Cam Newton wears MLK shirt, Prince shoes during pregame warmups

These are tense times in Charlotte after the shooting death of Keith Lamont Scott, with pregame protests lingering into Sunday prior to the game between the Minnesota Vikings and Carolina Panthers on Sunday. It has affected many around the NFL — but certainly the Panthers, many of whom reacted to the news this week with sadness and disappointment.

Naturally, all eyes have been drawn to Cam Newton, the team’s superstar quarterback and weather vane. People wanted to know what Newton thought, and he offered up his perspective earlier this week. On Sunday, he took the message a step further with his pregame fashion choice.

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Newton came out during warmups prior to the game against the Minnesota Vikings with a shirt that had a quote from Dr. Martin Luther King.

The quote read: “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”

People will interpret this any way they will, and though it’s perhaps more of a pointed statement than what Newton said a few days ago in a very measured stance, it’s also undercut a bit by the fact that Newton also chose to wore some purple footwear to honor the late Prince. We’re sure the Minnesota folks watching the game will approve.

Is this Cam’s way of balancing things out? Is he being political and apolitical (irreverent?) at the same time? Who knows?

But with riots rocking the city this weeks, and threats of moving the game, perhaps mixing a human rights perspective with a bit of a lighthearted view isn’t the worst approach ever.

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Eric Edholm is a writer for Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at edholm@yahoo-inc.com or follow him on Twitter!

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