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SPORTSThursday 4 February 2016
Newton wants black QB issue put away for good
BARRY WILNER Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton smiles as he answers questions during a press con- end’s NFL decider, Newton
AP Pro Football Writer ference Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2016 in San Jose, Calif. Carolina plays the Denver Broncos in the NFL said race was relevant only
SAN JOSE, California (AP) Super Bowl 50 football game Sunday, Feb. 7, 2015, in Santa Clara, Calif. in his ambition to be role
— Cam Newton wants any model for children.
discussion of black quarter- Associated Press
backs in a Super Bowl put “When I go places and I
away. Doug Williams, Steve Mc- game is bigger than black, because of that, but yeah, talk to kids and I talk to par-
The Carolina Panthers Nair, Donovan McNabb, white or even green,” the I don’t think I should be la- ents and I talk to athletes all
quarterback on Tuesday Colin Kaepernick, and Se- fifth-year Panther said. “We beled just a black quarter- over, they look at my story
emphatically tried to lay attle’s Russell Wilson the limit ourselves when we just back. It’s bigger things in and they see a person —
to rest any relevance of past two years. label ourselves just black this sport that need to be African-American or not
an African-American quar- “I don’t even want to touch this, that ... accomplished.” — they see something that
terback appearing in the on the topic of ‘black Speaking at a media ses- they can relate to. They see
NFL’s championship game. quarterback’ because this “I want to bring awareness sion ahead of this week- a guy who went a different
During a series of questions route than just going to a
by a media member that major Division I school and
bordered on confronta- flourishing there.
tional, Newton finally said “But I just want to become
to the reporter: “It’s not an relatable, you know what
issue. It’s an issue for you.” I’m saying? It’s bigger than
Carolina’s All-Pro quar- race. It’s more so of open-
terback, seemingly tired ing up a door for guys that
of the topic, added: “We don’t want to be labeled,
shattered that a long time that have bigger views and
ago.” say: ‘Well, I’m in this situ-
ation, I’m living in this en-
This was the third time New- vironment right now, but
ton had to deal with the I also want to be an artist,
subject since the Panthers I want to be a poet. But I
made the Super Bowl. He don’t have the means, you
didn’t need to point out know, to necessarily do the
that several other black right things at that point.
quarterbacks have led their “As for me, I just want to
teams to the big game: give those people hope.”q
Roger Federer has knee
surgery, will skip 2 tournaments
BASEL, Switzerland (AP) The statement did not spec- as I was very much looking Roger Federer of Switzerland answers questions at a press
— Roger Federer has had ify which knee is injured, forward to playing those conference following his semifinal loss to to Novak Djokovic
knee surgery and will miss though it said it happened events,” Federer said in a of Serbia at the Australian Open tennis championships in Mel-
tournaments in Rotterdam last Friday, one day after his statement on his Facebook bourne, Australia, Thursday, Jan. 28, 2016.
and Dubai this month. Australian Open semifinal page.
“Roger Federer underwent loss to Novak Djokovic. The organizer of the Rot- Associated Press
successful arthroscopic terdam tournament, for-
knee surgery today in Swit- “My doctors have (assured) mer Wimbledon champion
zerland to repair a torn me that the surgery was a Richard Krajicek, said he
meniscus,” a statement success and with proper re- got the news on Tuesday.
on his official website said habilitation, I will be able to “Obviously, receiving this
Wednesday. return to the Tour soon,” Fe- information yesterday eve-
derer said in the statement. ning is a major setback
It is a rare injury setback for His next scheduled tourna- for us, as it is for the fans
the 34-year-old Federer, ment is in Indian Wells, Cali- looking forward to his pres-
who has had relatively mi- fornia, starting March 7. ence,” Krajicek said. “We
nor back problems in 2008 “I apologize to my friends hope to have Roger back
and 2013. in Rotterdam and Dubai, next year.”q
