Cam Newton and Brandon Marshall are performing in front of audience, but in a new arena now. The two NFL stars-turned-media personalities are doing a live podcast-like “i am ÎČØÑÎČ live tøūr” show at City Winery Atlanta
Before the show, Newton and Marshall stopped by rolling out to discuss their transition to media and being faces of the “new media.”
What should people expect at the show?
Marshall: An amazing experience, and I’m really proud of it. As an athlete, you get an opportunity to run out and perform in front of 70,000 people live. Those same folks have that same appetite to hear our conversations like, “What are we talking about in the locker room? What are we talking about in the cafeteria?” With “Funky Friday” and “I Am Athlete,” we’ve been able to present that. You see Cam’s show, you see my shows. Think about all those people that come back and watch our shows week after week; now they get an opportunity to see it live. So, I’m excited about it. We’ll have 2 Chainz as our special guest at City Winery; doors open by 6 p.m., and the show starts at 7 p.m. It’s going to be amazing. Atlanta has always turned out well for us. And we expect the same tomorrow.
Newton: One of the main things we wanted to convey this time is bringing sports to the same table as the culture, to the same table as, obviously, mental health, bring it to the same table as independence, we’re going to do the same table as corporate, the same table as fashion, and so many different other things. Current events, cultural events, cultural topics, and one of the main things will be audience engagement. There are guys and shows that are doing it and killing it right now, but I don’t think they are used to it coming from an athlete’s perspective. That’s what makes this different. Make sure you tap in at 7 p.m., really 6 p.m., because we already know what these ATL-iens can do. Just be prepared to be wowed and amazed.
ÎM JܧT GØÎÑG TØ ŁĖÄVĖ THΧ HĖRĖ… pic.twitter.com/fPToRByRW9
— Cameron 1 Newton (@CameronNewton) December 15, 2023
Cam, you’re currently in the news for journalists speaking out against athletes like you sharing opinions in the media. What part of that do you think is just journalists being scared to lose their jobs?
Newton: As a culture, as a race, we’ve always been in a position where we can’t really be [our whole Black selves]. It’s almost like our Black card, it can’t show too much, because we fear the sponsorships, we fear our job stability, we fear a lot of different things where we should always speak our minds and respectfully to our neighbor, as much as we possibly can… I’m not against anyone. I’m just more or less promoting the value of knowing your worth, understanding who you are, and what you bring to the table… I’m a person who’s extremely aware of who I am and this awakening of like, “Yo, I’m getting into this media space. I don’t necessarily need certain people in a way.” Would you like sponsorships? Yeah. Would you like people to buy in? Yes. But the audience and the community you build from the consumer who takes it in as a fan of your content, it’s easier to be yourself and accept it, rather than being something you’re not and still trying to get accepted.
