Things are beginning to reach critical mass for the New York Giants and wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr.
One day after Beckham Jr. had his second consecutive emotional meltdown, this time drawing an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for “taunting” Minnesota Vikings cornerback Xavier Rhodes, he admitted to ESPN’s Anita Marks that he’s no longer enjoying the game of football.
“Football is my sanctuary,” Beckham Jr. told Marks. “It’s where I go to escape. It’s where I’m most happy. I’m not having fun anymore.”
Beckham Jr., who had a career-low three receptions for 23 yards in the Giants’ 24-10 Monday night loss, stood by his earlier statements and told Marks he feels like he’s being targeted by both the media and NFL officials. Beckham Jr. also said he feels like his reputation has been forever “tarnished” because of his Week 15 dust-up with then-Carolina Panthers cornerback Josh Norman last year.
Once defined by his incredibly athletic one-handed catches, Beckham Jr. is now notoriously known for an inability to control his emotions. And whether that’s just or unjust, quarterback Eli Manning said on Monday night that OBJ has brought it all on himself.
“He’s got to play smart,” Eli Manning told reporters, via Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News. “He can’t afford to do anything they’ll call. He’s kind of brought that upon himself, so he’s got to realize that.”
If there was any lingering debate about whether or not Beckham Jr. was a distraction to his teammates, that’s now out the window. The mere fact that he’s publicly stating his frustrations and forcing his teammates to answer relentless questions about it is proof positive that Beckham Jr. has, in fact, become an all too real distraction.
