Carolina Panthers’ quarterback, Cam Newton, recently made a controversial remark to a female reporter, Jourdan Rodrigue, during a press conference after she asked him about a wide receiver route. Newton said, “It’s funny to hear a female talk about routes like — it’s funny.”  

I, however, didn’t find it funny at all. Newton laughing at the reporter’s serious and relevant question was extremely disrespectful to her, and it was also disrespectful to women in general.

Newton’s comment was sexist and stupid. There are multitudes of women throughout the world, including myself, who enjoy watching football and understand the game. I was raised on watching football. Whether it be college football games on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, or NFL games on Sunday, Monday, and Thursday, if there is a football game being played, there is a high probability it is being aired on a TV somewhere in my house.

I’m sure there are other women and girls throughout the country who wake up on Saturday mornings in the fall and watch football from 9 a.m. until 12 a.m., like I do. I’m also sure that there are women and girls throughout the country who could care less about what mascot head Lee Corso puts on during College Gameday on Saturday mornings, but Newton shouldn’t assume that just because someone is female, they do not know anything about football.

I do not understand what went through Newton’s head when those words came out of his mouth. When I heard about it, I was honestly offended and very upset about the matter.  Hearing a professional athlete say a comment like that to a professional reporter grinds my gears. Personally, there is nothing that makes me more irritated and annoyed than people who question me about football and become surprised when I respond back with a logical answer. If I was in the shoes of Jourdan Rodrigue, I can not imagine what I would have said or done, but I completely respect her for how professionally she handled her knowledge and career being called into question.

The assumption that women can’t talk about sports they don’t play is absurd, especially when you consider the hoards of overweight armchair quarterbacks commenting on games every week. Just because football is a sport played mostly by males, that does not mean that females are unaware of the game and how it is played. While it might be justifiable to say that not all females understand the game of football, it is also accurate to say that not all males understand the game of football either.

While I fully understand and respect Cam Newton’s freedom of speech, I don’t mind calling him out for using poor judgment and insulting someone for doing her job, also insulting an entire sex without using facts or logic. And while Cam Newton went on to apologize, what he said to Jourdan Rodrigue is something that she, other female reporters, and females who love the game of football will remember for a long time.