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Cam Newton gives frustrated news conference even shorter than one at Super Bowl

frank schwab
NFL writer

Maybe you’ve heard this, but Cam Newton is a notoriously sore loser.

And that’s fine, he’s a competitor. It’s part of what has made Newton the league’s MVP. And with the Carolina Panthers an inexplicable 1-5, a little more than eight months after he was playing in Super Bowl 50, Newton seems fed up.

After the Panthers lost to the New Orleans Saints on a last-second field goal Sunday, a loss that puts them in a hole that might be impossible to get out of this season, Newton gave a news conference that consisted of clipped answers and “next question” replies. And after a short pause in the questions, he walked off.

It lasted about 90 seconds. Charlotte Observer columnist Scott Fowler pointed out it was 59 seconds shorter than Newton’s infamous Super Bowl news conference.

It’s understandable why Newton is frustrated. This Panthers team is a shell of what it was last season, despite bringing back almost all of its roster and coaching staff. But general manager Dave Gettleman ran out cornerback Josh Norman for no good reason and didn’t do anything to add to the roster, and that’s looking pretty bad right now. Newton has been punished in most games, had to sit out last week’s game with a concussion, and now is looking at perhaps having to win out to just make it back to the playoffs. He helped lead the Panthers to 38 points on Sunday and had nothing to show for it.

A year ago, Newton was on top of the world, becoming the NFL’s MVP and perhaps its biggest star, leading the Panthers to a 15-1 season. This year it has been a total nightmare. He doesn’t want to talk about it.

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Frank Schwab is the editor of Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at shutdown.corner@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!