New York Giants: Odell Beckham Jr. will never be elite until he cleans up his act

New York Giants WR Odell Beckham Jr. is great, but will never be elite with the act he pulls.

New York Giants WR Odell Beckham Jr. is one of the most physically talented players in the NFL. Just watch him play. Watch the type of player that he is and watch how lost the Giants are when he is not on the field. The world took notice after the one-handed catch against the Cowboys on Sunday Night Football and Beckham hasn’t looked back.

The numbers don’t lie, so let’s analyze. Beckham has been selected to the Pro Bowl in each of his first three full seasons in the league. In his worst season, he caught 91 passes. Last year he caught 101. Including the two pretty touchdown catches against the Eagles, he has 37 scores in his young career, 301 receptions and 4,237 yards receiving. The two scores against the Eagles were as outstanding as always, by the way. Whether you are a Giants fan or not, this young man can play.

However, with his play comes the antics. Whether he is getting into it with Josh Norman, having a soap opera with a kicking net, or over-dramatizing injuries, Beckham is also a handful at times. Don’t forget the boat trip while preparing for playoff football. And finally, we have all of the unsportsmanlike conduct for demonstrations in the end zone.

If Beckham doesn’t clean this stuff up, he will never be one of the truly very best to ever play the game.

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It came to a head on Sunday against the Eagles. Most of you know about this already, and I won’t show a picture. Beckham’s response to scoring a touchdown was to get on all fours, lift his leg and mimic urinating on the football. Of course, he received an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.

His response to questions about his actions are troubling (via Judy Battista of NFL.com):

"“I was in the end zone, I’m a dog so I acted like a dog,” he said. “I don’t know if the rule book said you can’t hike your leg. I was trying to find the imaginary ghost I peed on and I couldn’t find it. I don’t make the calls. I just play football. “When I get in the end zone, I do what I do,” Beckham said. “I’m going to try to spark this team. The consequences are going to be what they are. We were motivated from that. I don’t think this set us back any.”"

Do we even have to discuss how silly of a response this is? If he does it twice in one afternoon he will get kicked out of a game. The penalty may not have been a back breaker this time, but how about the next time? What happens when a short kickoff leads to a short field for the opponent and the Giants lose by a score? Will that “set you back”, Odell?

Being great is not simply about making plays. It’s also about carrying yourself the right way. Look at Terrell Owens as a perfect example. Look at his numbers and he should be in the Hall of Fame on his first ballot. He isn’t. Why? Voters hesitate because of his behavior. To be great you have to be great ALL THE TIME.

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Beckham wants to be the highest paid player in the league. The way he acts, he doesn’t deserve it. Do you think Jerry Rice would act and talk this way? No. Antonio Brown pushed the envelope in the past, but not on a consistent basis. He cared about the team not just himself. Odell Beckham Jr. will not be elite until he grows up and stops acting the way that he does.

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