This past Monday, Odell Beckham Jr accounted for a career-low in receiving yards with 23 against the Minnesota Vikings. Of those 23 yards, he lost 15 of them due to an un-sportsman like conduct penalty. After the game, Eli Manning called him out, saying that he brought this upon himself by allowing his emotions to get the better of him and in the end, cost the Giants a win.
Ever since bursting onto the scene in 2014, Odell Beckham Jr. has become a sensation throughout the NFL. His amazing one-handed catches and numerous touchdown catches have taken the league by storm. However, his transformation into a prima donna has given him an inflated ego, and ever since the game against the Carolina Panthers last season, defensive backs have found that it is quite easy to get under Beckham’s skin and disrupt his style of play.
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Beckham has stated that his persona is the reason that he is being targeted by the refs, saying “If I sneeze the wrong way, it’ll be a flag,” “If I tie my shoe the wrong way it might be a fine.” However, that is not the case. It is the fact that he is letting other players to get under his skin and his refusal to back down when he is taunted that is costing him.
There’s a saying that when people taunt you that you should take their criticisms like “water off a duck’s back.” That is exactly what Odell Beckham Jr. should do. He is now a liability rather than an asset to the New York Giants, a liability that is costing the Giants wins. Winning is the most important thing in any sport because it erases all of the mistakes you’ve made. It was best said by the legendary Vince Lombardi, “Winning isn’t everything… It’s the only thing!”
