While the football-following world was enjoying the first half of Thursday night’s Patriots-Buccaneers game, Panthers quarterback Cam Newton posted on social media his apology for making a sexist remark more than 24 hours earlier. Regardless of whether anyone believes the apology was or wasn’t sufficient, the apology may have had a separate objective -- to give Newton a way to avoid being questioned about the issue by reporters after his next game.
Spin it forward to Sunday in Detroit. Newton goes to the podium, ready to address whatever does, or doesn’t, happen against the Lions. Someone asks him about Wednesday’s observation that it’s “funny” a female reporter would ask about pass routes. And Newton says that he has apologized, and that he has said all he’s going to say about it in his video.
Of course, not everyone can pull off the “it’s already been addressed” approach. Newton will be facing a room full of reporters, male and female, many of whom may be feeling regret over the failure to ask a “funny how?” follow-up immediately after Newton said what he said. They may not be willing to take “it’s already been addressed” for an answer, and they may keep asking him about it.
Newton then will face a dilemma. Does he answer the questions? Or does he walk away, like he did after Super Bowl 50?
Either way, there’s still at least one more chapter to this one, and it will play out at or around 4:00 p.m. ET on Sunday.