CAROLINA PANTHERS V.12.8/ 3534 / www.panthers.com

by Mick Mixon

The body is broad at the shoulder, narrow at the hip and appears to have been sculpted from Baltic Brown granite by Greek stone masons. The smile is big, bright and contagious. The eyes dart about, drinking in the new surroundings. Clothes hang just as they should. Panthers fans, meet Cameron Jerrell Newton, the number one selection in the 2011 NFL Draft.

There is nothing in sports or business like a quarterback. At any level of football, decide to play the position and your world becomes a huge Facebook page where people ping and post as they please.

The physical demands of an NFL trigger man pale in comparison to the mental requirements. Each play is a high stakes game of speed chess. The head must remain clear, the nerves quiet, the voice steady. Quarterbacks are vectors for criticism and idolatry, cheers and boos, rumor and speculation. Rank does have privilege, but leadership can be lonely. Friend requests come from so many different angles, how does he know who to trust? Ball is what he does, but is it who he is?

Newton’s first few days as a Carolina Panther were impressive and revealing. He demonstrated a social ease at the press conference, deftly walking the slippery fence rail that separates confidence from cockiness, and timidity from humility.

“First and foremost,” he told a group of sponsors and Panthers staff on April 29th, “I want to control what I can control. I want to be a good teammate every day. Success is not going to come overnight. I know it is going to take time. I have to earn it by listening and learning from my coaches and from the veteran players. I’m excited and I can’t wait to get to work.”

Even before it was made official and Newton’s name came off the board, the airwaves had been crackling with speculation about what this remarkable athlete could bring to the Panthers. Fine, but what about the other side of the equation?

What about the harmonic convergence of a gifted young quarterback and a stout offensive line? A jackhammer rushing attack? Dynamic receivers? A fresh, young coaching staff enthusiastic about teaching,

play-calling and game-planning? A fan base starving for the next great signal caller? Cam Newton looks like a tremendous fit for the Panthers. Similarly, the Panthers look like a tremendous fit for him.

“We’re excited to have Cam as a Carolina Panther,” said Panthers General Manager Marty Hurney. “He brings a lot of qualities to an impactful position. But this pick is in no way an indictment of Jimmy Clausen or our other quarterbacks. We still believe in Jimmy and think he is going to play in this league for a long time.”

So how soon will Newton see the field? “When he is ready,” said Coach Rivera.

Did Santa ever bring you a bicycle for Christmas, but you couldn’t ride it because of the 12 inches of snow on the ground? In a way, that is how Panthers fans must feel. This flashy new model looks like it could go fast and take us places, but start pedaling too soon and somebody could get hurt. The time will come, but for now, things have to thaw out a bit.

Still, it looks like we could be in for some wild rides here in Cam-elot.

MICK’S BAG:

welcome to

Cam- elot,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

At Toshiba, our team can help you save up to40% on your documentmanagement expenses.That means more money for your key players. Or, say, season tickets. To learn more, contact Toshiba BusinessSolutions Carolinas at 800.277.2030

New England

©2009 Toshiba America Business Solutions, Inc. and Toshiba Business Solutions. All rights reserved.

Put a salary cap on your printers and copiers.

The Official Office Equipmentand Service Providerof the Carolina Panthers

CLIENT: TOSHIBA JOB#: TOSH_0627NAME: TBS Carolinas Magazine Ad PUBS: SPECS: 4C BLEED: 8.375” x 11.125” TRIM: 8.125” x 10.875” LIVE: 7.375” x 10” GUTTER: “ X “

ART DIRECTOR: Jim Riddle COPYWRITER: Steve Elliott PRODUCTION: Kathi LameyACCOUNT EXEC: Johanna Curgus STUDIO: Brandt Weisman

READER 2FPO HI-RES

PRODUCTION NOTES:

APPROVED CHANGES

TEAM LEADER: ART DIRECTOR: COPYWRITER: PROOF READER: ACCOUNT EXEC: