You can make a case for any of a couple of dozen players being “snubbed” in the voting for the 2013 Pro Bowl rosters, where online lists of the aggrieved abound.
But you will hear no rants about the absence of quarterback Cam Newton from the NFC roster. No shrieks of injustice about Newton’s exclusion from any quarter.
Sighs of relief, perhaps, but definitely no torment over his sitting this one out.
Even if Newton had led the Carolina Panthers to something better than their current 6-9 record at the bottom of the NFC South standings, it is unlikely there would have been a chorus on his behalf from those who witnessed his 2012 Pro Bowl debut.
To be sure, Newton wasn’t all that was wrong with the 2012 all-star game, but with his churlishness, he was the poster player for the dysfunctional event as the loud booing that accompanied him illustrated.
It isn’t hard to see him as a reason why the NFL threatened doing away with the game altogether and why, even though it returns to Aloha Stadium on Jan. 27, its future remains in doubt.
Traditionally, in the Pro Bowl’s 32-year run here, rookies have been some of the most enthusiastic participants. Most are excited to be here, thrilled at having their contributions recognized and happy to be part of the fanfare that surrounds the event.
Newton was none of the above.
And it showed in his two-quarter performance, when he often went through the barely interested motions and, on one play, even sat down to avoid a sack.
When he wanted to, the immensely talented Newton could be awesome, such as the 55-yard touchdown pass to Carolina teammate Steve Smith. But more often he just looked bored, half-heartedly flinging passes on a 9-for-27 afternoon.
This after a week in which fans and, reportedly, some fellow Pro Bowl players, took exception to his antics. CBSsports.com’s Pete Prisco reported “Newton’s standoffish, diva ways made him enemy No. 1 in the eyes of some of the players.”
The alleged dissing of Ray Lewis and refusal to sign an autograph for the kids of a fellow player led another unnamed player to tell CBSsports.com, “He was a total (bleep). Who did he think he was? He acted like the big (bleep). Here he was at his first game and he acted like he was the star. Guys didn’t like that.”
Which is why, it was surmised, Newton faced more than a token rush on a couple of plays and a blistering from the fans.
Newton, an alternate, got into the 2012 game when Eli Manning and the Giants reached the Super Bowl. This year, with Aaron Rodgers, Matt Ryan and Robert Griffin III voted onto the NFC squad at quarterback and Matthew Stafford the designated alternate, it would take quite a turn of events to bring Newton back here.
And few are rooting for that.
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Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@staradvertiser.com or 529-4820.
