Cam Newton said NFL players are "owed" the opportunity to celebrate after big plays.
The reigning Most Valuable Player said Tuesday he has no idea whether the NFL's sinking TV ratings early this season are tied to the league's crackdown on celebrations, but the man who made "the dab" famous agrees with other players that they should be allowed to express themselves.
"The league has to understand it's entertaining to see that," Newton said.
Newton, whose Panthers host the New Orleans Saints on Thursday night, said he tuned into Monday night's game to see how New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham would celebrate if he scored a touchdown. Beckham didn't disappoint, doing his best impersonation of Michael Jackson's "Thriller" dance, prompting a giddy Newton to imitate Beckham's dance from behind the podium.
Beckham wasn't flagged for excessive celebration, but some players have been this season.
"If it was up to me, there would be no type of ..." said Newton, before breaking into a wide smile. "You're asking a person who celebrates. But it's fun. It's like when a person gets a sack, I try not to look to see what they do, but it's all in the game."
Newton grew up in Atlanta watching Deion Sanders high-step into the end zone.
Given how hard NFL players work leading up to games -- "we're here until 10 at night and back in at 6 a.m.," he said -- they deserve to let loose when a play goes as planned.
"All of that bottled up inside of you and being able to do exactly what you planned and foresaw yourself doing, you are owed something," Newton said. "Some people let it out with a celebration. Some people let it out in different way. It's a give-and-take thing. But it's kind of a reciprocated feeling when a fan goes to see their favorite player and sees them celebrating."
Pope Cubbie
Pope Francis now has a blue Chicago Cubs hat to go with his traditional white skull cap.
Chicago Archbishop Blase Cupich presented Francis with the hat and what looks like a signed baseball at the Vatican on Tuesday, nearly two weeks after the Cubs won their first World Series since 1908.
Cupich shared a photo of Francis holding the items on Twitter. He included the message, "News of the Cubs win reached all the way to the Vatican!" Cupich said the pope "can now celebrate with us and he asks for our prayers!"
Cupich is set to be made a cardinal by Francis later this week.
Father and son
Jack Nicklaus has been playing the PNC Father-Son Challenge so long that his son is older than seven major champions in the field.
Nicklaus and his oldest son, 55-year-old Jackie, will be among 20 teams on Dec. 10-11 at The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club at Grande Lakes in Orlando, Fla. It's the one tournament Nicklaus won't miss. He is playing for the 15th time and calls it "one of the most anticipated events of the year for me."
"I was looking at the incredible field they have assembled again this year, and I see several fathers who are actually younger than my son," Nicklaus said. "At a combined age of 130 years, is it too late for us to ask for shots?"
Among the newcomers is John Daly (Dardanelle, Arkansas Razorbacks), who will be playing with his 13-year-old son who goes by "Little John."
Sports on 11/16/2016