An unexpected incident happened during a live television show called First Take, which was broadcasting from Birmingham, Alabama. The event was celebrating the Magic City Classic, a big football game between two schools, Alabama A&M and Alabama State.
To entertain the crowd, the two schools’ mascots, a bulldog and a hornet, had a footrace. This kind of event is usually very fun and silly.
The race finished with the hornet mascot from Alabama State winning. Former NFL star Cam Newton was on the stage and was having fun with everyone. He started celebrating the Hornets’ victory. The mood was very happy and loud, with cheers for the winning mascot and the game.
The fun stopped when the bulldog mascot from Alabama A&M, who lost the race, walked over to Newton. The mascot made a big mistake by knocking Newton’s hat off his head.
Anyone watching Cam Newton get into it with the Alabama A&M Mascot? pic.twitter.com/0fA6l2FFJO
— Legend 🦁 (@Legendkilla691) October 24, 2025
For Cam Newton, his hat is very important. He loves wearing unique, custom hats, and messing with it was a bad idea.
As soon as his hat fell, Newton’s mood changed completely. What was a happy, party atmosphere suddenly became very serious.
Newton stopped laughing and his body language became angry and defensive. It was clear that the mascot’s joke had gone too far and was not funny anymore.
Newton quickly reacted with an open-hand slap to the mascot’s head. He then shoved the mascot, pushing him away strongly.
While this happened, he yelled at the mascot, telling him, “Stop playing with me!”. The mascot did not expect such a strong reaction. So it briefly moved back, but then it resumed trying to approach him.
Football Fans and Birmingham Mayor Losing It Over Cam Newton Smacking That Mascot
The scuffle quickly went viral on social media, drawing attention from football fans and even public figures.
One fan commented, “Cam is a hurt child. Cam needs prayers,” expressing concern over Newton’s reaction.
Another added, “Cam had to remind ol boy that it wasn’t a game,” emphasizing the seriousness of the moment.
A third fan, amused by the incident, remarked, “That punch 😂,” indicating the unexpected nature of the altercation.
Even Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin joined in, posting on Facebook, “Cam Newton-1 Bulldogs Mascot-0,” adding a touch of humor to the situation.
This is not the first time Cam Newton has gotten into a fight that was caught on video. In 2024, a video of him in a fight at a youth football camp also went viral.
This shows that while he is a famous sports personality, Newton is not afraid to confront people if he feels like he is being disrespected, even if it is a playful situation that gets too serious.
