Many people have suggested Newton provokes this kind of reaction in part because he is black. “I’ve said this since Day One - I’m an African-American quarterback that scares people because they haven’t seen nothing that they can compare me to,” Newton said during a Jan. 28 press conference. “You’ll have to get used to it, because I don’t plan on changing.”
Fleming said he would never ask him to. For every person turned off by Newton’s take on fun, there are legions of Nickelodeon viewers imitating Newton’s end-zone shenanigans in schoolyard pickup games everywhere.
“He’s just doing what he’s done since he’s eight years old,” Fleming said. “Young people connect with that.”