Green GQ: Odell Beckham Jr., Unguarded
“Are you worried about the OBJ brand shrinking by playing in a smaller market like Cleveland?
I forever will have love for the New York fans. They gave me my first home. But there's this sense of entitlement—like I was made there. And in my head, that was the first place I had the opportunity to show the world what God had set out for me to do. It didn't matter where I was at. Now, did it help that it was Sunday Night Football for the New York Giants versus the Dallas Cowboys? One thousand percent. But The Catch happened around the entire world. I feel like it wouldn't matter where I was at—once you got hooked onto who I was and what I was doing. And who knows? If I was in another place, you don't know if the numbers would've been more or less.”
Did you like the added pressure that comes from playing for a New York team?
I loved it. Not for attention purposes. I just loved New Yorkers. They're such a unique group of people. Good or bad. It's both sides. But God made me. You know what I mean? God made me. That's just where he gave me my first opportunity to show where I was at. It was like lightning struck for me. I remember looking on Instagram after the game [with The Catch] and my followers went up, like, 100K. I was like, This is crazy. And then the next week, going into practice, 200K. It was going at a rate that I was like: If you were to ask me five years ago if I would've had 13 million followers on Instagram, I would've told you, “Nah—no way I would have 13 million followers.”
Do you think there's any validity to the criticism that you're not a good teammate?
You can literally ask any one of my teammates. My on-the-field football never gets talked about unless people are talking about antics. They don't talk about numbers. Where's the reel at? People only want to focus on one thing. I feel like I'm one of the only people in the NFL where my personal life and my brand are the only things that get talked about. They'll do a whole segment about the car that I have on ESPN. Why? I've never been arrested. Never have and never will be putting my hands on a woman. I've never done any crimes. I've never done anything but some little petty, dumb stuff that we keep harping on. They asked, how could I have changed if I didn't go to OTAs? I have to be the very best me to help my team. We don't get paid to be at OTAs. If you want players to be there, make it mandatory and pay them. I got traded to a new team, I already paid to live here in L.A. for the entire summer. Are the Giants or Cleveland going to reimburse me for what I've already paid? Are they going to reimburse my trainers, who I've already paid? Are they going to reimburse me for the dogs who I've had to put in kennels? There's a lot of expenses. Are they going to pay for the rehab I was doing? No. They don't do all of that. That stuff is all on our own. So when it gets time for us to have our own life outside of football, they say something. When the game is done with you, they chew you up, spit you out. You're done. You're done. I have to take care of myself and my family. Period. I talk to everybody in the locker room. When someone gives me free stuff, I ask them to send a hundred of them for my teammates. A hundred Sprayground bags… They put them in the locker room. I asked for them to send me Casper mattresses. They sent me 100 Casper mattresses for the staff and the team.
It seemed like the general consensus among New Yorkers was that the Giants didn't get enough for you in that trade.
I didn't care what they got for the trade.
Where were you when you got the news?
I was in Paris heading to dinner. I saw the calls and was like, “Wow, I wonder where I'm going.” They had been talking about trading me. They could never get past my past. There's always that past that whatever happened, I would never be able to outgrow it. That's why I don't try to bring none of this to Cleveland. I don't even care. When I get there, this is a fresh start for me.
But how'd you feel in that exact moment?
My initial reaction was not disappointment.… I felt disrespected. Like, after everything I've done for them. This is me being honest: This team has not been good for the last six years. Period. Even the year we went to the playoffs and everyone was talking about this and that. And we went there, and I didn't have a great playoff game. Don't get me wrong, I had a terrible game. But I left the game with seven targets, and I'm supposed to be your number one receiver. I left the game with seven targets. We lost. They scored 40 points. It's just all bad. I felt disrespected, because I felt like I was a main reason at keeping that brand alive. They were getting prime-time games, still, as a 5-and-11 team. Why? Because people want to see the show. You want to see me play. That's just real rap. I'm not sitting here like, “It's because of me.” But let's just be real. That's why we're still getting prime-time games. I felt disrespected they weren't even man enough to even sit me down to my face and tell me what's going on.
Who, specifically, is “they”? The G.M.?
The G.M. And I'll forever have respect for [Giants president and CEO] Mr. Mara. Everything he's ever done for me, he's shown nothing but love. Even when we were having our talks, it was coming from a place of love. I could always feel it. So I'll forever have respect for him. But then to be called like that and then be texted by your coach and be like, “Oh, yeah, I heard the news.” Yeah, you heard the news? It happened because of you. The reason I'm gone is because of you. It was just tough because of the way I initially felt. On the other side of it, I was excited about a new start because I had been—honestly, I had been praying to God the season before this season for a change.
You felt like you just couldn't play there anymore.
I can't do this anymore. I just can't do it. I wasn't happy. I wasn't in a good place. And like I told you earlier, I feel like everything is about happiness, and I just was not. And even thinking about my car: I had ordered that car in December.”
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In comment 14503695 Shecky said:
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I can’t suggest it enough, but read the entire article.
The summary above does a great job, but it’s still a summary
There are a few simple common points you will see from the full interview.
It’s all about him, and it’s plain and simply all about money
I used tot hunk he loved the game.
I now see it was all a farce. He loves the money the game brings him.
He wants to win as much as the next guy, not for any other reason than the fame and fortune it will bring him.
Yup.
Now I don't think there's anything wrong with this. Not everybody plays the game for the same reasons. If Odell wants to be as famous as possible and make as much money as he can, that's his prerogative. He's well on his way to accomplishing this. But...
...at the same time, it's certainly fair to for the Giants to say we're just better off not having someone like that around the team anymore, no matter how talented he is. And we're better off cutting bait now, getting what we can, before the situation really boils over.
I defended him for a long time, I suppose I still do to an extent. But this offseason has only made it more and more clear that the Giants made the right choice to move on. It wasn't going to work, and it was exhausting. And it would seem that Odell still doesn't really understand why they made the decision they did.
I'm fascinated to see how this season goes in Cleveland.
I don't think Odell is a bad guy - I really don't. There have been so many guys who have come through this league, and even played here, who were just genuinely shitty people.
Odell is just who he is. But he is exhausting.
Most people have probably been in a relationship at some time or another in their lives where you're really attracted to the person, but you know it's just not working out and it's not going to. You try desperately to find ways to fix it or change that; but at the end of the day, you just know.
(I know that's a kind of weird analogy to use since we're talking about a football player here... )
But, I think the bottom line is just that sometimes you really want something to pan out even when you can see the writing on the wall. I was like that with Beckham for a while.
This NFL season is really going to be interesting. I think the Giants are going to be better for this; and Cleveland is certainly going to be an interesting follow.
Bc, true, buddy..That’s why I capitalized MAY HAVE.
You can't have a stable locker room when the face of the franchise does not respect or care about the franchise. It's Odell first Second and Third.
This Quote "I'll forever have respect for [Giants president and CEO] Mr. Mara. Everything he's ever done for me, he's shown nothing but love. Even when we were having our talks, it was coming from a place of love. I could always feel it. So I'll forever have respect for him." IS so important to understand why he was traded.
The only person Odell Respects in Management is the person he spent the least amount of time. By the way, he only respects Mara because Mara spoke kindly to him during negotiations and gave him a huge contract.
Unfortunately, Odell did not think about how much he respected Mara during the Josina Anderson interview.
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In comment 14503713 arcarsenal said:
Quote:
In comment 14503695 Shecky said:
Quote:
I can’t suggest it enough, but read the entire article.
The summary above does a great job, but it’s still a summary
There are a few simple common points you will see from the full interview.
It’s all about him, and it’s plain and simply all about money
I used tot hunk he loved the game.
I now see it was all a farce. He loves the money the game brings him.
He wants to win as much as the next guy, not for any other reason than the fame and fortune it will bring him.
Yup.
Now I don't think there's anything wrong with this. Not everybody plays the game for the same reasons. If Odell wants to be as famous as possible and make as much money as he can, that's his prerogative. He's well on his way to accomplishing this. But...
...at the same time, it's certainly fair to for the Giants to say we're just better off not having someone like that around the team anymore, no matter how talented he is. And we're better off cutting bait now, getting what we can, before the situation really boils over.
I defended him for a long time, I suppose I still do to an extent. But this offseason has only made it more and more clear that the Giants made the right choice to move on. It wasn't going to work, and it was exhausting. And it would seem that Odell still doesn't really understand why they made the decision they did.
I'm fascinated to see how this season goes in Cleveland.
I don't think Odell is a bad guy - I really don't. There have been so many guys who have come through this league, and even played here, who were just genuinely shitty people.
Odell is just who he is. But he is exhausting.
Most people have probably been in a relationship at some time or another in their lives where you're really attracted to the person, but you know it's just not working out and it's not going to. You try desperately to find ways to fix it or change that; but at the end of the day, you just know.
(I know that's a kind of weird analogy to use since we're talking about a football player here... )
But, I think the bottom line is just that sometimes you really want something to pan out even when you can see the writing on the wall. I was like that with Beckham for a while.
This NFL season is really going to be interesting. I think the Giants are going to be better for this; and Cleveland is certainly going to be an interesting follow.
Best and most accurate snippet yet:
Odell is just who he is. But he is exhausting.
WHAAAAAAAAA
That goes for Shep and any and all players on the team.
He might be happy for them - but I can say with 100% certainty that you will NEVER see Barkley complain publicly, or pout if he thinks he isn't being used properly.
Barkley is the anti-OBJ. He is all class, and OBJ is just an ass.
if you have something to say, be a man and say it
I only see me and Hitdog not taking the company line here. What do we have in common?
It's the ongoing IQ test here.
But he seems way more concerned with his brand.
Meanwhile, you have Barkley saying what does it matter if he gets 200+ yards in a game if its a loss.
But he seems way more concerned with his brand.
Meanwhile, you have Barkley saying what does it matter if he gets 200+ yards in a game if its a loss.
You said more succinctly the point that I was trying to make above.
LOL..that is seriously warped logic
I don't think Odell is a bad guy - I really don't. There have been so many guys who have come through this league, and even played here, who were just genuinely shitty people.
Odell is just who he is. But he is exhausting.
Most people have probably been in a relationship at some time or another in their lives where you're really attracted to the person, but you know it's just not working out and it's not going to. You try desperately to find ways to fix it or change that; but at the end of the day, you just know.
(I know that's a kind of weird analogy to use since we're talking about a football player here... )
But, I think the bottom line is just that sometimes you really want something to pan out even when you can see the writing on the wall. I was like that with Beckham for a while.
This NFL season is really going to be interesting. I think the Giants are going to be better for this; and Cleveland is certainly going to be an interesting follow.
Hah yeah I totally can see that analogy. I think we saw it the same way for a while, we were often on the same side of those debates. I desperately wanted it to work but maybe deep down we knew he just never wanted to change
I don't think he's a bad person either, we always said that. Seems to be great with kids and fans, teammates love him, that's all great. And I wish no ill will on him because of that, he provided us with some tremendous thrills as well. But he just seems to completely lack self-awareness and his priorities (his brand) can be very damaging when things aren't going well on the field.
With that in mind, it's not hard to see this devolving into a really bad situation if we kept him, where he completely plummets his value with a trade demand (like AB did) and we get pennies on the dollar, as opposed to the pretty fair deal we did get.
Let's play ball and see how this all goes!
I don't think you'll lose sleep as you likely don't have a whole lot of deep thoughts keeping you up at night
It's the ongoing IQ test here.
???
sad that many cant take someone having a different view- but carry on being a dck
Lol no it is not..
Hollywood-esque stuff? Good grief.
LMAO!!!
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are very critical of Eli.
It's the ongoing IQ test here.
???
sad that many cant take someone having a different view- but carry on being a dck
Pot meet kettle.
This is absolutely hysterical.
Hollywood-esque stuff? Good grief.
i wish the kicking net fought back for real
Sadly, you are probably 100 percent correct here.
Honestly, it's baffling how much a clueless twat he is
I have no doubt about his future in Cleveland. He's going to be great and he's going to be one of the reasons that team implodes.
And while he doesn't belong in the ring of shame with the likes of Ray Rice, Greg Hardy, Josh Brown or whoever else has committed serious crimes. He's definitely a me-first, selfish asshole who has done multiple things to embarrass himself and the organization he used to play for.
I enjoy the holdouts who still bend over backwards to defend this guy.
I enjoy the holdouts who still bend over backwards to defend this guy.
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“No chance. No disrespect to those guys. If you see me on one of those shows, it's because I'm getting a healthy paycheck. It's going to be that.... So after football, I could see the movie thing. I can see some shows. I can see some Hollywood-esque stuff.”
Hollywood-esque stuff? Good grief.
i wish the kicking net fought back for real
this was funny...
During the season in NY he was able to attend Fashion Shows, Concerts, sit in the front row at Knicks/Nets games. Attend grand openings. He could play a game on Sunday, interview with the NFL Network on Tuesday, Attend Good Morning America on Thursday and rub shoulders with movie/music/fashion stars on Friday, all in a 60 mile radius.
He became the most popular athlete in New York, because of his talent and proximity to other stars. Similar to Broadway Joe in the '60s. He's now the third star in Cleveland, behind Lebron and Mayfield.
He will soon realize that no one is following him to the Cleveland Fashion week. Stars are not going to be at the Cavs vs Lakers game. The Kardashians are not flying into Cleveland to open the newest club in Cleveland. And there is nothing that he can do on the field that will convince Beyonce and JZ to attend a Browns game.
Unfortunately for the Giants the only thing that will keep his brand at its current level will be saying things that will keep the NY media interested. And nothing excites NY Media more than drama.
So get ready to see more articles like this.
WHAAAAAAAAA
I don't get this (granted, I haven't read the article itself yet)....
I could see him feeling disrespected by them trading him, but whatever did they do that he would feel disrespected up until that point?
Hmmm.... OBJ you gotta your buddy Jarvis to stroke you all you want.
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the article also said he felt "disrespected" by the Giants and often thought of "leaving" the game..
WHAAAAAAAAA
I don't get this (granted, I haven't read the article itself yet)....
I could see him feeling disrespected by them trading him, but whatever did they do that he would feel disrespected up until that point?
agree, the Giants put up with his childish embarrassing antics and still gave him an extension.
Odell should be a HOF’er talent but he will not get there because of Odell. He’s narcissistic and can’t control his emotions which greatly affects his play on the field. And as many others have pointed, he never takes responsibility, always an excuse.
Not to mention that he still has yet to prove the ankle hasn’t taken a lot away of what made him special.
2. He says he has expenses that would need to be covered if he were to go to OTAs. He rented a home in Los Angeles for the summer, etc. Well, he knew when OTAs were. If he was dedicated to the team, he would have planned to be at OTAs. Timing with a new QB is extremely important. You would think he would want to be there to develop that to maximize their potential this year. Everyone knows there just are not enough snaps in pre-season anymore.
3. He essentially said that he was "done" in NY before he signed that new contract last summer. I am sure the Giants knew this and the plan all along was to sign and then eventually trade.
4. He believes Shurmur wanted him out of here. How much of a problem was Odell creating on the team (internally) if an offensive minded coach wants one of the most talented receivers OFF of the roster? This leads me to believe there is much more to this story.
Those two quotes tell you everything you need to know about OBJ as a winner/loser. It is all about him. It is exactly why Eli seemed unfazed by him leaving. You either want to win or you want to maximize your stats. Some games those two goals coincide and sometimes they don't. OBJs objective isn't team success - it's individual acclaim. It is really sad to see because he is a guy that I wanted to see retire as a Giant - but he wasn't going to be part of future success.
I don't care how good you are. Not much use from the sideline.
“Good luck without me..... haha”
This person works with the team so I thought I’d bring it up.
No OBJ, they just didn’t care or respect you to tell you. Respect is earned OBJ. And you haven’t earned the respect of being treated like everyone else when you act like a dick to everyone who doesn’t stroke you.
“Good luck without me..... haha”
This person works with the team so I thought I’d bring it up.
I don’t recall that, but I do think someone said, either here or elsewhere, that OBJ had started freelancing routes at some point instead of running what the play called for
No OBJ, they just didn’t care or respect you to tell you. Respect is earned OBJ. And you haven’t earned the respect of being treated like everyone else when you act like a dick to everyone who doesn’t stroke you.
Lol right, is he that dense. This is the team that has been behind him for all his stupid antics and made him the highest paid wr in the game after a serious injury. He wasn't man enough to tell the Giants of his problems when he went .on that interview
But when he was traded he was in Paris. Therefore he planned his expenses around his trip why not plan around OTA
Certainly everyone is entitled to spend their free time doing what they want but how many of us had to work a weekend or travel on a Sunday for a business meeting on Monday?
Just think about this for a minute...
These guys get months off to travel to Miami. They have to do it right before a playoff game? Really? It is not as if this is a union worker who gets just 2 weeks off each year and therefore, every day off is precious.
He talks a lot about his brand. Playing well in that game would have helped his brand. Staying back in NY and putting in extra work would help his brand. UNLESS... instagram pics of himself with Beiber are better for his brand.
What Odell forgets is, who actually paid you so that you could AFFORD. To summer in LA? How can you afford the trip to Paris, because you are paid very well to catch balls. How do you afford personal trainers and dogs - because you play in the NFL.
Now, if you keep skipping OTAs, your stats will eventually suffer. Never mind not helping your team win - but if your stats suffer, so will your bank account. And trips to Paris, LA, etc. WHO WILL REIMBURSE YOU THEN?
This all screams of Matt Harvey to me. A guy spending his future checks rather than earning them.