Why Cam Newtown Is Ditching The Dab For The 2016 Season

Long live "the dab." Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton says he is ditching his trademark touchdown dance for the upcoming season.

The reigning NFL MVP, who led the Panthers to an NFC championship in January, said he will simply come up with a new celebration for his future scoring plays.

"I have to put [the dab] aside," Newton said Thursday during an interview on WFZN-AM radio's "The Mac Attack'' in Charlotte, North Carolina. "I have till September to find out [what my new celebration will be]."

Performing the dab, or "dabbing," involves the dancer dropping his or her head into their bent elbow in a motion that resembles the act of sneezing, while simultanouesly sticking the opposite arm straight out into the air. The move originated in the Atlanta hip hop scene, but Newton helped make dabbing a sensation replicated in schools, dance clubs and just about everywhere. Even now-presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton showed off her dabbing skills while making an appearance on "Ellen" in January.

Newton's decision to drop the dab could simply be a matter of out with the old, in with the new, but leaving the dance behind could also be part of an image makeover for the athlete. While leading the Panthers to a franchise record 15 regular season wins, Newton was criticized for his braggadocious, blunt attitude that many deemed disrespectful or unsportsmanlike. Some criticized the dab in particular as offensive. While Newton defended his right to dab, the controversy surrounding his attitude culminated in a disastrous press conference after the Panthers Super Bowl loss to the Denver Broncos in which Newton dodged reporters' questions before eventually walking out early.

Newton addressed that controversy in his WFZN-AM interview.

"I'm not saying what I did was right," Newton told the radio station. "I'm not saying what I did was wrong. I just want people to see it from my vantage point. I've learned from it. No doubt."

Newton's self-evaluation could have led to the decision to drop the dab as well.

If Newton stays true to his word, his last in-game dab will have come during the NFC Champiosnhip game in January where he scored two rushing touchdowns. Newton did not score in the Panthers' subsequent Super Bowl loss to Denver, robbing the MVP of the chance to drop the dance in the big game.

Watch a compilation of some of the best examples of dabbing below: