s a part of basketball.”
Newton, who was a star quarterback for the Carolina Panthers, added, “Ball baby ball.”
“Everybody is comin’ after you to try to dethrone you, and trying to get in your head – mentally, physically, emotionally,” Newton said on the podcast. “And this is just an example of that. How many times have we seen Michael Jordan get his [expletive] whupped?”
Cam Newton Said on the Podcast That ‘Nobody Is Above Getting Checked’
In the podcast, Newton sent a message to Clark, saying, “Nobody is above getting checked or being disliked. So, Caitlin, welcome to the big leagues. Everybody ain’t gonna like you.”
Newton added, “Everybody not going to like the fact that you just are as young as you are and you’re the face of the . . . WNBA. They’re not gonna like the fact that Nike just dropped a big boy bag on you. So, yeah, you gotta, what did Steve Smith say? You gotta ice up, son.”
He added, “This is not the first time, and it’s not gonna be the last time somebody is gonna try to check you to see if you really who you think you are.”
“Why is this even a story?” he said. According to Newton, “This is good for business.” Whether it was a cheap play is “subjective,” Newton said. “Robberies equate to ratings.” He said every time Clark plays, people want to see “how they’re either going to stop her or how she’s going to shine. They need this.”
Cam Newton Referred to the Chennedy Clark Foul as a ‘Nudge’
Draymond Green does this to any of the men in the modern NBA and he’s facing jail time
Chennedy Carter didn’t even get a flagrant
“It was a nudge. It was a little shove,” added Newton, insisting he wasn’t trying to be insensitive.
He said this kind of play might be unwarranted, but he said, “We’ve seen this happen to other sports stars.”
Newton’s comments come after news that Clark has been left off the roster of the U.S. Olympic team, according to USA Today.
Since joining the WNBA, Clark’s popularity has been criticized by others, who question whether her race is fueling it. For example, the View” co-host Sunny Hostin said on the show that “white privilege” and “pretty privilege” play a role in her popularity. “Part of it is about race,” Hostin said.
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NFL MVP Cam Newton Questions Why Caitlin Clark Is ‘America’s Sweetheart’