Brian Urlacher Comments on Peyton Manning, Cam Newton, TD Celebrations

Former Chicago Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher said Thursday he prefers subdued touchdown celebrations like those from the Denver Broncos' Peyton Manning instead of the high-energy approach showcased by Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers.

Nina Mandell of USA Today passed along comments from the retired eight-time Pro Bowler about the suddenly hot-button topic. As somebody who played on the defensive side of the ball in the NFL for more than a decade, he appreciates the style of Manning, who he faced in Super Bowl XLI:

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I played defense so I don't like when guys celebrate with dances and stuff. You know who I like the way he celebrates is Peyton. He kind of gives the guy a handshake and goes back to the sidelines. I think that's a great celebration right there. You don't see him dancing. You don't see him doing all of that stuff. Even when he gets a first down he doesn’t do anything.

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Newton and his teammates backed up their 15-1 regular season with victories over the Seattle Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals to reach the Super Bowl. Yet, there's been more talk about their touchdown celebrations than their on-field success as they get prepared to face off with Manning and the Broncos.

The Panthers' quarterback isn't worried about the critics, though. He also wasn't afraid to explain why he believes he's treated differently, as noted by David Newton of ESPN.

"I've said this since day one," Newton said. "I'm an African-American quarterback that may scare a lot of people because they haven't seen nothing that they can compare me to."

Whatever the reason, it's hard to understand why people get so upset over such a small aspect of a game. That's especially true when you catch a glimpse of a kid's face when Newton hands them the football after scoring a touchdown.

At the same time, that doesn't mean Manning does things the wrong way by toning things down. He prefers a more basic celebration, and Newton likes to put a little more into it. So be it.

The far more intriguing storyline is seeing the Broncos' fading legend trying to win another Super Bowl while Newton, at the peak of his physical powers, tries to solidify himself as one of the faces of the next era of football.

It's a fun dynamic, and there's nothing wrong with having a little fun.