READ TODAY'S STORIES AND E-EDITION SUBSCRIBE |  CONTACT US |  SIGN IN
Sports Extra!



SPORTS EXTRA BLOGS

FOR THE RECORD
LOCAL PROS

ALL SPORTS

PHOTOS & VIDEOS

OUTDOORS

FIND A STORY

EMAIL ALERTS

SOCIAL MEDIA

RSS FEEDS

CONTACT US
BUY PHOTOS & PAGES

ADVERTISE ON SPORTS EXTRA


Print story only Print story with comments Email Twitter Facebook Pinterest
Super Cam? I'm buying it if Panthers QB at least buys some dog tags
Published: 9/27/2012 1:52 PM
Last Modified: 9/27/2012 1:58 PM

Apparently, it is customary for Carolina Panthers’ quarterback Cam Newton to stage a Superman-inspired celebration when he scores touchdowns. He feigns tearing aside his outerwear (picture Clark Kent shedding his civilian gear) to reveal an “S” logo on his chest.

Newton did this in the third quarter of a game against the New York Giants. The Panthers trailed 23-7 at the time. Newton was later benched after throwing a third interception and he was taken to task by a teammate for his body language.

Should you break out a Superman celebration when your team is getting popped? Should you be staging Superman celebrations when you are in the midst of what appears to be (two touchdown passes, five interceptions) a sophomore slump?

A Charlotte Observer cartoonist took Newton to task this week, drawing a caricature of the quarterback opening his jersey to reveal not a Superman logo but a “Hello Kitty” logo instead. Fair? Unfair?

I’m offended by the Superman celebration, but not because of grumpy sportswriter reasons like “why do you choose to draw attention to yourself in a team sport?” Bonus preaching: Barry Sanders, maybe the greatest running back in the history of planets not named Krypton, handed the ball to an official after he scored touchdowns, business as usual.

I’m offended by the Superman celebration because I’m a Superman junkie and I’m offended any time a sports figure (that means you, Dwight Howard) attempts to put himself in the same category as Kal-El.

Are you the sole survivor of your planet?

Did you represent the earth in the interplanetary Olympics?

Did you kick General Zod’s butt all the way back to the Phantom Zone?

Did you exhaust every possible option while trying to enlarge the bottle city of Kandor?

Did you sacrifice your life (temporarily) while defending Metropolis from Doomsday?

Did you resist temptation to overthrow the government when U.S. citizens were foolish enough to elect Lex Luthor president?

Do you worry about breaking Lana Lang’s heart if you choose Lois Lane? (On second thought, pro athletes probably make a similar decision every day, minus the guilt.)

If the answer to those questions is no, you’re not Superman.

And if you ever held a franchise hostage (you again, Howard), you’re not worthy of having an “S” on your chest.

But I’ll bite my tongue and heartily endorse Newton’s Superman celebration if he will make a concession. Every time he scores and does the Superman thing, how about making a donation to the Christopher Reeve Foundation?

Reeve played (superbly) the role of Superman in four movies. He became a quadriplegic following a 1995 horse riding accident and died in 2004. His foundation is dedicated to curing spinal cord injuries. You can Google up the foundation’s web site to read more about it.

And, if you like bling, you can go to wbshop.com and put the words “Superman dog tags” in the search box. You can purchase Superman logo dog tags for $10. Proceeds from the dog tags (the words “go forward” are printed on them) benefit the Christopher Reeve Foundation.

Do you really want to do something Superman-like? Forget touchdowns. The best way to do it is to help someone else.


Reader Comments


To post comments on tulsaworld.com, you must be an active Tulsa World print or digital subscriber and signed into your account.


Games People Play

Tulsa World sports writer Jimmie Tramel is a former class president at Locust Grove High School. He graduated magna cum laude from Northeastern State University with a journalism degree and, while attending college, was sports editor of the Pryor Daily Times. He joined the Tulsa World on Oct. 17, 1989, the same day an earthquake struck the World Series. He is the OSU basketball beat writer and a columnist and feature writer during football season. In 2007, he wrote a book about Oklahoma State football with former Cowboy coach Pat Jones.

Follow Jimmie Tramel on Twitter

Subscribe to this blog


Archive

 
Jimmie Tramel's Blog Archive:

2/2013  1/2013  12/2012  11/2012  10/2012  9/2012  
8/2012  7/2012  6/2012  5/2012  4/2012  3/2012  
2/2012  1/2012  12/2011  11/2011  10/2011  9/2011  
8/2011  7/2011  6/2011  5/2011  4/2011  3/2011  
2/2011  1/2011  12/2010  11/2010  10/2010  9/2010  
8/2010  7/2010  6/2010  5/2010  4/2010  3/2010  
2/2010  1/2010  12/2009  11/2009  10/2009  9/2009  
8/2009  7/2009  6/2009  5/2009  4/2009  3/2009  
2/2009  1/2009  12/2008  11/2008  10/2008  9/2008  
8/2008  7/2008  6/2008  5/2008  4/2008  3/2008  
2/2008  1/2008  12/2007  11/2007  10/2007  9/2007  
8/2007  7/2007  6/2007  5/2007  4/2007  3/2007  
2/2007  1/2007  12/2006  11/2006  10/2006  9/2006  
8/2006  





Home | Contact Us | Search | Subscribe | Customer Service | About | Advertise
Copyright © 2013, World Publishing Co. All rights reserved.