Cam Newton fires back at critics

The last few weeks have not been kind to Cam Newton. Underwhelming performances, coupled with a woe-is-me, sulking persona, has ignited criticism from fans, media, and even his own teammates. Just a year ago, Newton was tearing up the league as a rookie phenom. Now he’s made a mockery of — in his own town, no less. He’s found out the hard way that it’s not easy playing quarterback in the NFL. Those record-breaking days must feel like centuries ago to the 23-year-old, who responded to critics this week, explaining (in some detail) how he’s handling the scrutiny. “A lot of people deal with things differently. Losing is difficult. Period,” Newton said, via the Charlotte Observer. “A person that says losing is not difficult, I don’t even want to be around that person. And obviously, that person has never won anything relevant in their life. So for a person to say, ‘Yeah, we lost and we have to keep going.’ Yeah, you keep saying that, and sooner or later, you’re going to look up an