Cam Newton continues to catch flack after his subpar performance during the Super Bowl and walking out of the post-game press conference. Newton allowed his frustrations to get the best of him in that moment, but his reaction was completely human.
However, some critics have blasted Newton and called him unprofessional. But one person blatantly revealed a display of racism that shows why Newton initially spoke about being viewed differently because he is a Black quarterback.
In a racist rant, ex-NFL player Bill Romanowski called Newton, “Boy.” The term “Boy” has been used for centuries by racist White men who desired to make Black men feel inferior. It was a way to dehumanize Black men who they considered to be unworthy of respect and basic civil rights. In 2016, Romanowski found a way to totally disrespect Newton without calling him the N-word.
Romanowski tweeted, “You’ll never last in the NFL with that attitude. The world doesn’t revolve around you, BOY!” #CamNewton.
Romanowski eventually retracted his statement, but his true sentiments about Newton had been exposed. He didn’t call Newton immature or childish, he used “Boy” as a way to demean and hurt.
And this comes from a guy who was known for his “boyish” and immature actions during his playing days. In 1995, Romanowski kicked running back, Larry Centers, in the head; In 1997, he spat in the face of J.J. Stokes; and he crushed the eye socket of his teammate Marcus Williams during a scrimmage in 2003. Many Black players accused Romanowski of racism during his playing days. It was hard to prove the claim considering that some may have viewed him as an overly-aggressive athlete. But his remarks against Newton proves that he is indeed a racist.
Newton will continue to be ridiculed and a lot of it will stem from racism. Romanowski just had the nerve to tweet what many racist critics are already thinking.
