Grab your popcorn, folks. Sunday night’s matchup between the Seattle Seahawks and Carolina Panthers could get interesting.
The Seahawks and Panthers will meet for the first time since last season’s NFC Divisional Round game in Carolina, when Newton ruffled some feathers by grabbing a Seahawks fan’s “12th Man” flag after the Panthers’ victory.
Seattle cornerback Richard Sherman dug up the incident Wednesday, pointing to Carolina’s 4-7 record this season and noting, “I guess karma gets you.”
On Thursday, it was Newton’s turn to respond.
“Where was the flag at? Was it at our house?” Newton asked after the team’s practice, via ESPN.com. “It’s irrelevant what he says right now. I have a lot of respect for Richard. I don’t think that has nothing to do with karma that another opposing team’s flag was in my stadium.”
Newton has a point, as it’s hard to fault him for “defending his house.” Panthers coach Ron Rivera, meanwhile, thinks Sherman’s snarky comment was just the work of an instigator doing what he does best.
“He knows that doing that could create a diversion more so than anything else,” Rivera said Thursday, via BlackAndBlueReview.com. “I don’t know if that’s got anything to do with karma as much as Richard Sherman’s a smart guy and just trying to create a little something.”
Sunday night’s game is in Seattle, so Newton might have trouble stealing any flags this time around.
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Thumbnail photo via Jim Dedmon/USA TODAY Sports Images
