Enough is enough, pertaining to Odell Beckham Jr. It’s always one thing after another, which means now is the time for substance.
The idea that only Black wide receivers are capable of behaving like a “diva” is archaic and stereotypical. The NFL is a league that caters and capitulates to quarterbacks via changes in rules and enormous salaries.
If any athlete in the NFL is a “diva,” it’s the quarterback.
Guys like Julio Jones, Mike Evans, DeAndre Hopkins and Michael Thomas are phenomenal players with low maintenance personalities.
Some wide receivers are about the business of promoting their brand at all costs. They will stop at nothing to satisfy their fix, even if that means fracturing team chemistry, jeopardizing millions of dollars, and prioritizing individual success over team success.
Odell Beckham Jr. has placed himself in that category. The 26-year-old has an addiction, like most millennials, to attention.
I would know. I fall into the millennial category.
Beckham was traded in the offseason, despite averaging 78 receptions, 1,095 yards and close to nine touchdowns over his first five seasons in the NFL.
No team had more buzz heading into Week 1 than the Cleveland Browns. They acquired Beckham and Olivier Vernon via trade and signed Pro Bowl running back Kareem Hunt to pair with Nick Chubb. Last year, Baker Mayfield, their franchise quarterback, broke the NFL passing record for touchdowns by a rookie. And With Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell out in Pittsburgh, the Browns found themselves as favorites to win the AFC North.
But that hype train was derailed this past Sunday. Mayfield threw three interceptions and the team incurred 18 penalties — the most since 1851 — costing them a total of 182 yards. Fans headed for the exits early, as the Browns suffered a 43-13 loss at the hands of the Tennessee Titans.
After the game, tight end Delanie Walker said, “I’m going to tell you again. They were who we thought they were. If you want to crown them, then crown them.”
It’s been a very noisy offseason for Freddie Kitchens and the Browns. Things have been relatively quiet on the Beckham front, which is why we could have predicted his next move.
When Beckham took the field for his team’s home opener, he did so in grand fashion, sporting a Richard Millie watch which retails for around $190,000.
Time stood still—literally and figuratively—as all eyes were on Beckham—just the way he prefers it.
I’m sure the NFL and fans alike had to be confused as to why Beckham would play an entire game wearing a watch that expensive. The NFL rulebook doesn’t have any clauses which prohibit jewelry; however, it does ban “projecting objects” and “uncovered hard objects.”
Beckham contends that his watch is plastic and that the NFL is singling him out. He tweeted out, “If it ain’t one thing … it’s another.”
If ain’t one thing…. it’s another…
— Odell Beckham Jr (@obj) September 10, 2019
He’s right. If it isn’t one thing, it is another with the former LSU receiver. When healthy, you won’t find too many at his position better than him. But there’s always drama surrounding him.
According to a company spokesperson, Beckham is a customer and not a brand ambassador.
This incident is the latest chapter in the “Hey, look at me” series that Beckham has been producing and starring in since arriving on the NFL scene. It’s this same kind of behavior that made the Giants throw up their arms and concede “enough is enough.”
Before the season started, I picked the Browns to win the AFC North and end their near two-decade playoff drought. I was aware of all the potential pitfalls this team could face: rookie head coach, sophomore quarterback slump and a demanding schedule. I don’t believe Kitchens, who was an assistant for his entire career, is the right guy for this locker room.
The NFL plans to have a discussion with Beckham regarding the watch. In the meantime, he plans to continue wearing it. “I’ll still be wearing it,” Beckham said Tuesday, according to ESPN.
The Browns play the New York Jets in Week 2, a team that is looking for revenge after squandering a 16-point lead at home.
I hope Beckham and company realize the clock is ticking on them. Substance, not flash, will move the OBJ-Browns needle.
It’s time to put up or shut up.
