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Apparently it stinks to be Odell Beckham Jr. these days. The New York Giants receiver feels he’s being unfairly targeted by opposing players and officials, and he’s fed up.
“Football is my sanctuary,” Beckham told ESPN’s Anita Marks on Tuesday. “It’s where I go to escape. It’s where I’m most happy. I’m not having fun anymore.”
He also told Marks he has more fun at practice than he has at games.
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While Beckham may have a point, that officials in particular are giving him extra attention and are quick to flag him, but a lot of the reason is Beckham’s fault. He’s not being unfairly targeted – he just needs to get his emotions in check.
Beckham told Marks his behavior in last year’s game against then-Carolina Panthers cornerback Josh Norman “tarnished” his image, but again, that was mostly his doing. Beckham was so frustrated with Norman that day that at one point Beckham blindsided Norman with a helmet-first hit, an act that garnered the receiver a one-game suspension.
After just the second game of this season, when the Giants played the New Orleans Saints, Beckham was fined $36,000 for a crack block on Kenny Vaccaro, drilling the defensive back away from the play and when he wasn’t paying attention.
Then came Week 3 against Norman, now with Washington. Though Beckham had his best game of the season, with seven catches for 121 yards (he’s yet to record a touchdown catch this year), with the Giants losing late, Beckham took his frustrations out on a kicking net and lost, with hilarious results.
Frustrated, Odell Beckham Jr. says football isn’t fun for him right now (Getty Images) And once again on Monday night, Beckham reacted when a cornerback got physical with him and pushed the boundaries, this time Minnesota’s Xavier Rhodes.
Are defenders targeting Beckham? No doubt. But why wouldn’t they? If he can be that easily baited, if it’s that easy to take him off his game – and you can do it within the rules – cornerbacks would be silly not to try.
Beckham is incredibly talented; no one denies that. But his teammates and coaches have told him he needs to get his emotions under control, and to this point it seems he’s resisted that advice. But if his outbursts lead to another suspension, he won’t have much choice.
“Football is my sanctuary,” Beckham told ESPN’s Anita Marks on Tuesday. “It’s where I go to escape. It’s where I’m most happy. I’m not having fun anymore.”
He also told Marks he has more fun at practice than he has at games.
[Play our $175K Baller | Free Yahoo Cup entry | Tips for your Daily lineup]
While Beckham may have a point, that officials in particular are giving him extra attention and are quick to flag him, but a lot of the reason is Beckham’s fault. He’s not being unfairly targeted – he just needs to get his emotions in check.
Beckham told Marks his behavior in last year’s game against then-Carolina Panthers cornerback Josh Norman “tarnished” his image, but again, that was mostly his doing. Beckham was so frustrated with Norman that day that at one point Beckham blindsided Norman with a helmet-first hit, an act that garnered the receiver a one-game suspension.
After just the second game of this season, when the Giants played the New Orleans Saints, Beckham was fined $36,000 for a crack block on Kenny Vaccaro, drilling the defensive back away from the play and when he wasn’t paying attention.
Then came Week 3 against Norman, now with Washington. Though Beckham had his best game of the season, with seven catches for 121 yards (he’s yet to record a touchdown catch this year), with the Giants losing late, Beckham took his frustrations out on a kicking net and lost, with hilarious results.
Are defenders targeting Beckham? No doubt. But why wouldn’t they? If he can be that easily baited, if it’s that easy to take him off his game – and you can do it within the rules – cornerbacks would be silly not to try.
Beckham is incredibly talented; no one denies that. But his teammates and coaches have told him he needs to get his emotions under control, and to this point it seems he’s resisted that advice. But if his outbursts lead to another suspension, he won’t have much choice.