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Odell Beckham Jr.’s reaction to suspension will define him

ByRyan Disdier|

Odell Beckham Jr. hurt his reputation when he had a meltdown against the Panthers. Now, OBJ faces a tough road ahead

Odell Beckham Jr. lost his cool against the Carolina Panthers. He engaged in unsportsmanlike conduct and attempted to hurt another player.

The NFL suspended Beckham for one game, and it gives the talented wide receiver a chance to learn from his mistakes. The 23-year-old superstar made a mistake and apologized for it.

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That should be the end of the story. Case closed, no further questions.

Unfortunately for Beckham, that’s not how things work anymore. Beckham faces an uphill battle to repair his damaged reputation. When you’re as big of a superstar as Beckham, scrutiny and criticism will never be too far away. His incident last Sunday will haunt for a long, long time.

I called for his suspension because I thought that was the appropriate action for the NFL to take. But now it’s over. It’s done with.

Social media accounts and internet trolls alike have continuously lampooned Beckham’s actions and already labeled him a “diva.” Some have gone even further, calling Beckham a punk, or a piece of you-know-what.

It’s not shocking that the internet community rushed to bash Beckham. To be fair, the football world has probably been over-exposed to him.

His catch against Dallas has been shown almost every time the Giants play. His pre-game warmups irk people almost as much as his elaborate touchdown celebrations. Beckham was even the Madden cover boy.

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Is what happened to Tom Brady‘s and LeBron James’ image now happening to Beckham’s? That’s hard to say. What isn’t hard to say is that sports fans have a tendency of building up icons and then tearing them down when seen fit.

Beckham’s not exactly a seasoned vet, either. This is a team that lacks leaders like Antrel Rolle and Brandon Jacobs, who obviously would’ve calmed down Beckham. Eli Manning and Hakeem Nicks, the two most experienced Giants on offense, aren’t vocal leaders. That blame falls on Jerry Reese’s shoulders, but that’s an issue for another time.

Now, I’m not ready to say Beckham was right by launching himself at an opponent. That would be foolish. He messed up big time, and the whole sports world saw it, and the whole sports world has an opinion about it.

But Beckham is far from the worst player in the NFL. He’s not a bad, misguided player, either. He’s a passionate guy who loves the game of football.

It’s hypocritical for some people to let this one moment define Beckham’s career, especially since most people were sick and tired of letting another single moment define his career.

ESPN’s Ian O’Connor wrote about why Beckham shouldn’t be demonized, referencing the severity of his actions in comparison to other player’s.

“But Beckham didn’t do what Ray Rice was suspended for, or what Adrian Peterson was suspended for, or what Greg Hardy was suspended for, and he shouldn’t be treated like he belongs in the same ballpark,” O’Connor writes. “He committed his offense in uniform, between the lines. His crime was being too violent and reckless in a violent and reckless sport.”

Maybe Dez Bryant‘s regression has made internet trolls hungry to label another receiver as a prima-donna. Slapping Beckham with that label is a stretch, however.

Unlike “diva” receivers who have come before him, Beckham does not have an attitude problem with his coaches. He’s never been criticized for being a bad or selfish teammate. He’s never had any cited off-field issues. He’s never fought with a teammate.

Beckham has passion, which is what many coaches love to see in their players. Yes, sometimes he thinks with his heart and not with his head. But football is a game of emotions, so it’s not shocking to see Beckham have outbursts.

He’s not the second-coming of Terrell Owens, not matter how bad some people want him to be (though I admit this did scare me).

The good news for Beckham is that he’s only 23 years old. He has his whole career ahead of him, and you better believe he’s going to continue to put up gaudy numbers, all while being the centerpiece for this offense.

What Beckham does next and how he chooses to respond to his suspension will be enormously important. Beckham issued two separate apologizes earlier in the week, but he has to make good on his words. His teammates still have his back, which again, destroys any chance of him being a cancer in the locker room.

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According to Jordan Raanan of NJ Advance Media, Beckham’s teammates didn’t even think an apology was necessary.

“We know Odell,” defensive leader Cullen Jenkins said.

OBJ has a chance to rebuild his reputation. I don’t think that means cutting back on the TD celebrations, because that’s just who Beckham is. But he needs to control his emotions. His emotions and his passion for the game will one day make him great, but he needs to figure out how to control them for that to happen.

For Beckham to truly become a great receiver, he needs to learn from this mistake. His reaction has to define him, not his actions.

So let’s stop talking about this issue already.

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