Cam Newton and the Panthers are quietly becoming one of the top teams in the NFL. (
Cam Newton wasn’t apologizing Tuesday for walking out on reporters after the Carolina Panthers’ loss in the Super Bowl 50.
Newton acknowledged that he was a “sore loser” after the Panthers fell to the Denver Broncos 24-10 on Sunday night in Santa Clara, Calif. He answered only a few questions from the media before walking out.
“I’ve been on record to say I’m a sore loser. Who likes to lose? You show me a good loser and I’m going to show you a loser,” he said. “It’s not a popularity contest. I’m here to win football games.”
The 2015 NFL Most Valuable Player spoke to reporters on Tuesday in Charlotte, N.C., while cleaning out his locker. He said “that’s cool” if he offended anyone with his actions.
“But I know who I am and I’m not about to conform nor bend for anybody’s expectations because your or anybody else’s expectations will never exceed mine,” Newton said.
—Peyton Manning, you’ve just won Super Bowl 50. What are you going to do? Enjoy the championship and not be pressured into making a career decision.
Denver general manager John Elway told the 39-year-old quarterback to take his time on deciding whether to come back another year or call it quits. Elway said neither he nor the team would rush Manning into making a decision.
“There is no deadline. We’ll let Peyton enjoy this,” Elway said. “Eventually, we’ll sit down and talk to him. There is no timeline for this.”
—Cleveland quarterback Johnny Manziel, according to an NFL.com report, came to a late-season practice drunk and the Browns covered up the incident.
The website reported that the Browns “lied” about Manziel being drunk at a Wednesday practice late in the season.
CBSSports.com said former coach Mike Pettine, when asked during the season, denied Manziel had been drunk at practice. Manziel is being investigated of allegations of domestic violence due to the incident that occurred in the early-morning hours of Jan. 30.
Colleen Crowley, his ex-girlfriend, was hit so hard by the embattled quarterback that she suffered a ruptured left eardrum, her attorney told a Dallas television station.
—Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank said in a statement released Tuesday that he will undergo treatment for prostate cancer.
The 73-year-old Blank, the co-founder of Home Depot, has owned the Falcons since 2002. He will have surgery later this month and then take several weeks to recover. No other treatment is scheduled as of now.
Blank also is the owner of Atlanta United FC, a Major League Soccer expansion franchise. The Falcons and Atlanta United FC will play in a new downtown stadium that is set to open in 2017.
—The Los Angeles Rams announced that they have received more than 56,000 deposits for season tickets since it was announced last month that the franchise was returning to California.
The $100 deposits are refundable and give purchasers the right to buy tickets at Los Angeles Coliseum and then at the new Inglewood stadium, which is expected to be completed by the 2019 season. The team begin taking the deposits on Jan. 18 and wrapped on the program on Monday.
—Ryan Lindley, signed by the Indianapolis Colts in late December after injuries decimated their quarterbacks, was waived Tuesday.
Kicker Adam Vinatieri also confirmed that he will return for a 21st season. He is a free agent, but the Colts have expressed a desire to re-sign the 42-year-old veteran.
Viniatieri said he hopes to play, “Lord willing, a couple of years. There will come a time when it’s over for me. I don’t think that time is yet. I enjoy playing.”
—The Colts announced additions to their coaching staff.
Maurice Drayton was hired as assistant special teams coach, Lee Hull as wide receivers coach, Jemal Singleton as running backs coach, Quadrian Banks as conditioning/performance analyst and Andrew Hayes-Stoker as assistant to the head coach.
The Colts also announced that Joe Philbin’s title was updated to assistant head coach/offensive line. Philbin is a former head coach of the Miami Dolphins.
—The Tennessee Titans released two-time Pro Bowl safety Michael Griffin.
A first round out of Texas in 2007, Griffin played 141 games. He had one interception in 15 games last season. For his career, he totaled 25 interceptions.
—Buffalo Bills running back LeSean McCoy allegedly was involved in an altercation that left one person with a possible skull fracture at a Philadelphia nightclub. An arrest warrant for McCoy is expected to be issued sometime soon, possibly Tuesday.
Multiple reports say charges will be filed against McCoy and former NFL running back Curtis Brinkley after a fight broke out with off-duty Philadelphia police officers around 2:45 a.m. Sunday. According to the police report, the dispute started over the purchase of a bottle of champagne.
Philadelphia police said one of the off-duty officers was punched, knocked to the ground, kicked and stomped on by McCoy, Brinkley and two other suspects. The officer suffered a broken nose, broken ribs and other injuries. The second off-duty officer, who tried to break up the fight, suffered more serious injuries including broken ribs and a possible skull fracture, according to the report.
—The Super Bowl is only days behind us, but it’s never too early to talk about the first week of the 2016 season and that talk is focusing on Denver cornerback Aqib Talib.
According to Pro Football Talk, the NFL is going to review Talib’s facemask penalty on Carolina Panthers wide receiver Corey Brown and the Broncos cornerback could be suspended for at least the first game of next season.
Talib viewed his “intentional and blatant decision” to take Brown down by his face mask to prevent a touchdown as a penalty that would draw the equivalent of a parking ticket. His admitted decision to grab, twist and yank Brown to the ground resulted in very little impact on the field — the penalty took place inside the Denver 5-yard line.
—The Oakland Raiders released safety Nate Allen after one season with the team.
The Raiders signed Allen to a four-year, $23 million contract as a free agent last year but released him before his $4.9 million salary for the 2016 season would have become guaranteed on Wednesday.
Allen, 28, played in five games for the Raiders in 2015 after being slowed by knee injuries starting in Week 1 and finishing the season on injured reserve. He started three games and totaled 14 tackles, one interception and two passes defensed.
