Last Saturday was not the first time Cam Newton had boarded the team bus without a tie. He had done it before and clearly didn’t think it a big deal.
But a team source told SI the Panthers and coach Ron Rivera had previously issued a warning to Newton for the breach in team rules, and on this occasion Rivera felt he had to put his foot down.
He called Newton, who was dressed in a coat and turtleneck that together probably cost more than most readers’ paycheck, off the bus for a one-on-one conversation that was captured on video—and, because it’s 2016, later sent to TMZ.