ESPN’s Bomani Jones on Cam Newton Bashing: ‘Simple Reality’ the Country ‘Does Not Like Black People Very Much’

On Thursday’s broadcast of ESPN Radio’s “The Right Time,” host Bomani Jones responded to the criticism of Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton.

Jones referred to Newton as a “blackety-black” quarterback that you can better picture in your mind than Seattle’s Russell Wilson or San Francisco’s Colin Kaepernick, which he said plays into why Newton receives criticism for his on-field celebrations.

He also added that there is a “historical lineage that indicates a lot has been done to keep black people from playing quarterback,” despite the fact that five black quarterbacks are currently starting in the NFL and around 10 more are serving as backups.

The ESPN personality later said it is OK to talk about the “simple reality” that the country “does not like black people very much.”

Jones concluded that Newton’s past is the main reason people get angry when they discuss him, citing his being in possession of a stolen laptop, which Newton said he bought, while a sophomore at Florida to crime and his allegations of being paid to play at Auburn, despite never actually being found guilty by the NCAA of receiving money from Auburn.

According to Jones, people in this country correlate the crime of theft and being investigated by the NCAA to race.

“The views that people have in this country about crime correlate it to race; the views people have in this country about the NCAA and their regulations correlate it to race. It’s all there. You can’t avoid that fact. Just like you can’t avoid the fact that Cam is black,” he said.