Hall of Fame quarterback Warren Moon looks at Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton and sees a competitor who needs to learn how to deal with the frustrations that come with losing.
What he doesn't see is another Vince Young. That's a comparison that rubs the Hall of Fame quarterback the wrong way.
"I don't understand it," Moon told Yahoo! Sports columnist Michael Silver. "I heard somebody compare him to Vince Young. 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 spent the first five years of his professional career lighting up the Canadian Football League before finally getting a shot in the NFL. He knows how stereotypes can hurt black quarterbacks.
"If you want to compare him to someone because of his demeanor, compare him to Jay Cutler. There are a lot of guys who whine and moan. Cam's not biting anybody's head off or pushing his linemen. He's just disgruntled, and not handling losing well, because, think about it, he basically didn't lose in college.
"I don't think Cam's as bad as Cutler, because Cutler looks like he doesn't give a damn sometimes, or he's yelling and cussing at someone. Cam, he just looks down when they're losing."
Moon, who now works as a radio analyst with the Seattle Seahawks, has served as a mentor to rookie quarterback Russell Wilson. He said Wilson has the temperament that Newton needs to succeed at this level.
"You wouldn't know if we won or lost when you listen to him talk after a game," Moon said of Wilson. "That's what you want."
Newton is far from a lost cause. And he's certainly not Vince Young. Newton's a 23-year-old who needs to grow up. That makes him no different than 90 percent of 23-year-old guys on this planet.
Follow Dan Hanzus on Twitter @danhanzus.
