As I noted yesterday, Cam Newton did himself no favors after the Super Bowl by acting like a bit of a baby following Carolina's destruction at the hands of the Denver Broncos. He reinforced all the negative ideas everyone had about him and undid all the progress he had made on rehabilitating his image.
But, as I also noted yesterday (and right after the game, on Twitter), I have a hard time getting worked up about an athlete who doesn't particularly enjoy taking his loss with good grace and answering stupid questions from gibbering newsfolks. Yes, yes: "It's part of the job." That doesn't mean the job isn't dumb or pointless or useless.
More importantly, though, we shouldn't want our millionaire athletes—our modern day gladiators, out there spilling blood and breaking bones and bashing brains—to take their losses with "good grace." I'm glad that Cam Newton was upset about blowing the game. I'm glad he didn't want to sit there with a dumb grin on his face and talk about how hard the loss was. I'm glad he has fire in his belly.
Why? Well, I'll let George S. Patton explain:
"Americans love a winner and will not tolerate a loser. Americans play to win all the time," Patton reminded us all those years ago. "Now, I wouldn't give a hoot in hell for a man who lost and laughed. That's why Americans have never lost and will never lose a war. Because the very thought of losing is hateful to Americans."
Emphasis mine, because, well, that's the truth, Ruth. Losing with good grace is for the citizens of second-tier countries. Losing is for Europeans. The mere idea that we should accept losing—even in something "minor" like professional football—makes all good Americans recoil in disgust, even as they mouth pieties about sportsmanship. I've always reviled the concept of the "sore loser." Losing should make you sore! Losing should fill you with hate and contempt—for both your opponent and yourself. Losing is for losers.
And Americans will not tolerate a loser.