Cam Newton: Has Owner Jerry Richardson Crossed Line About QB's Appearance?

Cam Newton has a million-dollar smile, a $2 million pair of legs and upside with no discernible price tag.

There is no mystery why the Carolina Panthers took Newton at No. 1 overall in this year's draft. And it has as much to do with presence as it does with football. 

Sure, the kid has amazing physical gifts, but the Panthers needed a new face for their franchise. The draft saw four quarterbacks go in the first round, but offered no better franchise prospect than the Heisman Trophy and National Championship-winning Auburn Tiger.

The controversy surrounding his college recruitment was not nearly enough to dissuade the Panthers from drafting him, and that tells us all we need to know about their faith in the young man.

Or does it?

According to a report from Pro Football Talk, Richardson discussed a pre-draft interview he had with Newton on PBS's Charlie Rose.

Paraphrased to a certain degree, the interview went as such:

"“I said, ‘Do you have any tattoos?’” Richardson told Rose.  “He said, ‘No, sir.  I don’t have any.’  I said, ‘Do you have any piercings?’  He said, ‘No, sir.  I don’t have any.’  I said, ‘We want to keep it that way.’ . . . .

“We want to keep no tattoos, no piercings, and I think you’ve got a very nice haircut.”

Interjected the host:  “You sound like a Lombardi.”

Said Richardson, “No, I just sound reasonable to me.”

"

Reasonable is interesting word.

Richardson, 75 years old, has owned the Panthers since their inception in 1995. And ironically, he's no stranger to taking a hard line on things. Or belittling players.

In February, PFT also ran a piece quoting kicker Jay Feely on Richardson's treatment of Peyton Manning and Drew Brees during CBA negotiations. 

Feely was quoted as saying:

"

“Jerry Richardson . . . he’s going to criticize Peyton Manning and Drew Brees and their intelligence in our meeting Saturday?” Feely said.  “And sit there and say dismissively to Manning  ‘Do I need to help you read a revenue chart son?  Do I need to help break that down for you because I don’t know if you know how to read that?’”

"

This is a great example of being as unreasonable as possible. In fact, throughout most of the CBA negotiations, Richardson was considered one of the most rigid and "pessimistic" of the owners.

In reality, it is not surprising to hear Richardson make a ridiculous request (and it is ridiculous) of his new franchise player.

Newton has no obligation to adhere to such requests from his club's owner. Richardson's not his father nor his keeper. He can't fine Newton or punish him with any just cause if he were to grow an afro, get six tattoos and pierce his lip, eye or ears.

It goes without saying that Richardson rules with an old school mentality. Without inferring too much, but also asking the question that everyone is thinking, would Richardson have asked these questions to Jake Locker, Blaine Gabbert or Christian Ponder?

Maybe he would have. Maybe he did. He had no problem questioning the league's smartest quarterbacks at a negotiating table.

But he also had no problem signing Jeremy Shockey or welcoming back Steve Smith. He also willingly gave too much money to DeAngelo Williams and Charles Johnson.

All of these players sport some form of tattoo(s) and/or piercing(s). And Williams and Johnson in particular make more money than the rookie.

The quarterback position is certainly unlike any other in the game—or in sports as a whole for that matter. But Richardson's behavior is inexcusable.

Newton's physical appearance should be the last thing on Richardson's mind. The Panthers won only two football games a season ago and are far from the most attractive team in the league.

The Panthers owner needs to be in tune with a lot of things. He needs to take the pulse of his organization on a regular basis and he needs to do what is necessary to get them back on the right track.

This is not one of those things.

This is over the top and out of line.