On Sunday, former Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton was involved in a brawl at a 7-on-7 tournament in his hometown of Atlanta. The event was hosted by We Ball Sports, an apparel and sports media company.
Newton has been involved in the youth football community for a long time. In 2011, he started C1N, an organization that focuses on “developing young athletes’ skills in football by providing opportunities to compete at the highest level through 7v7 tournaments and other events.”
The two men shown fighting Newton in the viral video are coaches for TopShelf Performance, also known as TSP. The pair had previously coached with Newton. Nehemiah Mitchell, a former outside linebacker at Vanderbilt and co-founder of We Ball Sports, provided The Athletic with further details.
“According to Mitchell, TopShelf beat C1N in a “heated game” with a lot of trash talk between the under-18 teams on Saturday. The tensions boiled over on Sunday.
“There were 16 teams in each division, with the top under-18 team earning a $5,000 prize and the top under-15 team receiving $1,500. Over 1,500 people attended the event.”
Mitchell also told the outlet that everyone involved in the scuffle, including Newton, was removed from the event. On Monday, TSP released a statement in the wake of the event.
“We are actively addressing this matter internally and working towards a resolution that aligns with our commitment to creating a positive space for our team and clients,” TSP’s statement reads. “We appreciate your understanding and want to reassure our community that something like this will never happen again. We remain dedicated to upholding the highest standards of professionalism and integrity and will continue to help and grow with the players in the community.”
TSP claims Cam Newton initiated physical contact in fight
The statement continues on, explaining how multiple members of the TSP coaching staff used to work for Newton’s 7-on-7 organization. After “tensions rose,” two coaches departed to start their own team. According to their version of the events on Saturday, Newton “taunted” TSP athletes during a game and afterward, he grabbed one of his former coaches, Steph, and “tried to choke him.” They then claim that the other coach, TJ, jumped in with a punch, which escalated the situation.
The statement claims that only the two coaches, Steph and TJ, of TSP were involved in the fight while Newton, and an athlete from one of his teams, fought. They allege that the minor from Newton’s team landed a punch on TJ before the Atlanta Police broke it up.
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