CHARLOTTE, N.C. --?Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton called speculation over why he was benched for the first series of Sundays loss at Seattle falsified stories.The reigning NFL MVP said Thursday that the truth was just as he and coach Ron Rivera had said after the game.I violated the wardrobe [policy], and thats it, said Newton, who was punished for not wearing the required tie on the flight to Seattle. You dont have to dig into certain stories that I violated curfew, was out at a club, somebody was calling the room. I still stand by Coach Riveras decision, and thats just a warning for everybody.At no point in time -- or even still -- do I think Im above the law. I never thought that. Im not that type of player.Newton said the whole situation could have been prevented had he had the proper attire for the trip.He said those who dont believe him dont really know him.When you start hearing falsified stories from the people that really know you, thats when it really affects you, he said. And I havent.It is what it is.Asked whether hes been treated fairly this season, Newton said, If I was trying to impress every single person that thought I was an a--h---, then I would be drained. Im me.There also has been speculation that Newtons numbers are down this season because he had too much going on during the offseason with his Nickelodeon television series and other outside interests and that he didnt properly prepare.Newton threw a career-high 35 touchdown passes to go along with 10 rushing touchdowns en route to the MVP award a year ago, when Carolina went 15-1 during the regular season and reached the Super Bowl.During this 4-8 season, he has only 14 touchdown passes and five rushing touchdowns, and his 54.7 completion percentage has him on target for a career low.Newton said that preparation has nothing to do with his drop in statistics or the team record.Distractions come every single day, from family, from media, from workload, he said. Its my job to put myself in the best situation to succeed. I understand were not having the season we wanted to have, but theres no need for people to just maliciously go out and say, Well, he was doing too much. He was doing this. Hes worried about this.Thats the easy route.Rivera said he was very comfortable with his quarterbacks preparation, adding that people dont see the amount of time Newton puts in during the offseason or season.Thats unfortunate and disappointing that people draw conclusions based off other things, Rivera said. The young man is dedicated, and when he comes here, its phenomenal.Newton couldnt say whether he would do the Nickelodeon show again during the offseason.Life is bigger than football, he said. So if youre questioning certain things that Im doing, I have a whole other list of requirements and duties that I need to take care of.Outside of football I do have a life. Football takes up a lot of my life, and I appreciate it. This is the life I chose. Im not complaining. All Im telling you and just everybody is Im human. Thats the moral of the story.Newton doesnt know why his numbers are down, although catastrophic injuries to the offensive line havent helped.I can tell you its not because of preparation, he said. We get ridiculed off our production on the field, so it doesnt how much I prepare, if it doesnt transfer onto the field people will just say, Ah, hes just garbage.For me, its trying to get it to carry over from practice to games. In this situation and this season, it just hasnt turned over. And I dont have nobody to blame but myself. Custom Football Jerseys Outlet . Fellow centre Pavel Datsyuk remains out because of a concussion. Zetterberg has 11 goals and 19 assists for a team-high 30 points, and Datsyuk has a team-high 12 goals and 11 assists. Custom Houston Texans Jerseys Cheap . However, he did make them miss him a little less. Cundiff, who had the unenviable job of replacing Dawson last season, agreed Thursday to a one-year, $1. http://www.customjerseysfootball.com/custom-green-bay-packers-jerseys-cheap-153h . Burris threw two TD passes, including a key 15-yard fourth-quarter strike to Bakari Grant that effectively countered a Toronto comeback bid and led Hamilton to a 33-19 victory. Custom Detroit Lions Jerseys Cheap . -- New England Revolution goalkeeper Matt Reis is retiring after a 16-year career to become the goalie coach for the Los Angeles Galaxy. Custom Los Angeles Rams Jerseys Cheap . The 29-year-old Baines has established himself as one of the top attacking full backs in the country and was the subject of two bids from United during the last off-season. Everton manager Roberto Martinez says that keeping Baines at the club is a "massive boost and exciting for the future" because he brings "maturity and football knowledge in a very specialized position on the pitch" and an "infectious and positive influence to the rest of the squad. LOS ANGELES -- In less than 16 years, the UFC has grown from a money-losing company in a widely reviled sport into a global entertainment property worth $4 billion.While the UFC and its new owners figure out the companys next steps, Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta are tapping out of mixed martial arts with a remarkable return on a $2 million investment.The UFC has been sold for approximately $4 billion to a group led by Hollywood entertainment conglomerate WME-IMG, both companies confirmed Monday.The sale will spectacularly benefit the Fertitta brothers and UFC President Dana White, who first persuaded his wealthy high school buddies to buy the cage fighting promotion in 2001. White also owned 9 percent of the company, and he isnt going anywhere despite his own windfall: Hell remain the boss and public face of the UFC while keeping an ownership stake.No other sport compares to UFC, White said. Our goal has always been to put on the biggest and the best fights for our fans, and to make this the biggest sport in the world. Im looking forward to working with WME-IMG to continue to take this sport to the next level.Since their purchase of IMG three years ago, WME co-CEOs Ari Emanuel and Patrick Whitesell have been pursuing properties throughout sports and entertainment ahead of a possible initial public offering. The UFC is their biggest buy yet -- and the deal appears to be the largest single financial transaction in the history of sports.Were now committed to pursuing new opportunities for UFC and its talented athletes to ensure the sports continued growth and success on a global scale, Emanuel said.In their first public comments about the deal, White and the new owners have suggested little will change at first for the promotion. The UFC has a full slate of fights scheduled this year, all building toward its long-awaited debut at Madison Square Garden in November after New York legalized MMA earlier this year.But the UFCs new financial backing and WME-IMGs marketing dexterity seem certain to lead to even more growth and global prominence for MMAs dominant promotion, which has bought out or eliminated many of its competitors in the sport.UFC has experienced tremendous growth over the last decade and we are looking forward to helping the organization and its athletes identify new opportunities to develop and further establish their global footprint, Emanuel said.Few companies do that better than WME, but the UFC has also been pretty good at building stars in its own violent milieu.After helping Chuck Liddell, Randy Couture and Tito Ortiz to straddle the line between sports and entertainment, the promotion now boasts a stable of elite athletes with mainstream fame, including Conor McGregorr, Brock Lesnar and Ronda Rousey, who is represented by WME.ddddddddddddIts too soon to tell whether the deal will lead to more money for the UFCs non-unionized athletes. The promotion regularly receives criticism from mid-level fighters for its pay scale, but its ability to control talent costs is a major factor in its profitability.For instance, Lesnar made a disclosed $2.5 million along with probable millions in undisclosed bonuses for his victory over Mark Hunt at UFC 200 last Saturday. T.J. Dillashaw, the promotions former bantamweight champion, made $50,000 for his fight, and that includes a $25,000 bonus only paid because he won.McGregor, who makes multiple millions for each of his fights, congratulated the Fertittas on his Twitter account. Other UFC fighters took to social media on Monday to speculate hopefully about the impact of the deal.Perfect time to change the revenue split to 46/54 percent to be equal to the other major sports, tweeted featherweight Jeremy Stephens, with the hashtag weallneedtoeat .Cristiane Cyborg Justino also tweeted her congratulations. The vaunted Brazilian fighter signed with the UFC in March despite acknowledging she struggles to make the 135-pound limit on the UFCs largest womens weight class.Big things coming! Justino said. Hopefully a few new (womens MMA) weight classes too! Im ready.The UFCs price tag has drawn gasps since it was first rumored earlier this year, but the consortium is basically buying an entire sport, given the UFCs omnipotence atop MMA. Bellator and other ostensible competitors draw a fraction of the UFCs revenue and attention.With more than 500 athletes under contract, the UFC stages roughly 40 events per year and is broadcast in more than 150 countries, reaching 1.1 billion television households. The UFC is frequently described as the worlds largest pay-per-view event provider, and it also has a prolific digital streaming service, UFC Fight Pass, that it describes as Netflix for fight fans and is a key component of potential growth.Whats more, the UFCs broadcast deal with Fox also ends in 2018, and the next contract is expected to be lucrative.Talent agency WME purchased IMG, the sports and event management group, in 2013 with goals of growing into an omnivorous entertainment company. The organization already made moves into niche sports properties last year by buying Professional Bull Riders and forming an e-sports gaming league with Turner Broadcasting.The Fertitta brothers will retain a passive minority interest in the UFC, and the Abu Dhabi government still owns 10 percent of the company. ' ' '