POSITIVE CAM-PAIGN

He's done it all on and off the field for the Carolina Panthers. For 11 weeks the pundits and haters disguised as NFL analyst have been waiting on Cam Newton to falter; cost his team a game with his reckless play, errant throws and bad leadership decisions but they're still waiting...waiting...waiting.

Cam Newton has emerged as the right quarterback for the Carolina Panthers football in team and a special thanks goes to Head Coach Ron Rivera for remembering how the Super Bowl Chicago Bears won the title. Not with a throwing Dan Marino, a scrambling Randall Cunningham or a gun slinging Jim Kelly. No they won with a tough as nails, eccentric, make the big plays when they count Jim McMahon. I have no doubt he saw a lot of those same qualities and fearless components in Cam Newton.

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Cam is big, physical, brash, tough and more important a winner. He is also a leader who shoulders the losses and shares the wins. Cam loves the rhythm he's in, the clothes he wears and the life he leads. But so many others don't; I won't waste much time on the ill advised letter a parent sent regarding her nine year old daughter being disappointed by Cam Newton all the while probably turning the volume up on her iPod playing Taylor Swift. Never mind Swift's appeared in leather outfits requiring explanations from Moms, without one complaint to the super star for her fashion influence of inappropriate taste for her daughter. I call it "head in the sand couture."

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Cam Newton off the field feeds families, works with kids and so much more that many will never hear of because it doesn't feed into the negative and unkind attacks on his persona so I will lead the Positive Cam-Paign for Cam Newton. First and foremost the only stat that really matters in the NFL or any team sport is the number of wins and losses. Cam and Tom Brady are atop the mountain all by themselves. Cam is no distraction in the locker room or off the field thus making him an asset not a liability to the management. The only place Cam is a distraction is in the studios where former players and so called experts are unwillingly to give him his due. Some are finally on-board as their last ditch hope, Dallas on Thanksgiving proved to be less than formidable for Cam and yes the Carolina Defense. So regardless of where this season ends up for Carolina record wise Cam has to be in the MVP conversation. He's earned it with his play and skills and yes his dancing too. He's earned it with his philanthropic efforts and he's earned it by doing all the things during the week that help him play well on game day.

©2015 Charlotte Observer

Cam Newton is legit and so too are the people who are unbiased in evaluating him. I wonder which category you fit in? If you read this from start to finish you know where I stand. I hope that today and for the rest of the year, we not only give thanks but we also give credit where it's due. Giving Cam his due is a good place to start.

That's the way I see it sitting in The Box Seat. I'm Wayne Box Miller

WHAT IS THE SCORE OF YOUR GAME?

Not since the invention of the scoreboard  has there been such a valuable piece of equipment like the DVR and yes its predecessor the VCR. You can now capture all the must see programs and watch them at your leisure and because of such a perfect device I finally got the opportunity to see Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's documentary: Minority of One

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I don't know if there was ever a more controversial superstar than Kareem in my lifetime other than Muhammad Ali. I can honestly say he was undoubtedly the most misunderstood athlete of our lifetime and has been paying the price ever since he first converted to Islam in a time when the religion really wasn't understood. While the ignorance surrounds Islam now because of the tragedies going on in the world today, can you imagine what people thought of Muslims then?

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has always felt isolated and uncomfortable with the masses and the attention associated with his height and celebrity. When so many players and entertainers were craving more he was learning, reading, absorbing jazz and becoming a well rounded individual with heavy emphasis on individual. But nonetheless he was often misunderstood for more reasons than one.

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In watching his documentary, one he produced so he could tell his story, I learned more about him than I could have ever imagined. I have been a fan of his for a long time, going back to the days at Power Memorial and I guess you could say before the internet, ESPN and the internet craze, Lew Alcindor was a known commodity and any one who had any affinity to basketball knew who he was and wondered where he was going to college. I could only imagine what it would be like now, and one things for certain and two things for sure it would be more ballyhooed than LeBron James when he came out of high school or Kobe Bryant for that matter.

Kareem was tall, gifted, athletic and smart. His documentary illustrated so much about his life we didn't know that now sheds light on his enigmatic persona, making us feel guilty about judging him so unfairly. Well you guys that is; I always liked him even if he didn't talk a lot or embrace my religion and so on. He was graceful, ballet like on the court and so cool with a soft spoken tone that intimidated many media because they knew he wasn't the duh-uh dumb jock. Education once again proves the power of the mind is head and shoulders above physical prowess.

So why don't more athletes write their own story? In this day and age of iPhones and technology it's so much easier. Twitter has helped players clarify their stance on issues but leaves room for doubt about what drives them; fuels them and yes intimidates them. The great thing about telling your own story is you know it better than anyone else. No conjecture or Hollywood embellishment to cause fan consternation in your story forcing you to deny the comments.

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Write a book like Eric Davis's "Born to Play" or be like Muhammad Ali and ask someone (i.e. Will Smith) to play you on the big screen. The opportunity for people to know who you are is in your hands. Not that you need to prove anything to anyone, but maybe the boxscore of your life could be of value to your kids, your neighborhood and others. You chronicle how you made it; these are the pitfalls and challenges awaiting you and this is how you overcome them. Telling your story may be for you but maybe it's for someone newer, unsuspecting version of yourself in the making. Either way we want to hear it; read it or see it. That way our opinion of you is based on who you say you are, not who the media makes you out to be. We have seen countless numbers of players who say they're misunderstood and in reality all they had to do was tell us the story, the score of their game. Show us the highlights and the low ones too. Show us you in the human form complete with all the frailties of life. We know you're not perfect and our compassion button is ready to be activated because we know you had to go through something to get where you are today and we also want to defend you when the haters appear in droves trying to tear you down. Imagine that; a network of advocates with facts in hand courtesy of your documentary, your story.

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I was an advocate of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar way back when; and now I'm an even stronger one having seen Minority of One, Kareem's life in his own words. The good, the bad and the wow...I didn't know that. But I do now and if you have a problem with Kareem maybe I can help you solve it. Thanks to Kareem for telling his own story and if you watch it, which I highly recommend, you'll know the story and why he played the game of life the way he did.

What I knew then was worth defending, what I know is worth repeating. That's the way I see it sitting in The Box Seat. I'm Wayne Box Miller

MAYWEATHER OUTCLASSES ROUSEY

Well it was satisfying to many to see Ronda Rousey take a beating at the hands of a skilled boxer in the ring this past Saturday in Australia due in part to her arrogance in certain settings that required class. For example, it was very evident when she refused to touch gloves in her match against Holly Holm and yes one could say it was her strategy, and if so it backfired.

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In a sport where the popularity is still on the uppercut, you would think Dana White the head of the UFC would demand decorum in the ring before you pummel your opponent or your opponent pummels you. The demographic definitely shows a considerable amount of youngsters are watching and for as much as parents and media stress responsibility to the major sports stars, they seem to be side stepping them for others. MMA and X-Games are high in youth appeal and they have a chance to be impactful with their words and their actions as well.

Make no mistake Rousey was soundly beaten and even then Holly Holm showed the style of a champion and yes a large amount of credit goes to being a PK, Preacher's Kid. She, according to her Dad, wants to be known as a PK versus a Hollywood object and product of marketing-manufacturing akin to Rousey. When you think of who Ronda has fought and how she has been plaster on TV and in the magazines you see someone who embraced the persona that wasn't real a little too much. Word was she was working on a movie in the midst of training and if that's true the dedication to the sport was disrespectful at best.

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It's within this persona that she stepped out of her comfort zone taking shots at a real World Champion like Floyd Mayweather, actually piling on the comments levied against him. Given the choice of whom was the classier act the majority would have pointed to Rousey; but as it turns out Floyd has shown the makings of a champion outside the ring by having compassion and empathy for Rousey's beat down and the subsequent piling on by the fans and detractors around the world.

Floyd said it wasn't cool how people were trolling her on social media and he not only encouraged her but offered to help her with her boxing skills. Yes Floyd said this and offer that; the guy everyone thought was self-centered and self-serving has offered to help one of many who threw public stones at him. But then we probably just learned more about the undefeated champion that the media let us see in the past. That Floyd Mayweather has always been like this but it made them look bad for judging him too quickly. Floyd Mayweather was well within his right to add his memes to the hundreds of memes floating around the internet and he could have released a scathing statement saying there's only one undefeated champion and who knows he may do so after Ronda's swelling goes down; sorry I had to get one humorous jab in.

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But for now Floyd has shown the class we expect from our champions in and outside the ring. Touch gloves, shake hands and have empathy for another champion that has not just fallen, but looked bad in the process. Offer support, encouragement and even step in to ask social media to be more tolerant in kicking someone while they're down. I wonder if I hadn't said this was Floyd Mayweather, would you have thought it to be him speaking the respectful words to someone who poked fun at his troubles? I doubt it but now that you know will you respect Floyd's wishes? It doesn't matter to me. But what does matters to me is that former champion Ronda Rousey will acknowledge Mayweather and his support of her. That is another great sign of a champion; taking your beating and respecting the those who come to your aid. It's certainly hard for me to imagine that she ever thought Floyd was in her corner but maybe he was and kept that quiet too. Ronda Rouse doesn't need to be quiet now but very vocal in acknowledging her opponent and the champion that stood in the gap. Floyd Mayweather with the class you displayed you let people see they didn't know you as well as they thought they did, right Ronda?

That's the way I see it sitting in The Box Seat. I'm Wayne Box Miller.

THE IVORY COWHER

Yet another, I forgot what is was like, former NFLer' spouted off last night in a holier than thou comment against his former coaching colleague. Thank you for inspiring my latest blog Bill Cowher. Cowher said he took issue with Rex Ryan naming IK Enemkpali as team captain for the Jets game last night, the team Rex used to coach and IK once played for.

If you don't know the story, allegedly IK invited Jets QB Geno Smith to his football camp and paid for his ticket; Geno didn't show up and never acknowledged the situation; and when confronted by IK the net result was a punch that yielded a broken jaw and IK seeking employment after being cut by the Jets.

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Cowher said he took issue with it and I take issue with him. I'm not going to judge him for things I hear from credible sources about less than desirable things he's done,  but I know he made a mockery of the "Who Dey" chant when he was a coach. I know the Steelers always had a reputation for living on the line of intimidation when he was coaching and so on. So why does a coach who was known for motivating his players chide another for doing the same? Is it because he is doing it his way? Like the "Chin" as we called him, did it his way?

He artfully describes his definition of what the captain tag should represent and from there he veers off track. Bill that is YOUR definition and not Rex Ryan's. Rex you may remember is from the Buddy Ryan school of football one Bill Cowher knows all too well. He knows how Buddy did things Band that was Buddy's way. That's what coaching is all about, implementing your system, beliefs and strategies creating a platform of performance that keeps you employed and yields a championship caliber team.

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I really think a lot of coaches and players get soft when they take the pads off and put on the suits. I give Deion Sanders credit last night for reminding Cowher that this is why players love playing for him, Prime included. Prime reminded Cowher of how IK was cut when there were two people involved in the fracas and that was a sign of disrespect. So Rex, being a players coach and looking for motivation, made a statement that we believe in the kid so much so that we'll send him to center of the field. Like it or not it wasn't Bill Cowher's call but Rex Ryan's call. There isn't a manual that says you have to do it one way or no way. Simply put there are 32 possible ways matching the number of current not past coaches.

James P. McCoy Buffalo News

Cower misspoke about the statement and I think a day later his holier than thou broadcast posture would be best served coming down from the Ivory Cowher and just being what you are now, a broadcaster not a current coach. There is no such position that exist called ex-coach and neither is the sitting-in-judgement of another coach with the pressure of winning it all. Piling on someone in your former profession for trying to motivate his team differently than you would, and apparently it worked because they won, is potentially a sign of jealously. Yes you have Super Bowl Rings as a head coach and Rex hasn't; but you don't have a team now and Ryan does.

I say let him coach and you broadcast. That was your choice and not Rex's. If you want to impart your coaching wisdom and style on the game there are several teams that would welcome you back tomorrow. I would sure you would be welcomed because when you coached you were great; but now you're broadcasting and you're on the outside looking in. Don't ever forget when you were on the indie looking out; It's demanding enough without someone in the fraternity judging you unfairly.

That's the way I see it sitting in The Box Seat. I'm Wayne Box Miller.

THE NEW GAME PLAN

The audible heard 'round the world will be remembered as an event that changed history and signaled another defeat for dictatorship. It was the demise of the University of Missouri President Tim Wolfe, who apparently felt no need to address the stench of racism that permeated the campus atmosphere sans his office. And thereafter we've learned the Chancellor, R. Bowen Loftin, has decided to join his head-in-the-sand colleague and exit stage left too.

Former Mizzou President Tim Wolfe Photo CNN

What caused it? Was it the hunger strike? No; was it the black football players and ultimately the football team? No; was it the faculty who embraced the movement? No. Alex I'll take interrupting our tailgate party and potentially causing us to lose an estimated one million bucks, dollars, cash, stacks...get the picture?

In actuality it was all the above but make no mistake the death knell was committing the capitalist crime of interrupting the cash flow. Whether we want to admit it or not, embrace or not, the only thing that really gets society's attention is the loss of a dollar or dollars. But yes the catalyst for change was the hunger strike of graduate student Jonathan Butler who was obviously inspired in disgust by the negligence of the university in addressing the examples of racism that hovered around campus.  And this is standard operation procedure for many American Universities, Governments and some Corporations. So why aren't more people inspired to make a stand? skip some meals? Join some hands? Cross color lines? Well you really don't have an excuse any more. Kids, our youth, who are supposed to learn from us have in this moment become the teachers. 

Jonathan Butler addressing the crowd. Picture Jeff Roberson AP

Before you say well they didn't have anything to lose like your house if you don't make mortgage payments or your car note, you're as wrong as the President of Mizzou himself. They were willing to lose an education which would afford them the aforementioned niceties. They were willing to sacrifice NFL careers and other athletic opportunities that would get them far away from the blight and poverty many players called home prior to entering college. And you don't think they were giving up anything in protest? I can honestly see Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. smiling and saying it still works; non-violent protests still have power. The key is to drop the bomb at the door of the capitalist community so it makes a loud BOOM!

Black and White players and coaches were united Photo ABCnews.go.com

And that's what happened this week in Missouri. The ground swell landed at the door of dollars and and the media, as if on cue, joined the party and made sure the news that had already gone viral via social media grew exponentially in size and scope.  And there you have it, the game plan for change. It hasn't changed it just faded away...but now it's back.

Protest yes; make a stand yes; but more important find the money tree and shake the hell out of that tree until the money leaves fall, branches snap and the limbs get weak. Suddenly and without hesitation a change is gone' come. And it won't be loose change either. It will topple Presidents and Chancellors.

That's the way I see it sitting in The Box Seat. I'm Wayne Box Miller.

SAFE AT HOME

By now we've all heard the news that former Cincinnati Red Eddie Milner passed and a bright light has now transitioned. I am not going to tell you Eddie was my best friend and on and on. I met Eddie as I did most baseball players because of my relationship with Eric Davis and Dave Parker. With that being said Eddie, Eric and Kal Daniels were the next generation of Reds stars that were going to usher in a new era of success and they all, one way or another, made contributions in the short or long term.

With Eddie's success came the typical temptations and challenges and it's no secret or no shame that Eddie battled drugs and life periodically throughout his time because we're all battling something. So as I move into the latter years of my life, I'm gracefully and prayerfully losing the need to pontificate the issue half-heartedly searching for cause and effect.

Battling anything whether it be abuse, addiction, gambling or living on the edge has an unexplainable addiction or rush that belies the price you will ultimately pay. But if you have compassion you root for the Eddie Milners of the world because in essence you are rooting for yourself; as a fan they gave you something special every time you saw them work their craft. Could anyone light up a room like Eddie with his smile and charm? Very few. Could any one be as infectious while talking to you all the while making you feel special like Eddie? Yes; but I liked Eddie's style and I just saw him this past October at Dave Parker's Celebrity Golf Tournament and the smile and the charm were at peak performance.

And then I got the news from a Pastor friend of mine and we were both in disbelief. He, because he knew Eddie on a deeper level. Me, because I just saw him and I thought about all the challenges he met, beat and was still fighting including some health issues. I spoke with Eric Davis who was a teammate and friend and learned even more about Eddie and his tenacity. I thought myself blessed that I seemingly have problems that were currently giving me a reprieve but, as they say, if you traded your problems with someone else you'd probably take yours back. I don't think Eddie would have taken his back but that's just me opining the situation without true knowledge. I think of how much baseball he didn't get to play and then quickly appreciate that he did make it to the major leagues and play for longer than a cup of coffee, nine years to be exact primarily with the Reds. So many can't make that claim which automatically makes him a success story.

Eddie with former Chicago Cub and Cincinnati Red Leon Durham

So now players and former teammates will come together; fans in sincerity offer tributes and others are asking questions that really don't merit answers. It doesn't matter what happened, it really doesn't. It doesn't matter where he was or whom he was with. It really doesn't matter what your opinion is of his life. Why? Because it was Eddie's life to live and bottom line is he doesn't have to live it anymore. Eddie Milner is safe at home, crossing the plate with a smile that would run any energy company out of business. He finished the game of life and unlike so many others, he wasn't in the stands but in the game for the good, bad and the ugly. So be careful of your self absorb perspective of his life because you may have to come face to face with all three facets of your life at once, which leaves you open to be judged; maybe unfairly like Eddie was at times. Rest in Peace Eddie and lets tip our cap to him this time...

That's the way I see it sitting in The Box Seat. I'm Wayne Box Miller.

ONE STEPH AHEAD

"It's not the size of the dog but the fight in the dog" a Mark Twain quote that still carries weight today and even in human form. The form of Steph Curry, NBA Finals MVP and now Madison Avenue endorsement machine.

Did you know Steph's shoe the Curry One is of Under Armour's hottest product or that Nike turned Curry down for a contract renewal? Thinking he couldn't deliver the sales number commensurate with the new deal UA had on the table they opted out. Well don't feel sorry for Nike as long as they have LeBron James in their portfolio and the Jordan Brand partnership.

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Steph Curry has given life to the little man in sports again and raised the profile of his brand in the process. He has single-handedly refuted the argument that only the big men can carry the product to the checkout register. Steph currently has deals in place with Apple, State Farm, JBL, Muscle Milk and more. Not bad for a guy whose been overlooked most of his life until he set the NBA nets on fire leading up to the championship last season.

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Curry knows his skill set, has refined them and with the NBA Curry pedigree delivered one of the most marketable players on the planet. Throw in his devout religious platform which he unabashedly makes public at every turn and you have a modern day player with an old school presence. He has somehow mixed the right blend of swag with humility as if he were a bartender creating the perfect happy hour cocktail. Everyone may have the same ingredients but the mix is the key. I have a name for it, "Swagumility™"

To underscore his value even more what little controversy that befalls him, as in his daughter at the press conference, turns the table on those who complained showing their ineptness at staying focused in a press conference as if she interrupted a council on world peace.

Riley Curry - Pinterest

Steph Curry has given thousands upon thousands of kids the right to dream big again. The same way Mugsy Bogues did for his generation and Nate "Tiny" Archibald did for his. Yes could throw Allen Iverson in the mix but I think my point is these guys were not only small but also not given a chance to excel at the next level,  something we never doubted about AI. But what Steph also shows is how it's done. Hours upon hours of practice; prayer time; game film and swagumility™. The perfect blend that makes him the perfect pitch man for so many products to stand out in a endorsement cluttered space flooding our TV's, magazines and web pages.

Yes he has the accomplishments and the skills. No doubt he has the voice and enunciation, command of the english language that makes him relatable to those outside the sports world. But more than all of that he has himself. He knows who he is and whose he is. When you have those two answers defined everything is possible and appreciated. Steph Curry is on a roll and I couldn't be happier; I mean I look up to him in success and in height so I count this as a win for me as well. That's the way I see it sitting in The Box Seat. I'm Wayne Box Miller.