NFL

Cam Newton tells Super Bowl haters to shove it

You can keep waiting for that Cam Newton apology.

The Panthers quarterback defended his actions after the Super Bowl as he met the media Tuesday for the first time since he walked out on the press following the devastating 24-10 defeat by the Broncos.

“Show me a good loser and I’ll show you a loser,” Newton said, borrowing from Vince Lombardi, as the Panthers cleaned out their lockers.

Newton faced backlash after he stonewalled the press with a series of two-word answers before abruptly leaving his presser on Sunday night.

“At the end of the day when you invest so much time and sacrifice so much and things don’t go as planned, I think emotions take over,” Newton said.

Newton also was scrutinized for his play on the field at Levi’s Stadium, especially when it appeared Newton shied away from recovering his own fumble with the Panthers trailing 16-10 in the fourth quarter. The Broncos recovered and scored on the ensuing drive to go up 24-10 and put Super Bowl 50 out of reach.

“I don’t dive on one fumble because the way my leg was — it could have been [contorted] in a way,” said Newton, who was harassed into his worst game of the season by a dominant Broncos defense.

“OK, you say my effort. I didn’t dive down. I fumbled. That’s fine. But we didn’t lose that game because of that fumble. I can tell you that.”

Newton has been a lightning rod for controversy for the way he carries himself on the field. His celebrations, including his famous dabs, are seen as poor sportsmanship by some.

“I don’t have to conform to anybody’s wants for me. I’m not that guy. This is a great league with or without me. I am my own person,” Newton said.

With AP