New York Giants: Impossible to stuff this genie back in the bottle
By Curt Macysyn
It’s Odell Beckham’s world, and Big Blue fans are allowed to enter it. Before you enter, understand that you come inside on his terms only.
Some of the chatter when former New York Giants head coach Tom Coughlin was fired suggested that Coughlin enabled Beckham. This article won’t delve into the accuracy of that sentiment because Coughlin is gone.
Right now, Beckham exudes entitlement. And head coach Ben McAdoo might as well drive No. 13 work and pick up his lunch everyday.
The current McAdoo administration should own whatever happens on and off the field with Beckham these days. That may be asking too much.. And if for one minute you think whatever happens off the field is off-limits, think again. No one puts a gun to an NFL players’ head and directs him to behave, or voluntarily collect a paycheck. And turning a blind eye toward unacceptable conduct is itself a reaction.
The dog urinating episode in Philadelphia was as asinine as it gets in the NFL. But it should not have been flagged.
Was it unsportsmanlike conduct? Maybe under a broad definition that athletes should conduct themselves properly. But based on everything else that goes on during games, it remains simply a footnote to a sport that is rapidly devolving.
Did Beckham’s act offend some fans sensibilities? I would hope so, but no more than kneeling for the national anthem offends many fans as well.
And now you understand the conundrum.
Anything goes, so everything should go
For the sake of consistency, the NFL ought to remove unsportsmanlike conduct from its rule book. What’s the point? Grab your crotch after a touchdown. Go ahead. Make like a dog and pee in the end zone. Please do.
We allow players to sit or kneel during the national anthem, then why sanction anything? It’s all free speech.
While we’re at it, personal fouls, get rid of them.
Are the officials the morality police? They shouldn’t have to be for a sport played by adults. Let it go to the honor system. Officials stink so much, take the onus off of them. Players never make mistakes, it’s only the officials, so peel back their impact on the game.
If Seattle Seahawks Richard Sherman wants to break Tennessee Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota in half. Go right ahead. Concuss a guy during the game, so you can hug it out at midfield after the game is over. And blame the officials.
It happens all the time.
With Beckham’s latest attention grabbing move, he blamed the officials, according to the New York Post.
"“But either way it goes, you play football. I wear red and white, I don’t wear black and white, with stripes on it. I don’t make calls, I just play football.”"
Exactly Odell, protected free speech, you rock. But you don’t just play football, you do everything, and everything you do is great.
The “new” NBA
The minute Colin Kaepernick called attention to himself, unchecked, it was over for the NFL. In essence Kaepernick sacrificed his declining career, so that we now understand that players run the NFL.
New York Giants
Back when, David Stern began to usher in an era when players called all the shots in the NBA. Adam Silver completed the job. This isn’t anything an NBA player can’t do, including firing coaches, trading players and colluding to create “dream teams”.
Pathetic wannabes like Mark Cuban, Dan Gilbert and Steve Ballmer have become the cool, hip enablers. The trend has followed into the NFL, which is why LeBron James continues to weigh in on everything that goes on lately. The NFL is copying their model. Imitation remains the greatest form of flattery.
Responses from NFL owner are 100 percent laughable at this point. Dallas Cowboys owner kneel and stand charade could have been on a sitcom.
According to the New York Post, New York Giants co-owner John Mara responded by email with this response to the Beckham situation.
"“I do not want to get into a discussion about this. But I will say that I am very unhappy with Odell’s behavior on Sunday and we intend to deal with it internally.”"
Golly gee John, did you send Odell home without ice cream?
Handling “stuff” internally really hasn’t worked for Beckham. And of course Mara doesn’t want to get into a discussion, where he’ll be forced to choose a side. But listen, it’s not up to us to do anything about it. None of us employ Beckham.
So with the NFL and Mara being as weak as weak can be, the garbage continues. So when it comes to folks shutting off their television sets, and the bottom falling out of the PSL market, that may get someone’s attention.
But it will be too late.
The old adage is: “If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything.”