NO EXCUSES FOR BECKHAM
Giant’s cheap shot against Panthers was dangerous
Odell Beckham Jr.’s résumé includes one of the most remarkable one-handed catches you’ll ever see on a football field. It has more than 2 million YouTube views.
Now, unfortunately, the New York Giants superstar has something else on videotape in a category of its own.
You’d be hard-pressed to reference a cheap shot as egregious as Beckham’s helmet-to-helmet assault on Carolina Panthers cornerback Josh Norman during Sunday’s game at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. The play drew an official NFL rebuke Monday in the form of a onegame suspension.
Sure, there’s an appeal coming. But there’s really no worthwhile argument to justify Beckham’s action. He deserves to sit.
The NFL did the right thing. A former NFL defensive back, Merton Hanks, issued the punishment. There was really no choice. This was about as easy a prepackaged no-brainer (no pun intended) of a decision for a suspension as you can imagine. (And just as
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It’s sad that any player, especially one who has generated such buzz during his brief NFL career for his immense skill, would lower himself to the point of intentionally targeting an opponent’s head — especially in this day and age with heightened awareness about the consequences of head injuries, revamped safety rules and more scrutiny than ever of the NFL universe.
Yet Beckham, who had zero catches at the time of the secondhalf incident, still peeled back and took a 10-yard running start, as Hanks wrote in a letter to the receiver, and launched himself headfirst into Norman.
I’ve seen helmet-to-helmet blows before, but typically they occur in the context of an ultrafast game featuring athletes trying to aggressively make a play. I’ve never seen one like that one. Just dirty. Beckham has now provided classic examples of what to do (make spectacular catches) and what not to do (recklessly pursue opponents without regard for the well-being of a fellow player). Giants coach Tom Coughlin, while vouching for Beckham’s dedication to his craft during his two NFL seasons, told reporters Monday what he told his team.
“I hope he learns exactly what should be learned — that there is no place in this game for these personal battles,” Coughlin said in a conference call. “That it is team first, team last, team always, and nothing stands above that. And that he is responsible to his team and to his franchise, to his ownership, just as we all are. And I’m hoping that’s what he learns.”
It’s sad that the conversation now is about the bad blood between two players who likely will earn first-team all-pro honors this season rather than the Panthers being 14-0 or the drama of a thrilling game. What a fine time for this lesson.
The Giants (6-8) are clinging to playoff hopes that hinge on winning their final two games and hoping for a miracle. Now they won’t have their best player for Sunday night’s road game against the Minnesota Vikings.
And in a larger context, Norman wasn’t without fault. He engaged in the back-and-forth with Beckham but apparently restrained himself enough as to not go helmet-to-helmet. While Beckham drew three penalties for personal fouls, Norman received two flags for his flagrant behavior. He should draw admonishment from the league, too, but in the form of a fine.
And while we’re at it, referee Terry McAulay deserves a reprimand, too. He allowed this situa- tion to get way out of hand. Some officials might have ejected Beckham on the spot after the helmet job. But McAulay wouldn’t go beyond the penalties.
After the game, McAulay served up a lame excuse that noted how the league typically reviews incidents that occur during the game. Not good enough. Memo to McAulay: During the game, the referee is in charge. You can make the call to send a player to the showers.
Perhaps McAulay, or other members of his crew, didn’t see entirely what went on. But after the dust-ups early in the game involving two of the NFL’s best players, they should have been on high alert, watching for flare-ups. Instead, another blown non-call.
Giants players could have done more, too, to deal with Beckham in the moment. Some of the Panthers addressed Norman.
But what set Beckham off ? The most intriguing explanation is the “smoking bat” theory. A Panthers practice squad player reportedly brought a black baseball bat to the sideline during pregame warm-ups and motioned toward Beckham, who supposedly was threatened by the gesture. It wasn’t the first time the Panthers have packed a black bat — of course not on the field during the game, mind you — as some sort of symbol of their aggressiveness.
The Panthers denied Beckham was taunted.
But if that’s what it takes to throw Beckham off his game, he must have really thin skin. Regardless, that doesn’t excuse his actions.
That, too, is one of the multiple takeaways from a sad situation.