Does it matter if OBJ is at OTA’s?
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I could care less that Odell Beckham Jr. isn’t in East Rutherford. Here’s why you shouldn’t either.
In our 24/7 sports landscape, where “hot takes” and social media seem to matter more than anything else, it is easy to heap on athletes for any little mistake or deviation from the norm. When that athlete is someone as controversial as Odell Beckham Jr., this exercise becomes even easier. There is no doubt that Beckham brings most of the negative reaction and publicity upon himself, and much of it is deserved. Going down to Miami the day before a huge playoff game against the Packers was a huge mistake, and the Giants’ receiving core (and Beckham especially) should have understood that. But this latest “issue” is being overblown, plain and simple.
OTA’s are not mandatory. It is part of the NFL’s collective bargaining agreement (which means the owners agreed to this) for players to not be required to attend off-season organized team activities. Would it be beneficial to the Giants for their entire receiving core to be there? Of course. Any work that Eli Manning can get with his receivers before training camp official begins should be looked at as a positive. But OBJ and Eli already know how to play together, and some extra off-season work is not going to be the difference between an 8-8 season and a 10-6 one.
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Also, the discussion of “optics” around these types of issues is also overblown. While every single action Beckham takes that might be slightly controversial is nitpicked, Rob Gronkowski goes from one crazy situation to another in the off-season, which registers barely a blip on the radar. How is this remotely fair? If the Patriots can allow Gronk to be himself, can’t the same with Beckham? There is no doubt that OBJ is a diva, but few star wide receivers don’t show diva-like tendencies. If Big Blue fans are growing tired of #13’s act, I can name 31 other teams in the NFL that would love to make Beckham their problem.
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