The central theme for the 50th Super Bowl revolves around gold. The 50-yard lines were highlighted gold all season and the NFL sent out golden footballs to high schools of players who’ve impacted the game and Super Bowl history.

In a way, the quarterbacks of this year’s monumental game are golden in and of themselves.

Peyton Manning is football royalty, and then there’s the polarizing and intelligent young man by the name of Cameron Newton with his unapologetic personality.

Newton has divided football fans since going undefeated at Auburn in a scandal-filled season. He’s loved by those in his corner, and is equally disliked by those scowling on the other side of the ring.

In his latest commercial for “Beats by Dre,” Newton told the world he uses the criticisms as motivation to be a better player. He ends the ad by saying, “Too bad they don’t give Band Aids for feelings,” meaning his critics’ reasoning for their hurt is imaginary and subjective.

The overall message of his commercial paired with rapper 2 Chainz’ single “Watch Out” as background music, makes for a brilliantly thought out and creative ad. The chorus of the single is “You getting mad, I’m getting rich.”

Last week, he dabbed headfirst in a press conference and “hit them folks” with a statement on his blackness and playing quarterback in the NFL, further explaining to the world why he can rub people the wrong way. The fact that he’s a big, black, intelligent young man with a lot of machismo is subconsciously scary to people who don’t look like or understand him.

ESPN football analyst Ryan Clark added another underlying aspect for the criticism of Newton is the culture he represents — the ever so brazen counter culture of hip hop.

Cam is from the mecca of hip hop, Atlanta. The city has bred scores of successful and influential artists in the genre. For example, the “dab” comes from the rap group Migos and Newton has turned it into a family-friendly gesture done by everybody from the elderly women who are Panthers fans to anchors of Sports Center.

Clark is right about the culture being an ancillary reason for criticism of Newton. Hip hop has been anti-establishment since the 1980s.

Cam Newton is proud of his blackness, as he was taught to be at a young age. Just don’t complain when he brings it all on Sunday or simply don’t watch the Super Bowl.

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Alex Swatson is a sports writer for The Vicksburg Post. He can be reached at alex.swatson@vicksburgpost.com