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.”
Link - (
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Well, c'mon, they didn't pay for his dog kennel. Cheap bastards.
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.
yup
I mean the whole article and interview it's based on concerns his tenure with the Giants. Kinda lost on him...
"On the heels of a 2-Super Bowl championship run, the Odell Beckham Jr. years are utterly forgettable."
Where we have a slew of young guys, and the other team fans can add...but Jones, Barkley (esp him given he's basically #1 at his position), maybe Peppers, Hernandez it seems, RJ Barrett so far, Pete Alonso, McNeil, Mika...a lot of guys with seemingly the RIGHT perspective in sharp contrast to this circus clown who no longer matters esp being in the AFC
Miss OBJ on the field, but even THAT was overrated (some of the best #s at WR yet lots of chokes in big games). Add the rest? See ya bud...
Lol!
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the Giants gave Odell the richest wide receiver contract in NFL history. The fact that this guy feels he wasn’t shown enough respect is laughable
Well, c'mon, they didn't pay for his dog kennel. Cheap bastards.
And who is reimbursing me for the two OBJ jerseys that my wife purchased a few years back?
i guess we all have our crosses to bear with this separation...
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In comment 14503958 CoughlinHandsonHips said:
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the Giants gave Odell the richest wide receiver contract in NFL history. The fact that this guy feels he wasn’t shown enough respect is laughable
Well, c'mon, they didn't pay for his dog kennel. Cheap bastards.
And who is reimbursing me for the two OBJ jerseys that my wife purchased a few years back?
i guess we all have our crosses to bear with this separation...
I was gonna say you could do jersey exchange!
Then realized that's an NBA thing, nor do I know the time frame allowed to do it...pretty cool idea tho (even tho I'm not a jersey buyer)
Addition by extradition. (Who wants to get extradited to Cleveland?)
I don't think I've ever heard any single player talk explicitly about the TEAM brand and state it was nothing without him. I might even accept complaints that 7 targets lead to a loss. Nope, all he's saying is 'brand' 'targets' 'disrespect' '#1 WR' (ignoring the game changing drops) because he's what people want to see (no one's watching NYG ever again?) while shitting on the face of the franchise in Eli, teammates and coaches. I guess he's the only one who a) deserves respect and b) isn't getting it
I get psychologically it happens, but still am baffled how you can SAY one thing and contradict your whole point and STILL miss it:
"I'm not saying it's because of me, but it's totally all because of me." In the same damn breath just about
FWIW, he mentioned he had another young'n on the way a couple months back - was expecting. Maybe Jr. Terps was born and he's tied up with the newborn life and hasn't had time.
If there's any time to take a break from this place, it's definitely between draft and camp anyway. I bet he'll be back when the season starts.
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Has anyone heard from or seen Terps? He went from posting 24/7 for years to falling off the face of the earth. Terps if you’re out there, let us know you’re ok bud.
FWIW, he mentioned he had another young'n on the way a couple months back - was expecting. Maybe Jr. Terps was born and he's tied up with the newborn life and hasn't had time.
If there's any time to take a break from this place, it's definitely between draft and camp anyway. I bet he'll be back when the season starts.
True. You’re probably right.
He wasn’t the problem here but we weren’t winning with him either. If it was ever time for a shake up it was now.
NFL football is the most team oriented of he major sports. He’s a whiny bitch on top of it. I’m sure he had friends on the team but he’s like a 14year old teen. He’s the last guy I’d want on my team. They could have gotten a 7 th round pick and the trade would be a win. Each interview makes me realize he’s one of the biggest assholes(non criminal) I’ve ever seen in sports.
His behavior since the trade has only served to confirm that it was the right decision. He is a self-centered diva that is never going to be the centerpiece of a championship team. He demands too many targets, makes too many mistakes, and generally unbalances the offense he plays in.
Moreover, he simply was not the same player in 2018 that he was in the prior years. Gone were the insane runs are catches where he would turn a quick slant into a 50 yard touchdown. Instead he was stepping out of bounds right after making the catch, or quickly hitting the deck rather than take a big hit. He was clearly playing not to get hurt. And when he eventually suffered a contusion in his leg late in the season, he sat out the last four games. Because of a bruise.
I was convinced at the time of the trade that it was a good decision. A first round talent (Peppers), a first round pick and a third round pick, plus the fourth/fifth rounders re-swapped on the heels of the Zeitler trade, plus $18MM in cap room... an amazing haul for a hyped-up pain in the ass.
Kudos to Gettleman.
Good - fucking - riddance.
And it’s nice to see DG & PS getting a little credit for pushing this little cock bag out the door.
2. He says he has expenses that would need to be covered if he were to go to OTAs.
Grrr. I used to defend. I don't care anymore. I don't hate him - not time for hate in my life. I wish all former Giants players success; however, this time I hope that his success is equal and not greater then when he was with Eli and the Giants. Or, we will never stop hearing about how NY "stunted his brand" - vomit.
Expenses? SMH. Tired of unbelievably rich people acting like they barely make enough to survive. You are a contractor, fool. You pay a trainer of your own volition in order to improve your athletic ability and improve your marketability. Don't like it ahole? Then don't hire a trainer. How about just go to OTAs where there are plenty of qualified trainers for free. Nah...that's not good for your brand - you need to use the same trainer that some other prima donna also used, because why not - you can afford to mingle with the stars. I guess that is the case.
Expenses for a rental it LA. Are you on crack? Were you thinking about trying to get sent to the Rams back then? No reason at all your should be bringing up that bill.
How about we only draft or pick up players who have actually had a real job in their lives. Has OBJ? Probably not. There's prob many in the NFL like that. Such people turn out to simply be idiots.
Or, could it be, all the Super Bowls that account for the difference in perception? Nah, must be all us racist New York Giants fans, cause’ everyone knows how racist New York is (especially compared to Boston).