The disturbing part of Cam Newton's response to an innocuous question from a female reporter took all of seven seconds.
Seven seconds during which the Panthers quarterback made the kind of sexist reference that had mostly disappeared from professional sports locker rooms in the past generation.
Seven seconds that included body language conveying the kind of arrogance and condescension toward a female sportswriter we haven't seen since the 1980s, when such boorish behavior was far more widespread and even accepted by an ill-informed and insensitive sports fraternity.
After Jourdan Rodrigue of the Charlotte Observer asked Newton on Wednesday about the pass routes being run by Panthers receiver Devin Funchess, Newton offered a wholly inappropriate answer.
"It's funny to hear a female talk about routes ... like ... it's funny," he said.
Newton actually offered a functional response to the question, but there was no mistaking the sexist implications of his comment and the smug facial expression that went with it. He was essentially saying that, because Rodrigue is a female, she is somehow not worthy enough _ particularly compared to her male counterparts _ to ask an intelligent question about the X's and O's of the sport. That because Rodrigue is a woman, she is somehow less qualified to advance the discussion about how an athlete might feel in a certain situation.
Newton's reaction was all the more stunning because it is rarely seen among today's pro athletes, who deal with female sportswriters on a regular basis and whose interactions are almost always straightforward and businesslike _ as locker-room conversations ought to be. Female sportswriters have long been accepted as being just as capable of their male equivalents _ and in many cases, even more qualified, in terms of intellect and talent _ which made Newton's comments so shockingly out of place and so disheartening.
What's even more disappointing than the actual exchange he had with Rodrigue: Newton hasn't shown the good sense to explain himself and offer a public apology. In fact, it wouldn't take much longer than the seven seconds that got him into this mess in the first place to own up to the comments, admit he was wrong and move on.
It's not hard, Cam. And people are quite forgiving when there is genuine remorse after a mistake, so you'd be doing yourself a lot of good.
But a day after the incident, Newton offered a whole, big nothing as a response.
The fallout is now clear.
Not only have Newton's remarks and demeaning reaction to the question been seen and roundly condemned by most people with the good sense to understand right from wrong, but already one of Newton's sponsors _ Dannon Yogurt _ has decided to end its affiliation with the quarterback.
"We are shocked and disheartened at the behavior and comment of Cam Newton toward Jourdan Rodrigue, which we perceive as sexist and disparaging to all women," Michael Neuwirth, Dannon's senior director of external communications, said in a statement Thursday. "It is entirely inconsistent with our commitment to fostering equality and inclusion in every workplace. It's simply not OK to belittle anyone based on gender. We have shared our concerns with Cam and will no longer work with him."
Another sponsor, PepsiCo, which owns Gatorade, called Newton's remarks "objectionable disrespectful to all women, and they do not reflect the values of our brand."
And still, nothing from Newton himself.
Panthers coach Ron Rivera said, "I understand he had a conversation where he pretty much said that he shouldn't have said what he said and so, as far as I'm concerned, what I'd like to do is talk about getting ready for the Detroit Lions, who we play on Sunday."
Rivera was evidently referring to a follow-up conversation Rodrigue initiated with Newton, after which the Panthers said in a statement that Newton "expressed regret" for his response to Rodrigue's question. A Panthers spokesman said in a statement to The Associated Press that Newton expressed those regrets to Rodrigue, but the reporter said after speaking to Newton that the quarterback did not apologize.
The NFL, which has an enormous following among female fans _ with some surveys indicating 45 percent of its fan base are woman _ called Newton's comments "just plain wrong and disrespectful to the exceptional female reporters and all journalists who cover our league. They do not reflect the thinking of the league."
Rodrigue herself is now dealing with fallout unrelated to the exchange with Newton. Tweets that she posted several years ago included racist remarks, for which she publicly apologized on Thursday. In a tweet from May, 2013, Rodrigue wrote, "The earth moves at 450+ mph that's 10 times triller than NASCAR Dale Earnhart's a (expletive) (racial slur)."
In other tweets from August, 2013, Rodrigue said she enjoyed listening to racist jokes from her father as they drove through Navajo country.
The tweets were completely inappropriate, and Rodrigue must now deal with any fallout in dealing with Panthers' players as she continues to cover the team.
But that doesn't absolve Newton for getting it so wrong. And the longer he's unwilling to own up to his poor judgment and hurtful remarks, the longer he loses in the court of public opinion.
Fans may still cheer Newton when he throws touchdown passes. But unless and until he acknowledges fault and accepts that he was wrong, his image will continue to take the hits to his reputation that have already piled up.
