Cam Newton and His Girlfriend Had a Baby, So the Letters to the Editor are Rolling In

Cam Newton became a father right before Christmas, in case you missed it during the Holiday season. He and his girlfriend named the baby boy “Chosen.” Today, the topic of Cam Newton’s baby was the subject of some letters to the editor at the Charlotte Observer.

They don’t have anything to say about the Chosen name, which seems to be the easiest target. Instead, they focus on Cam having a child with his long-time girlfriend and not marrying her first. The lovely Patricia Broderick writes in:

"Congratulations would be in order if he had been man enough to marry the mother of his child and make a home. This happy occasion is blighted when Cam, whose own parents were married, skips the very basis of being a good parent."

" Cam is a role model to many of our young males, both white and black. The least that he and his longtime girlfriend could have done is to get married prior to giving birth to show his followers that not only is he a superstar, but also a person with high morals. Sheila Peltzer takes the opposite view to provide some balance to whether Cam Newton was demonstrating appropriate parenting: Kudos to Cam for putting fatherhood first, then football. He had a great role model who helped make him the fine young man he is today. Like him, I wish all males could have that father figure in their lives. I can’t wait to see Chosen dabbin’! "

So there we are. Cam Newton is certainly not the first athlete to have a child. Also, not the first to either be unmarried at the time, with a long-time girlfriend. But everything Cam draws attention and moralizing in ways that other athletes do not.