Storyline: OBJ’s behavior doesn’t mean he has a dark side. Should he learn to control his emotions better? Of course!
It was a sad Sunday Night Football last night for the New York Giants. A stellar 11-5 season came to end in a Wild Card playoff loss to the Green Bay Packers.
Courtesy: NY Daily News
And, of course, superstar WR Odell Beckham Jr. (OBJ) found himself in every headline … again. He was held to just four catches for a total of 28 yards. He dropped the football repeatedly when it looked like he would make catches (due to the cold, perhaps, which is is still no excuse).
But it wasn’t only the dropped passes that has everyone talking. It’s OBJ’s behavior–for letting his emotions get the best of him post-game.
The media and football fans learned about Beckham Jr.’s emotional vulnerability back in September. It started with his rivalry with the Redskins’ Josh Norman. After lots of trash talk online leading up to the big match-up, Beckham Jr. was disappointed after losing. It showed, too, as he cried on the sideline. Then he let out frustration by becoming violent with a goalpost … only for the goalpost to hit him back. He later proposed to a kicking net in apology, which showed he’s capable of laughing at his mistakes and emotions. It’s justifiable.
It’s understandable when a player gets riled up after losing a game that has meaning. Do those behaviors make him a sore loser? No. In Odell’s case he leaves it all on the field. He plays with his heart. Some say we should call it what it is, but Odell is not a brat.
But some of that behavior isn’t tolerated by the NFL. OBJ is no stranger to fines. He has been penalized five times for a total of $108,926 for excessive celebrations and for deviating from the League’s uniform rules.
Courtesy: Chicago Tribune
For his part, Beckham Jr. thinks the NFL sometimes singles him out. Consider this. Cowboys’ running back. Ezekiel Elliot, celebrated a TD by hopping into an oversize Salvation Army kettle behind the end zone. When the League didn’t fine him, OBJ took to Twitter. It was funny, Odell said, that Elliot wasn’t fined, which insinuated that–if the roles had been reversed–Beckham, Jr. would have been fined.
After Sunday night’s 38-13 playoff loss in Green Bay, it seemed OBJ had his emotions in check; he was calm and collected during the post-game media conference. The loss was a “learning experience, as tough as they are,” he said. “This is what you stand on and grow from. It sucks. It is a horrible feeling. You have to learn from it and find ways not to have this feeling again.”
He also made sure to state that his field trip to Miami one week prior had nothing to do with the loss: “There’s no way you can connect something that happened seven days ago.”
Courtesy ESPN
But he was also emotional after the loss. ESPN’s Sal Paolantonio saw Beckham Jr. banging his head against the door. A grounds crew member heard something. It was OBJ punching a hole in the wall.
It was a rugged way for the Giants to end their season–a season that seemed to be going in their favor. There’s no doubt that the players all felt a shock. And to be fair, everyone handles things differently and uses different coping mechanisms in response to disappointment.
Beckham Jr’.s behavior doesn’t mean he has a dark side. Should he learn to control his emotions better? Of course! Is he a role model? Most definitely. A good one? I think so.
With his euphoric dance moves following TDs, he teaches young athletes the satisfaction of winning. But. most importantly, he teaches them how important it is to play with your heart, and play with your all, in every single game. That approach makes a win feel that much better and a loss feel that much worse.
As an athlete, you’ll experience both. Odell is vocal and visual about how he feels.
That’s okay. But let’s also make this wish: OBJ, next year it wouldn’t hurt to compose yourself a little better.
