Internet Hopes Cam Newton Learned a Lesson — Again

Seconds after Carolina quarterback Cam Newton walked off the podium after the Panthers' Super Bowl loss, I sent this tweet:

Many Panthers fans, who, like Newton, were in the initial stages of dealing with the defeat, angrily disagreed.

"He just lost the biggest game of his life. What was he supposed to say?!," they asked.

Or, "Typical reporter just upset he didn't give you a quote."

Yeah, I was irked because Newton didn't say anything. But upset? Nah. I just knew what it likely meant. 

It was a bad look, and the media was about to get much more out of it than if Newton had spouted off a bunch of clichés. Even when he won, Newton couldn't win with many. So seeing him on that stage, sulking in a hoodie, and then walking off after a few mumbles, was an "uh-oh" moment. A firestorm was a-coming.

Two months later, it's still not out.

The latest hot takes rolled in Sunday night after Jordan Speith graciously handled questions after his back-9 collapse at The Masters.

While using Twitter to judge America's opinion is incomplete at best, it's not surprising this happened shortly after Speith talked:

But that's not the first time this week "Cam Newton could learn a lesson." Just last Monday night, UNC's Marcus Paige played the role of teacher.

And that wasn't the first time in the NCAA Tournament. The Internet also hoped Newton was watching after players from both Northern Iowa and Virginia explained how a win somehow turned into a loss.

And those weren't the first examples from March. Newton apparently could have learned from Conor McGregor after he lost the first UFC fight of his career.

We could parse each of those examples and come up with excuses for Newton and/or arguments for why he should have done better. But even if you're in the camp that believed Newton screwed up, like me, how much longer are we going to make this a thing?

Shoot, even a Falcons' fan website thinks this story is overplayed:

The Internet is an increasingly unforgiving place, so it's silly to think it'll be kind to a polarizing figure like Newton. It would be nice, though, if there were a hypothetical statute of limitations based on the crime committed. It's almost like Newton's post-Super Bowl image would be better off if he threw four interceptions, including a clinching pick-6 in the final minute — as long as he said all the right things afterward.

Yet, like the 'Crying Jordan' meme, those hoping Newton will learn a lesson probably aren't going away anytime soon. Imagine what he'll be taught in the upcoming NBA playoffs. Or when the last guy in the NFL Draft's green room finally gets picked. Oooh — and how heartbroken Summer Olympians respond to the disappointment of seeing four years of hard work go down the drain.

The learning likely won't be limited to sports, either:

Good news, Matt. You don't have to wait until November: