The New England Patriots‘ Cam Newton is known for a lot of things. One of them is his penchant for giving teammates nicknames.
One of his recent nicknames, Mac and Cheese, which was given to Patriots rookie quarterback Mac Jones was originally well received, though it may have been one of Newton’s least creative ones.
Not everyone took it in stride.
Recently, ESPN analyst and former NFL linebacker Bart Scott took aim at the nickname insisting it was offensive, and that Newton was taking a shot at the young quarterback’s physique.
While appearing on ESPN’s “Keyshawn, JWill & Zubin,” Scott said:
That’s disrespectful, right? That brings up something totally different. ‘Mac and Cheese’ is like one of the most disrespectful nicknames that I’ve heard in a long time, and this dude thinks it’s a term of endearment. Like, I don’t know if somebody told him, he’s pretty much body shaming him.
Scott wasn’t done as he used a “rental car” analogy to describe Newton’s current position with the Patriots organization.
They’re going to treat Cam like a rental car, right. Because they know he’s not going to be there (next season), so they don’t care. They’ll run him into the ground, run all the tread off the tires and then maybe hand it over to ‘Mac and Cheese’ in the middle of the season or late season.
How Did Jones Take the Nickname?
We can listen to Scott talk about his take, but what about the subject of the nickname?
During OTAs, Jones was asked about the nickname. He didn’t seem offended, and instead spoke glowingly about his budding relationship with Newton.
Jones said:
It’s been good. He calls me ‘Mac & Cheese,’ so I got my nickname. But he’s done an awesome job being a good mentor, and he brings great energy. And Brian (Hoyer) and Jarrett (Stidham) have done a good job of helping me in the film room. All three of them, I just watch their reps and learn as much as I can. You don’t have to be in on that play to learn, so I just have to figure out how to do that. I’ve been getting a lot better just watching tape and learning how to do that, and they’ve helped me in that regard.
That doesn’t sound like a guy who feels salty about a nickname.
Twitter Reaction to Bart Scott’s Take Hasn’t Been Favorable
Scott isn’t getting a lot support on social media for his comments.
Mass Live’s Chris Mason doesn’t see it the same as Scott:
“Mac and Cheese” seems pretty benign (considering his first name is… Mac), but Bart Scott doesn’t see it that way.
Bro Tips suggests Scott take a lap:
Bart Scott needs to take a lap t.co/RCujsR1kUy
To say this was a reach seems accurate.
Newton Has Been the Model Teammate in New England
Scott’s assertions don’t align with what most people in and around the Patriots organization have said about Newton. Christopher Gasper of WCVB talks about Newton building chemistry with new tight end Jonnu Smith:
Cam Newton spending some time on the sideline with tight end Jonnu Smith demonstrating the way he sees the stem of a particular route. Cam was really into it. That rapport seems to be building nicely.
He has been described as a model teammate, who despite the obvious competitive dynamic with Jones, has been nothing but outwardly supportive of him, as he was with Jarrett Stidham last year.
Does Newton want to prove he is a better quarterback than Jones? Of course he does, but suggesting he’d be so petty and passive aggressive toward Jones is ill-advised and borderline reckless.
It is important to remember, Scott spent much of his NFL career with the New York Jets during the peak of the Patriots’ dominance in the AFC East.
Thus he has been on the receiving end of a number of beatdowns from the Patriots. Analysts are people too, and sometimes underlying issues push their way to the forefront of a rant described as analysis.
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Cam Newton’s Teammate Nickname is Disrespectful, Says ESPN Analyst