A fresh controversy is brewing around Tua Tagovailoa’s response to Cam Newton’s criticism of him. The drama started when Newton questioned whether Tagovailoa was living up to expectations, pointing to his contract, surrounding talent, and his recent performances.
Tagovailoa fired back, saying it’s easier to criticize from the sidelines than to actually play. But now, Stephen A. Smith has stepped in, defending Newton, and he strongly disagrees with Tagovailoa’s line of thinking.
On a recent episode of ‘First Take,’ Stephen A. said Tagovailoa’s response crossed the line with ignorance. According to Smith, dismissing Newton’s legacy and experience as if he were just another analyst shows a lack of understanding.
“I like Tua Tagovailoa and I respect him, that might be one of the most ignorant-a** comments coming out of a quarterback’s mouth. What he said to you, he should’ve been saying to somebody like me, who’s never played,” Smith said (4:55).
Smith says Newton played the game at a high level for years and earned the right to speak. He sees Tagovailoa’s reaction as emotional and misdirected, a misstep from someone still under pressure to prove himself.
In Smith’s opinion, Tagovailoa took the less smart route by undermining Newton. He outlined that Newton had an 11-year career in the NFL. Even though, at times, Smith himself was critical of some aspects of Newton’s game, one can’t deny his greatness.
Stephen A. highlighted some of Newton’s career accomplishments as he tried to figure out what made Tagovailoa say what he said about Newton. Had he made the same comment about a journalist, Smith would’ve understood.
What Did Tua Tagovailoa Say About Cam Newton?
Understandably, Tagovailoa is under tremendous pressure. The spotlight is on him, he is getting paid a lot of money, and the responsibility of a franchise lies on his shoulders. Being a highly popular athlete, he is bound to be discussed in the media, as they dissect his performances.
But when Newton did the same, saying Tagovailoa is not living up to the expectations, the quarterback lost his cool. During a press conference, he lashed out at Newton, making him sound like an armchair quarterback.
“Cam is doing his thing for sure, but I think it’s easier to be able to hold a clicker and talk about it that way or talk about what someone else is doing wrong when you’re not going out and having to do the same as them,” he said.
“I think it’s easy to do that. I think anybody can do that. I don’t think anybody can play quarterback,” he added.
This comment triggered Stephen A. Smith.
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