Did you happen to see the post-Super Bowl press conference interview last night? There was this fourth-grader, wearing a hoodie and mumbling short answers (if they were even answers at all), and sluggishly swaying his head around as he slumped in his chair. It was identical to the kind of fourth-grader you might see who had his Halloween candy stolen.
This fourth-grader’s name was Cam Newton.
Cam, did you not get the memo?…
Whether you win or lose, how to impress 100 million viewers:
Do not wear a hoodie. Sit up straight. Do not mumble. Show some dignity. Answer the questions. Do not abruptly get up and walk out. DO NOT ABRUPTLY GET UP AND WALK OUT!!
Anyone can be the happiest person on the planet after they win a game. That’s a given. Now, lose a game, especially after such a dominating, winning season, then there’s this little thing called a Test of Character that sneaks in. It defines whether a man is grown up or needs to grow up.
In your case, Cam, you flunked the test.
Oh, in warm-ups, wearing your Superman costume and your flashy, golden “MVP” shoes, you were so #1….in your head. But, please keep in mind: the next time you show up to a game against quarterbacks like Peyton Manning, Aaron Rogers, and Drew Brees, take a real close look at how they act. They don’t wear pre-game adolescent costumes. They don’t parade around in shoes declaring their untouchable greatness. They are ALL team-oriented. There is nothing in their character that makes them want to put on the Me circus. Take a look at any of their post-game interviews after losing a game. They present themselves as respectable men of character. You won’t find any fourth-graders.
All it took was a three minute post-game interview, and all those footballs you’ve been handing out to the kids now look tarnished. In three minutes you wiped out an entire season of fun and admiration.
In three minutes you blew it.
My advice: Don’t look forward to how many games you can win next year. Look forward to how many losses you can handle like a man.
Sit up straight. Take off the hoodie.
Copyright Ros Hill 2016
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