Kony Ealy Corrects ESPN's David Newton

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Kony Ealy

Kony Ealy

We've all wondered how much the players pay attention to the noise.  Social media's integration into our daily lives has given us a little insight on the matter, as well as, simply amplifying the noise.  Some guys embrace social media interaction with all it's noise and sometime work to suppress it.  Rarely does this happen over the long-term without making an error or ultimately drowning in the noise that acknowledging it only amplifies.  Many choice to avoid the headache, despite the irrationality of the noise.  

Yesterday, Kony Ealy, who only has 83 total tweets, sought to dampen the noise by correcting ESPN's David Newton:

Newton made an important mistake, and Ealy found it necessary to let him know.  Newton used a short video and a sideline observation to help build and reinforce a narrative that has developed since Ealy's rookie season--that of an under-performing draft pick that hasn't yet impressed the coaching staff, the media, or his teammates. It's a narrative that began last season when Cam Newton taunted the rookie in a goal line drill, a moment that the local media believed captured the rookies entire camp performance.

Now I don't think Newton's agenda was nefarious.  In fact it looks like an honest mistake created by a need to continuously produce content that can be identified among the onslaught of noise.  I think what is most interesting about this exchange was the illustration of a player who can't help but be affected by the noise.  

Ealy has become a new favorite whipping boy by Panther pundits.  The desire for him to live up to the pre-draft hype/expectations, coupled with the accepted narrative that Dave Gettleman can spot a Blue Goose, makes the second year defensive end low hanging fruit.  After two years of the highest scrutiny, Ealy's stoic facade has cracked, showing he hears the noise and may even be a bit aggravated by it.

Give it up to David Newton for apologizing for the mistake in a following tweet.  I think we also have to be happy Ealy didn't drop the #FireDavidNewton, or maybe secretly disappointed.  I mean scrutinizing even the smallest mistake, that would just be a hyperbolic reaction......right David?

By the Professor, aka Tony Dunn
Follow me on Twitter @Cat_Chronicles