Much is being made of the comments Carolina Panthers owner Jerry Richardson made in an April interview regarding rookie quarterback, Cam Newton. In the interview, which aired on PBS, Richardson revealed that he had asked Newton if he had any piercings or tattoos. When the young quarterback, 22, relayed that he did not, Richardson told Newton: “Good. We want to keep it that way.” As a result, a brouhaha of clamor has been made on whether Richardson’s comments were appropriate or not. And as always, the race card has been pulled.

2011 Heisman Trophy winner, Cam Newton.

Unmistakably, I take the opportunity as a proud Black male to iterate that I have no problem with Richardson’s stance, or ‘request’ whatsoever. Aside from the media circus that surrounded him in his collegiate days, I find Cam Newton to be an admirable representative for young Black men of todays society. Sharp, clean cut, and the absence of body ink is a rarity among the present community. In essence, I applaud and commend Jerry Richardson for wanting to keep the face of his franchise neat!