Cam Newton defends his behavior at Super Bowl news conference: ‘What makes your way right?’

Cam Newton talked to the press on Tuesday, something he didn’t do much of two days earlier after Super Bowl 50.

Perhaps the Carolina Panthers quarterback was trying to make up for giving mainly short, mumbled answers, if any at all, before abruptly leaving his postgame news conference following his team’s 24-10 loss to the Denver Broncos.

Newton has been widely criticized for his behavior that night. But when asked whether he has any regrets about it, the NFL MVP said he doesn’t.

“I really don’t. It happened,” he said. “I’m human. I’ve never once said that I was perfect. ... But at the end of the day, people pick and they do things of that sort, and the truth of the matter is, who are you to say that your way is right? That’s what I don’t understand.

“We’ve got all these people who are condemning and saying, ‘Oh he should have done this, that and the third,’ but what makes your way right? I’ve been on record to say I’m a sore loser. Who likes to lose? You show me a good loser and I’m going to show you a loser.”

Newton said he thinks the situation has gotten “blown out of proportion. At the end of the day when you invest so much time, when you sacrifice so much and things don’t go as planned, I think emotions take over. I think that’s what happens.”

Newton also has been criticized for not diving on the ball after fumbling in Carolina territory late in the game with the Panthers trailing by six. Once again on Tuesday, he defended himself.

“I’ve seen numerous quarterbacks throw interceptions and their efforts afterwards … they don’t go,” Newton said. “I don’t dive on one fumble because the way my leg was, it could have been [contorted] in a way.”

He added: “OK, you say my effort. I didn’t dive down. I fumbled. That’s fine. But at the end of the day, we didn’t lose that game because of that fumble. I can tell you that.”