DENVER --?Cam Newton took a vicious shot to the head in the final minute Thursday night, a hit that left him facedown in the grass. Jazz Jerseys 2020 . It was the kind of hit the NFL swears it wants to eliminate from the sport. Newton did not get taken out of the game. He did not get checked for a concussion. In fact, he did not even gain a single penalty yard as a reward for his pain.Instead the officials ruled that Darian Stewarts flying, helmet-to-helmet hit was nullified by Newtons hurried throw on the run. The refs called it intentional grounding, refusing to consider that the Carolina Panthers quarterback got rid of the ball to protect himself from the speeding Denver Broncos safety who was coming in too high.Ron Rivera, one of his staff members, an ATC spotter up in the press box -- someone, anyone -- should have removed Newton from this Super Bowl rematch gone awry. In a pro football age of brain trauma and CTE, common sense says Newton needed to be escorted off the field. The rulebook says the same thing. Teams can be fined hundreds of thousands of dollars, and ultimately docked draft picks, if they keep sending out players who should be having their heads examined instead.The NFL released a statement Friday saying that a Panthers team physician and an unaffiliated neurotrauma consultant requested video from a spotter, reviewed Newtons physical response to Stewarts personal foul, and determined there were no indications of a concussion that would require further evaluation and the removal of the player from the game.Really? No indications of a concussion after Newton reacted to the hit as if hed absorbed a sweeping left hook from an in-his-prime Mike Tyson? This league statement is just as alarming as the head shots themselves.We saw what happened with a concussed Case Keenum last year, when protocol was somehow forgotten in the staggering decision the Rams made to keep him under center. We heard from Newton last year too, when he complained about absorbing punishment that other quarterbacks dont have to take.He didnt have to say anything Thursday night after Graham Ganos missed 50-yard field goal in the closing seconds gave Denver a 21-20 victory. As football coaches love to point out, the film never lies. And the film shows the Broncos hitting Newtons head at least four times and getting away with it.I feel s----y, Newton said in his postgame news conference. He had his reasons. Brandon Marshall launched himself into Newtons face, and Von Miller delivered his own helmet-to-helmet hit, one that looked less like a launch but was a clear shot nonetheless. The quarterback stayed in there and weathered it all, making some gutsy plays to give Gano the chance he couldnt convert.Newton is a tough guy, you know, and, with him a 6-foot-5 245-pounder who runs like a tailback, the refs allow defenders to take liberties against him that they dont permit against more fragile and less mobile quarterbacks.It has to stop. Not tomorrow, today. Everyone around the league likes and respects Gene Steratore, the referee who worked this game, including Newton.But does anyone truly believe Steratore wouldve allowed pocket passers Tom Brady or, say, the now-retired Peyton Manning to take multiple shots to the head without penalizing the offending opponents? And on the one personal foul Steratore did call against Stewart, does anyone truly believe the ref wouldve called intentional grounding on Brady or Manning when it was so clear the approaching illegal hit inspired the throwaway?Its not my job to question the officials, Newton said. I really like this officiating crew, so I know it wasnt something they did intentionally. ... But its not fun getting hit in the head.It isnt fun, and it isnt fair. In fact, its three country miles removed from fair.Weve got to treat Cam like a quarterback, Panthers tight end?Greg Olsen said. I know hes the biggest guy on the field, but hes still a quarterback.A great one, too. Newton was a 14-0 quarterback for the Carolina Panthers late last year, and he finished the season as a 17-2 quarterback for the Carolina Panthers. Yet it all ended in such profound failure that the overwhelming choice for league MVP was left to chase the ghost of redemption. Already.These are the terms of engagement for a transcendent talent at the one NFL position that matters most, and the architect of the Denver team that denied Newton seven months ago, John Elway, could tell him all about that. Elway was 0-for-3 at the Super Bowl, and forever reminded of his big-game breakdowns, before Terrell Davis and a brilliant O-line walked into his life in the nick of time and helped enhance his historical standing in the sport. Elway never found a Terrell Davis for Manning in his final football hours, but he did build him a defense that treated Newton like a tackling dummy, and ultimately sent him into Thursday nights opener with a whole lot left to prove.Manning carried the Super Bowl 50 trophy out of the tunnel in the pregame, one final painful reminder before Newton got his hands on the ball, and the Broncos got their hands on him.I try to warn the refs every time I do get hit in the head, Newton said, but if the flag is not called, then its OK.No, its not. And its not OK for Rivera and his staff, the ATC spotters and/or the independent sideline trauma monitors to allow Newton to play on after that frightening hit from Stewart left the quarterback facedown for too long.Im going to wait until I see the tape, Rivera said when asked about the hits Newton absorbed. Im not going to pass judgment on anybody.He was talking about the officials. But why didnt the Carolina coach take matters into his own hands and help his franchise player? Why didnt Rivera send in the backup, Derek Anderson, and try his luck against the Broncos the next time they meet up in the Super Bowl?Asked whether hed gone through the concussion protocol, Newton said, They asked me a couple of questions, but nothing too serious. The quarterback didnt identify the people or the questions, but he did say this exchange took place after the game and not during it. In the end, the Panthers, the league and the officials were all at fault. Nobody did enough to protect the defending league MVP from a relentless and lawless assault on his head, and that can never, ever happen again. Utah Jazz Gear . It was Kerbers third final of the year after losing to Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia in Monterrey in April and to Petra Kvitova of Czech Republic in Tokyo two weeks ago. The 10th-ranked German improved her record in finals to 3-5. Utah Jazz Shirts . He says so-called TRT is only one problem and he wants to go even further than the ban. "Its about time," St-Pierre told reporters at a promotional event in Montreal on Friday. "I think its a good thing. https://www.cheapjazzonline.com/ . The showiest items on Calgarys lot were forwards Mike Cammalleri and Lee Stempniak. Both will be unrestricted free agents this summer. WASHINGTON -- Trea Turner knows things will speed up during the postseason. He has the wheels to match.Since bursting into the majors in June, the Washington Nationals rookie has hit .342 with 14 doubles, eight triples, 13 home runs and 33 stolen bases in 73 games. Thats the highest batting average by a rookie with 300 at-bats since Ichiro Suzuki in 2001, and Turner has the ability to turn his level up as the situation dictates.This guy is phenomenal, Nationals closer Mark Melancon said. And hes just so even-keel, its not like hes on a hot streak or something. Thats his game. Hes got five tools and he uses them, hes level-headed, hes a smart player. Hes way beyond his years, and its impressive to watch him.Baseball lifer Dusty Baker likes Turners combination of speed and power. The 23-year-old can flash those tools at the plate and in center field. Turner often doesnt stop at first, but his speed on the base paths is something that Baker said changes the equation.When hes on the bases, he creates tension, said Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, who was with San Diego when the Padres had him in spring training. He turns doubles into triples, singles into doubles.Roberts Dodgers will be tasked with stopping Turner in the NL Division Series, which begins Friday at Nationals Park.Already, major league pitching has something of a book on Turner, and he knows its on him to make the most of his key at-bats.Pitchers adjust and its whether or not you have the approach or fundamentals, whatever you want to call it, to either continue to do what youre doing or to adjust back to them, Turner said. Postseason will be no different. Theres just more eyes watching.There are always eyes watching Turner, whos so fast it sometimes seems like hes gliding above the ground. He has told reigning NL MVP Bryce Harper that he enjoys hitting triples so that teammates can drive him in, and that enthusiasm is a spark in the Nationals clubhouse.Aw, man, its a lot of fun, Harper said. He brings that energy, brings that fire that you want. A kid that can really come up here and enjoy the game, have his fun and it really just shows his speed.Turner converted on 84.6 percent of his stolen-base attempts and in the process reminded former Colorado Rockies manager Walt Weiss oof Bo Jackson with the kind of impact speed can have on a game. Custom Utah Jazz Jerseys. Weiss said Turner is in the same class as Jackson, Billy Hamilton, Willie Wilson, Willie McGee and Vince Coleman.Those were the fastest of the fast, Weiss said. Those guys change the dynamics of the game when they get on. The pitcher has to think differently, the catcher thinks differently, the infielders are thinking differently, so it puts you on the defensive when a guy like that gets on base. Its a major weapon.Turner is just one rookie to keep an eye on in the playoffs. Here are a few more:COREY SEAGER, DODGERS: The All-Star shortstop is a big reason Los Angeles won the NL West, hitting 26 home runs and putting up 72 RBI as a 22-year-old. Seager has long been a top prospect since going in the first round in 2012, and hes primed to improve on his .235 average from the 2015 playoffs when he was a major league newcomer.Hes handled himself well, hes handled his rise well, hes handed the L.A. lights well, said former Dodgers shortstop Jimmy Rollins, who helped Seager a year ago. He makes it look easy. ... He does things that you would normally tell a guy not to do.T.J. RIVERA, METS: A season-ending injury to Wilmer Flores could have been another dent in New Yorks wild-card hopes, but Rivera stepped into the lineup and looked like a veteran. Rivera hit .359 with three homers since becoming the Mets full-time second baseman during an impressive September.TYLER NAQUIN, INDIANS: Naquin made Clevelands roster out of spring training and hit .296 with 14 home runs and 43 RBI. Like Turner, Naquin has power and speed, as he became the first Indians player to hit a walk-off inside-the-park home run in 100 years. Red Sox pitching will be a major test for him.KENTA MAEDA, DODGERS: The Japanese right-hander is set to be Los Angeles starter for Game 3 of the NLDS, which will be his first career game against Washington. The 28-year-old went 16-11 with a 3.48 ERA and 179 strikeouts in his first 32 major league starts. Opponents are hitting .171 off his slider, which he mixes with a four-seam fastball.---AP Sports Writer Howard Fendrich contributed to this story. ' ' '