Cam Newton at loss to explain recent troubles

After Cam Newton's explosive rookie season for the Carolina Panthers, many expected the 2012 season to be more of the same. Unfortunately for the Panthers, it hasn't worked out so well so far, and the team has struggled to a 1-5 start. Newton has come under heavy criticism for both his play and his sideline demeanor, and unlike his mentor Warren Moon, he doesn't feel that the criticism is race related:

"I heard somebody compare him to Vince Young," Moon told Yahoo Sports. "It's the same old crap -- it's always a comparison of one black to another black. I get tired of it. I get tired of defending it.

Moon told Yahoo! Sports that he felt like some of the criticism Newton was receiving was related to race, and that if he were white, it would not be as intense. Newton, for his part, is choosing to concentrate on what he can control and try to get better in practice:

"That's the question I don't know," he said. "Me, personally, I'm going to keep trying to get better at each and every practice. Come game time, hopefully I will have done enough to make my job excel."

The Panthers let go of their longtime general manager, Marty Hurney, on Monday. Hurney had been with the team since 1998, and served as general manager since 2002.