SAN FRANCISCO – Cam Newton's problem is not dabbing, or dissing, or even losing a Super Bowl.
Cam Newton's new problem is doubt.
Not the kind of doubt that athletes refer to when citing "doubters," as if anyone in public life is entitled to a 100 percent sycophantic following. We're talking about the kind of doubt that can creep into a locker room when a player commits sports' only unforgivable sin: not caring enough.
After the Broncos beat Newton's Panthers in the Super Bowl, Denver defensive coordinator Wade Phillips tweeted that "A little dab will do you but too much dab will undo you!"
It was a well-placed needle, but Newton did not lose the Super Bowl because he celebrates with a move known as the "Dab." He lost because the Broncos pressured him on 42.9 percent of his passes, the highest percentage of his career.
After the game, Newton gave the shortest answers possible to six questions while pouting on the podium, then left. Newton should understand that athletes don't make millions of dollars because they are good at their jobs. There are exceptional workers — teachers, fire personnel, EMTs — who make less in a year than Newton makes on a Sunday afternoon.
Athletes make money because people care enough about them to buy tickets and jerseys and watch games on television. But leaving an interview will not cost him football games or endorsements, or credibility in his locker room.
Nor will losing a Super Bowl. Great quarterbacks lose, and Newton's offensive line and receivers gave him no chance.
