There was an ugly scene in Atlanta last weekend involving former NFL quarterback Cam Newton. A scuffle went viral on social media Sunday, showing Newton and several others shoving, throwing punches, and eventually brawling before being separated. The incident appeared to stem from a game between TopShelf Performance and Newton’s C1N team.
Apparently, two of the men with TopShelf had once worked with Newton and his C1N organization in what was called a “mutually beneficial relationship.” The men, TJ and Steph Brown coached TopShelf to a win over Newton’s team on Saturday, which apparently set the stage for the fight on Sunday.
Allegedly, Newton taunted the two men on Sunday in the parking lot, boasting about his money. The former league MVP continued the verbal assault once players hit the field and continued to taunt the TopShelf coaches saying, “I know that play,” “I taught you everything you know,” “I made y’all” and “I’m your daddy.”
Further reports say Steph Brown left the field to confront Newton, whereupon the No.1 overall pick in 2011 allegedly grabbed Brown “by his jacket trying to choke him.” TJ punched Newton, “and the situation as a whole escalated.” The Browns were the only ones reported to be fighting from their team, but one of Newton’s players jumped in the fray, punching TJ Brown in the nose.
Reports say the relationship between the Browns and Newton started to sour in 2021 after the team coached by TJ defeated Newton’s team. A statement said of the game, “The footage that was captured would be deleted and Cam struggled to accept defeat.” The Browns left C1N and started TopShelf shortly thereafter, but by all accounts, they were still friendly with Newton.
A statement by the Browns further elaborated: “The entire incident is profoundly disheartening. We aspire to serve as exemplars both on and off the field, dedicated to cultivating a community that prioritizes the safety of our athletes and their families. Our objective is to nurture individuals of strong moral character. We acknowledge our responsibility for the consequences of our actions and for allowing the provocation to lead us to behave in a manner inconsistent with our usual character.”
The sponsors of the event, DynastyU, and We Ball Sports, worked quickly to spin the ugly incident. They said: “During the playoff games on Sunday, a scuffle occurred between the coaches on C1N and (TopShelf) Performance with tensions stemming from previous interactions. Newton is the founder and a coach of C1N, which gets its name from his initials and his No. 1 jersey number.” The statement continued, “The isolated event was quickly and safely deescalated by Atlanta Police Department, who patrolled the event both days, as well as bystander. Both coaches were removed from the premises, and the championship games continued. Violence has not and will not be condoned in the environments where competition and hard work are fostered.”
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It was a wild scene, and for Cam Newton, it was a very bad look. The enigmatic former star has actively been self-promoting in an attempt to get back into the league, even going as far as to criticize Super Bowl quarterback Brock Purdy, calling him a “game manager.” Critics fairly pointed out that at least he has a game to manage while Newton sits at home, and with this type of behavior, it looks unlikely that we will ever see Cam Newton play in the NFL again.
Featured image screen grab from embedded video