Seahawks’ Michael Bennett named Seattle’s top male athlete of 2015, quips about Cam Newton

Michael Bennett was named Seattle's top male athlete at the MTR Western Sports Star of the Year Awards. (AP)

The way that Cam Newton conducted himself during his post-Super Bowl press conference has sparked a week’s worth of discussion about sportsmanship, leadership and how athletes – quarterbacks specifically – should handle defeat.

Wednesday night, it led to a joke from Michael Bennett. A pretty funny one, actually, after the Seahawks defensive lineman was named Seattle’s top male athlete of 2015 at the MTR Western Sports Star of the Year Awards.

“I hope you guys aren’t sore losers like Cam Newton,” Bennett told the other nominees as he accepted the award, according to Adam Lewis of SeattlePI.com.

Related: Winners from the 2016 MTR Western Sports Star of the Year Awards

Bennett beat out Sounders forward Clint Dempsey, Mariners slugger Nelson Cruz, Washington State quarterback Luke Falk, Seattle University men’s soccer coach Pete Fewing and University of Washington golfer Cheng-Tsung Pan.

Bennett had the best season of his career in 2015. He registering 10 sacks and 52 tackles – both career highs – en route to his first Pro-Bowl selection. He was named that game’s defensive MVP.

According to SeattlePI.com story, Bennett later joked backstage, “There’s a lot of stars in this town. I just happen to be the best one.”

In a more serious moment, Bennett said: “When you get awards from any other place outside your city it doesn’t mean as much. When you get it from your city it makes a big difference.”

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