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CHARLOTTE, N.C. --?Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton called speculation over why he was benched for the first series of Sundays loss at Seattle falsified stories.The reigning NFL MVP said Thursday that the truth was just as he and coach Ron Rivera had said after the game.I violated the wardrobe [policy], and thats it, said Newton, who was punished for not wearing the required tie on the flight to Seattle. You dont have to dig into certain stories that I violated curfew, was out at a club, somebody was calling the room. I still stand by Coach Riveras decision, and thats just a warning for everybody.At no point in time -- or even still -- do I think Im above the law. I never thought that. Im not that type of player.Newton said the whole situation could have been prevented had he had the proper attire for the trip.He said those who dont believe him dont really know him.When you start hearing falsified stories from the people that really know you, thats when it really affects you, he said. And I havent.It is what it is.Asked whether hes been treated fairly this season, Newton said, If I was trying to impress every single person that thought I was an a--h---, then I would be drained. Im me.There also has been speculation that Newtons numbers are down this season because he had too much going on during the offseason with his Nickelodeon television series and other outside interests and that he didnt properly prepare.Newton threw a career-high 35 touchdown passes to go along with 10 rushing touchdowns en route to the MVP award a year ago, when Carolina went 15-1 during the regular season and reached the Super Bowl.During this 4-8 season, he has only 14 touchdown passes and five rushing touchdowns, and his 54.7 completion percentage has him on target for a career low.Newton said that preparation has nothing to do with his drop in statistics or the team record.Distractions come every single day, from family, from media, from workload, he said. Its my job to put myself in the best situation to succeed. I understand were not having the season we wanted to have, but theres no need for people to just maliciously go out and say, Well, he was doing too much. He was doing this. Hes worried about this.Thats the easy route.Rivera said he was very comfortable with his quarterbacks preparation, adding that people dont see the amount of time Newton puts in during the offseason or season.Thats unfortunate and disappointing that people draw conclusions based off other things, Rivera said. The young man is dedicated, and when he comes here, its phenomenal.Newton couldnt say whether he would do the Nickelodeon show again during the offseason.Life is bigger than football, he said. So if youre questioning certain things that Im doing, I have a whole other list of requirements and duties that I need to take care of.Outside of football I do have a life. Football takes up a lot of my life, and I appreciate it. This is the life I chose. Im not complaining. All Im telling you and just everybody is Im human. Thats the moral of the story.Newton doesnt know why his numbers are down, although catastrophic injuries to the offensive line havent helped.I can tell you its not because of preparation, he said. We get ridiculed off our production on the field, so it doesnt how much I prepare, if it doesnt transfer onto the field people will just say, Ah, hes just garbage.For me, its trying to get it to carry over from practice to games. In this situation and this season, it just hasnt turned over. And I dont have nobody to blame but myself.Wholesale Shoes Nike .R. Smith realized how easily basketball can be taken from him, and he wasnt going to take his place in the NBA for granted anymore. Wholesale Shoes Website . -- Lou Brocks shoulder-to-shoulder collision with Bill Freehan during the 1968 World Series and Pete Roses bruising hit on Ray Fosse in the 1970 All-Star game could become relics of baseball history, like the dead-ball era. https://www.wholesaleshoesforcheap.com/ .C. -- Todd Fiddler scored a hat trick, including the overtime goal, as the Prince George Cougars survived an 8-7 win against the Kamloops Blazers in Western Hockey League play Sunday. Replica Wholesale Shoes . The visitors took a deserved lead in the 16th minute with midfielder Yohan Cabaye curling the ball beyond Adrian from inside the penalty area. Wholesale Shoes Cheap . Pettersen, winner of last years Evian Championships, had nine birdies and three bogeys, holding off a series of challengers led by Marion Ricordeau of France. The second-ranked Norwegian made her season debut after missing the LPGA Tours opening event last month in the Bahamas because of a shoulder injury.JERSEY CITY, N.J. -- Matt Kuchar made the most of his short day at The Barclays. Kuchar didnt tee off until Friday afternoon at Liberty National and knew he had no chance to finish. He could barely see his ball cross the water and set up a two-putt birdie on the 13th hole that gave him the outright lead, and there was enough light coming from lower Manhattan across the Hudson River to hit his tee shot on the 14th. The horn sounded, and by then, he was ready to go home. Kuchar was at 10-under par with five holes remaining and had to return Saturday morning to hold his one-shot lead over Webb Simpson and Gary Woodland, who both finished the second round in the rain-delayed tournament. Simpson had to play 29 holes -- 11 holes to finish his first round in the morning, followed by his second round -- and he was ready to go more. He ran off six birdies over an eight-hole stretch and had a 5-under 66. "Its much nicer when youre playing well to keep playing. And when youre playing well, you feel like you could play 40 holes in a day," Simpson said. "My main goal ... I just wanted to get done today. It just felt nice to putt out on 9, knowing that Ive got tonight to sleep and catch up on rest." Woodland was one of the last players to finish at twilight Friday, and he finished strong. Woodland, back on track after a win at the Reno-Tahoe Open three weeks ago, birdied four of his last five holes for a 64 to join Simpson in the clubhouse at 9-under 133. "I feel ecstatic right now to be done," Woodland said. "It was a close call coming down the stretch if we would be able to finish. Luckily, I played great today, gave myself a lot of opportunities, and I drove the ball phenomenally and rolled some putts in, especially late." As for Tiger Woods, he couldnt get off the course fast enough. Woods challenged the target set by Simpson with three birdies in five holes -- he was two shots behind -- and he had a pair of par 5s in front of him. He failed to make birdie on either of the par 5s, and made three bogeys out of the bunker through the 12th hole to fall off the pace. He made birdie on the 13th, the last hole he completed, but was still five shots behind Kuchar, who was in his group. "I got off to a great start today and then lost it the middle part of the round and made too many mistakes," Woods said. He also said his back remained sore from what he said earlier in the week was due to a soft bed in his hotel that led to stiffness in his neck and bad. He said the pain increased throughout the round and when asked if a specific shot made it hurt, he replied, &"Every one.dddddddddddd" "Im going to get treatment right now ... and be ready for tomorrow morning," Woods said. It was the second straight year at The Barclays he has said a soft hotel bed caused stiffness in his back. Last year, it caused him trouble in the third round. Rory McIlroy showed more signs of turning his game around. After three double bogeys on Thursday, he limited the mistakes with some nifty par saves and was at 5 under with two holes remaining, starting with a shot from the 17th fairway after a big tee shot. Kuchar stopped with his tee shot just short of the green on the par-3 14th, and he had no inclination to finish. ""I feel like in the morning, they will be perfect greens," he said. "A situation where Im on 18 and can pretty much have a proper nights sleep and not have to worry about going out, Ill finish on 18. But in this situation ... it was amazing, we were down on the last hole, 13, kind of a little bit down the hole and it was dark. I wasnt sure we were going to tee off on 14. Coming out over the water, it brightened up by a good margin. Its actually a beautiful skyline. "I think when the sun sets coming off, it was a nice little place to be this time of night." It looked even better atop the leaderboard, though theres still a long way to go -- and plenty of stars right behind him. Keegan Bradley set the tournament course record with a 63 and was at 7-under 135, along with Rickie Fowler (64) and Adam Scott, who was tied for the lead at one point until a lazy finish for a 66. Phil Mickelson, trying to retool his game after his British Open win, had a 69 and was seven shots behind the clubhouse lead. The last time The Barclays was at Liberty National, Heath Slocum won at 9-under 275. Since then, some of the landing areas were widened and the slopes on the greens were softened. Plus, the course was very little rough this year. And the soft conditions from the rain Thursday is making it easier to make birdies. For some players, their year was over. Ben Crane, after opening with a 67, had to withdraw with a lower back injury after playing just four holes of the second round. At No. 125 in the FedEx Cup, he wont be among the 100 players advancing to the second playoff event next week outside Boston. Lucas Glover withdrew with a hand injury, ending his season. The cut would not be made until Saturday morning, and Erik Compton needed two more rounds to try to qualify for the next tournament. He did his part, a birdie-birdie finish to get back to even-par 142. That was right on the line for making the cut. ' ' '