Steve Harvey Has Some Strong Advice for Cam Newton

Getty Steve Harvey

The New England Patriots quarterback Cam Newton has a new show on BET called Sip and Smoke where he interviews and speaks to prominent people about a variety of topics. In the show’s first episode, Newton sits down with comedian, actor, radio personality, and author Steve Harvey. Once the interview was done, Harvey delivered some sage advice to Newton, who has his share of critics.

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Newton was ready to close out the conversation, but Harvey stopped the host. He said,

Hold on Cam, let me say something to you. There is an African proverb ‘Lions don’t turn around when small dogs bark.’ Don’t even turn around, dog. You a lion. When them small dogs is barking, you ain’t even gotta turn around. Cause you turn around, you could snap they a## up. If a lion turn around on a small dog, dat b#### is fitna, he fitna fold and crumble. Keep walking through the jungle, cause you’re a lion. Lions don’t turn around when small dogs bark.

Cam acknowledged the advice and said, “I’m a take that.” You can watch the interview in its entirety below.

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Who are the Small Dogs?

Harvey’s advice didn’t come out of thin air. Newton is one of the most criticized athletes in sports, and most certainly the NFL. 

It sounds as if Harvey’s comment sprung from the heckling incident at a 7-on-7 game where a foul-mouthed and rowdy teenager verbally assaulted Newton from the sidelines. 

The moment went viral, and Newton posted two videos after the incident to share his side of what happened. In this instance, the young man was the small dog in the African proverb. 

Had Newton not turned around, the moment isn’t quite as viral, and the discussion around it would have been shorter. However, Newton is a human being, and all of us are susceptible to respond when someone is attacking and disrespecting us. That’s especially the case when it’s a child to an adult. 

The other criticisms Newton receives, which likely powered the egregious gall the teenager used to criticize the 2015 NFL MVP, comes from the media.

Calling writers small dogs is a little more complicated. The stories written about athletes shape much of what the public thinks and discusses about sports, and these things matter to most players. 

Newton has always been a polarizing figure for multiple reasons, but there is one sure way to stop the barking.


Newton Must Remind Everyone He’s a Lion on the Field

Newton didn’t have a spectacular year in 2020. Several circumstances played a role in a season that saw him throw fewer TD passes than interceptions for the first time in his career. However, Newton has admitted, he knows he needs to be better.

With legitimate weapons in the passing game based on the Patriots’ free-agent spending and more potentially on the way from the draft, Newton has the resources to go all Mufasa on his haters. 

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