Cam Newton Shouldn’t Be Criticized By 'White Women Supporting Trump,' Says Twitter

Twitter was flooded with mixed responses soon after Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton made a sexist remark when a Carolina Panthers beat writer for the Charlotte Observer, Jourdan Rodrigue, asked about pass routes during a press conference Wednesday.

"I know you take a lot of pride in seeing your receivers play well," Rodrigue said to Newton. "Devin Funchess has seemed to really embrace the physicality of his routes and getting those extra yards. Does that give you a little bit of enjoyment to see him, truck-sticking people?"

Surprised at a female reporter’s knowledge of the sports jargon, Newton said, "It's funny to hear a female talk about routes like that. It's funny."

Newton’s comment sparked outrage among female reporters from different news outlets.

Replying to a Twitter user, who wrote “While I agree with the sentiment — did anyone talk to/confront Cam about his comment? Why ‘Try’ this via social media?” Rodrigue replied, "I spoke with him after and it was worse. I chose not to share because I have an actual job to do today and one he will not keep me from."

Here are some responses from the female journalists who stood up for Rodrigue.

However, it did not take time for the discourse to turn against Rodrigue. Twitter users began criticizing the female journalist because of her skin color, stating that white women, who voted for President Donald Trump in 2016 presidential election despite his demeaning comments about women, have no right criticize Newton. It's not clear if Rodrigue or any other female journalist, who expressed solidarity with her on Twitter, support Trump.

“If you voted for Trump after the ‘Grab her by the p***y’ statement, please don't comment about Cam Newton,” Chicago Now blogger Bob Schneider said. Film producer and media personality Tariq Nasheed tweeted, “Most of the NFL owners donated MILLIONS 2 a president who BRAGS about grabbing women by the p***y. But the sexism outrage is for Cam Newton.”

Charlotte Observer reporter Scott Fowler later wrote about an off-the-record conversation between Rodrigue and Newton that took place after the press conference ended. She confronted him about his sexist comment and he replied saying he should have said it was funny to hear “reporters,” in general, talking about routes.

Rodrigue ended the conversation by asking him if he knew her name since she had been covering the Carolina Panthers every day in the past year and even introduced herself to him back in October 2016. After Newton could not recall her name, she said, “Jourdan Rodrigue, Charlotte Observer,” and walked off.

Carolina Panthers’ spokesman Steven Drummond later on Wednesday afternoon said in a statement: “I have spoken with Jourdan and Cam and I know they had a conversation where he expressed regret for using those words. We strive as a department to make the environment for media comfortable for everyone covering the team.”