What caused Cam Newton’s melee? TSP coaches have their say after brawl with ex-NFL MVP

Cam Newton caused a stir in the NFL zeitgeist with more than his usual quarterback takes in the last few days. At an under-18 7v7 football event on Saturday, the former NFL MVP got into an altercation with coaches from an opposing team, TopShelf Performance. An 18-second video of the scuffle went viral on Sunday, but few details about the lead-up to the fight have come to light.

Per Bleacher Report, TSP defeated C1N, Newton's squad, in a game that appeared far from friendly.

Two of the TSP coaches, identified as TJ Brown and Steph, gave their side of the story to The Beat ATL on Monday, claiming that the fight resulted from the former quarterback's trash-talking before the altercation, angering Steph to the point of a physical attack. Newton defended himself, and that's when others stepped in.

Here's how one of the coaches representing TSP put it:

"There's no reason we should be yelling at each other with a game going on. Like ain't none of that necessary. ... So it's just been a lot of trash talk, more so from his side, out of nowhere just talking crazy for no reason."

He continued, calling it "typical Cam Newton behavior":

"I've been around, bro, for five years, like this is typical Cam Newton behavior. ... He grabbed Steph, and if I see a 6-foot-6 guy grabbing my brother and that's all that everybody seeing, nobody seeing Cam talking crazy for past two days."

In other words, the TSP crew claimed Cam Newton was the instigator of the fight, talking trash, and was more in the wrong than anyone. However, reports claim that Newton and the other attacker had already exchanged heated words during the game, so it appears that it was a tense period for both parties that boiled over following an intense contest.

Newton has yet to respond to the allegations.

What was Cam Newton's personality like in the NFL?

Cam Newton at Atlanta Falcons vs. Carolina Panthers

Those who watched the quarterback play at the height of his career would agree that one of the staples was his showmanship. Not only did he want to win with the Carolina Panthers, but he wanted to do it with swag and style. Numerous clips have floated around the annals of the internet showing the man who popularized the dab and talking trash at the line of scrimmage.

Some argued that he was playing it up for the cameras, while others claimed he was giving in to every impulse and wearing his emotions on his sleeve. The latest fight breakout and testimony from a participant hands the latter camp an additional talking point.

The national spotlight was far from the TSP program, but now the fight has many asking what the program is, trying to get a full picture of what took place. If nothing else, the fight has put extra attention on the event. Of course, whether it is the type they wanted is another conversation entirely.

If any of the above quotes are used, credit The Beat ATL and H/T Sportskeeda.