The year was 2015. If you were a Carolina Panthers fan, it was a magical season.
Our record was 15-1, with our only loss heading into the playoffs being against the evil Atlanta Falcons in the second-to-last game of the regular season. It was the first time I could recall where Charlotte actually felt like a “football town,” as Panthers bumper stickers, flags, jerseys, and all the rest were seen everywhere.
The personalities of our top players, along with their game-day moves, caused even more delight among Panthers fans, especially quarterback Cam Newton's "Dab" and "Superman" moves. Looking back on it now, they were cheesy, goofy. Especially the Dab. But back then, it was all the rage, and it wasn't uncommon to go into a grocery store, restaurant, or other establishment around here and catch at least one patron doing their version of the Dab.
Cam Newton did 'The Dab' 10 years ago TODAY (2015).
— Timeline Tidbits (@TimelineTidbits) November 15, 2025
His 8-second TD celebration sparked a worldwide craze — and surprisingly, some anger. His response?
“If you don’t like it, keep me out of the end zone.”pic.twitter.com/3N2w82LTPc
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The magic faded, though, when the Panthers made it to the Super Bowl that season, only to get shut down 24-10 by the Denver Broncos, with one critical play towards the end of it where the ball was knocked out of Newton's hand by Von Miller, resulting in Newton - the league's MVP - appearing to freeze and recoil.
The defeat was crushing. But how Newton, who was 26 at the time, handled the postgame presser, sulking and unceremoniously walking out about five minutes into it while barely answering questions, made it worse. It wasn't a good look, to put it mildly, and it became one of his defining moments.
Fast forward to March 2026. You're Cayden Boozer, an 18-year-old freshman player and an integral part of the storied Duke University basketball program, along with your twin brother, Cameron. Both are the sons of former Duke basketball player Carlos Boozer, who was part of the 2001 championship team.
The 2025-2026 team has had a phenomenal season, losing only two regular-season games - each by single digits - and went into the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament as the overall number one seed.
There are, of course, high expectations. They make it to the Elite 8, riding high in the first half and leading the UConn Huskies by as many as 19 points. Going into the second half, they're up by 15. But the Huskies, who are coached by early 1990s Duke legend Bobby Hurley's younger brother, Dan, keep chipping away at it as the turnovers, missed free throws, and at times careless plays pile up for Duke.
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Eventually, it comes down to the wire. Duke is up by two points (72-70) with 10 seconds left. They inbound the ball. Cayden Boozer ends up with it. He makes a throw to another Duke player, but it gets deflected. UConn's Braylon Mullins shoots a three-pointer with .4 seconds left, and the game is over.
There were a lot of mistakes and misses in the second half, so the loss wasn't just on one player. But when you're the guy who causes the turnover that ultimately results in losing the biggest game you've ever played, you feel like you let your brothers (and twin brother) down.
That's certainly how Cayden Boozer felt. But unlike Cam Newton, Cayden Boozer showed what leadership looked like in answering questions when he undoubtedly wanted to just crawl into a hole and cry:
Just left the Duke locker room. Whew, that was tough. Here is Cayden Boozer's initial reaction before the media became silent in giving him a break for a minute. Give Cayden Boozer credit for owning his mistakes and not hiding from the pain. Feel for this young man.💔👿🏀🗣⬇️ pic.twitter.com/DsEJmr4MVf
— Matt Giles (@MattGilesBD) March 30, 2026
I have seen many pro athletes in this position - having made the play that allowed the other team to win - dodge the media entirely.
— Scott Fowler (@scott_fowler) March 30, 2026
Kudos to Cayden Boozer, with blood on his jersey, facing the questions. https://t.co/rupI64Ucnl
Owning your mistakes in front of cameras after a devastating loss takes more courage than most adults ever show 💪 Cayden Boozer is 18 years old — this moment will either break him or build him into something special 🏀 The players who face the pain head-on are usually the ones…
— Eng Hendrik (@eng_hendrik1) March 30, 2026
It's easy to react to winning. And after a hard-fought victory, you deserve to bask in the glow. How you face losing, however, and how you respond to it long after most everyone else has moved on is one of the truer tests of who you are as a person, IMO. I'm reminded of the Andy Griffith episode where Andy had to teach Opie a lesson about how not to be a sore loser:
'Nuff said.
