On Wednesday, Cam Newton, the starting quarterback for the Carolina Panthers, was asked during a press conference about football routes by a female reporter. Cam became visibly annoyed by the question. He responded, stating that it was “funny to hear a female talk about routes." After this comment, social media was set ablaze with anger, from both men and women. Many thought his comments were sexist, misogynistic, and improper. News outlets and newspapers like the Washington Post wrote articles about the incident.

Below is a tweet showing the statements made by Cam Newton.

The public is outraged by Cam’s comments

Cam Newton’s comments are abundantly clear. He does not believe that a female should opine on football routes. While there is some validity to what he’s saying, the comment came off as offensive to women, especially feminists. One Twitter user stated that the female reporter who asked Cam the question about routes knew “routes better than he did."

Another woman on Twitter contended that she’s a sports, and that she was disappointed by Newton’s comments.

A man stated that Cam looked like a “clown” after making these comments.

Another woman called Cam Newton a “Neanderthal” for making what she deemed were sexist comments.

However, not everyone believed what he said was sexist. I also do not agree that his comments were sexist.

A female Twitter user said that she found nothing wrong with Newton’s comments.

Another woman thought it was hypocritical to be upset with Cam Newton and not with other players for their conduct.

Cam Newton’s comments are not sexist

The outrage directed at Cam is unwarranted. What he said is not entirely inaccurate. Females do not play football professionally. There is no football league for girls in schools, colleges, or the NFL.

A woman cannot argue that she has a better understanding of routes than a person who actually plays the sport. While some women are knowledgeable about football, that doesn’t mean that we are proficient enough to challenge someone who actually plays the game.

If a man started to tell women how they should operate during a pregnancy or asked her why she didn’t do certain things while she was pregnant, many of us would be offended. A man has never been pregnant. Therefore, for him to suggest what a woman should have done would offend most women. Cam was operating under the same theory. He wasn’t saying women cannot talk about football, but the intricacies of the game are best understood by those entrenched and immersed in the game.

While Cam could have used some tact in his response, it’s hard to negate the validity of what he said. Sometimes, just because you can comment, doesn’t mean you should. Like they say, “stay in your lane."
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