Panthers coach Ron Rivera launched into a passionate, 20-minute defense of Cam Newton’s post-Super Bowl news conference Wednesday at the NFL annual meetings, arguing that media and fans who celebrate Newton’s positive energy should be more understanding of his negative emotions as well.
Rivera began his comments with the idea that players from losing Super Bowl teams should not have to talk to the media until two or three days later.
“What we ask players to do after a game like that is tremendously unfair. I really do mean that, too. Personally I’ve always felt that in a situation like that there’s only one person that needs to talk and that’s the head coach,” Rivera said at the NFC coaches breakfast.