Odell Not Taking Ribbing From Teammates Well

[Gman329]

Stories in the Post the last few days (yesterday's and today's below) suggest some friction between Odell and teammates. I hope this is quickly contained and snuffed out by the team leaders (read: Eli) and/or I hope Odell has the maturity to handle it better than this. I fear his fame could make him an inviting target in the locker room and if he goes diva and pouts, it could only get worse. Next thing you know, JPP will throw him in the ice tub!

 

 

http://nypost.com/2015/06/18/odell-beckham-leaves-in-hurry-after-complaining-about-teammates/

 

http://nypost.com/2015/06/19/hows-your-fingernail-eli-says-beckham-taunts-keep-giants-loose/

 

Odell Beckham leaves in hurry after complaining about teammates

By Bart Hubbuch

June 18, 2015 | 4:14pm

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Odell Beckham Jr. has a toss during practice at Giants minicamp.Photo: Bill Kostroun

The Giants ended their final minicamp Thursday amid more signs that sudden fame might be going to Odell Beckham Jr.’s head.

After complaining to ESPN earlier in the week that ribbing from teammates about missing practice with a hamstring injury “bothers” him, Beckham blew off his only scheduled interview session with the media of the three-day camp.

While Eli Manning and Victor Cruz — two players with Super Bowl rings and a host of NFL accomplishments — spoke at length with reporters, teammates said Beckham bolted the facility to start his offseason as soon as he arrived in the locker room after practice.

So it was left to Beckham’s coaches and teammates to decipher what appeared to be hints of locker-room tension from the league’s reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year and newly crowned Madden video game cover subject.

Beckham prompted some raised eyebrows with the ESPN interview in which he described his growing irritation at gibes from teammates.

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Photo: Bill Kostroun

“For me, this is what I love doing, and this is what I feel like my purpose was to do,” Beckham said. “So it takes a lot of strength for me to be able to come here every day and not practice, have to hear the little remarks, the little jokes, this and that.

“And it’s not just about a hamstring — it’s so many other things that people talk about,” Beckham added. “So it’s hard to come here and try and focus on ‘What play is up right now?’ instead of thinking about how bad you want to be out there.”

The grief isn’t just coming from other wide receivers, either, and stems from more than just the hamstring, Beckham added.

“[it’s coming from] everybody,” he told ESPN. “Because of the hamstring last year and then the fame, it’s like, ‘Oh, you’re too big-time now,’ all that. So I mean, I just hear it and you want to blow it off, but after a while it gets old, and it kind of bothers you.”

Tom Coughlin, who watched Beckham shrug off a hamstring injury that sidelined him all last offseason, training camp and the first four games of the season to explode for 91 catches for 1,305 yards and 12 touchdowns, said the second-year pro needs to relax.

Coughlin, though, confirmed Beckham — with his blonde fauxhawk with a recently added splash of red in the middle of it — has been a verbal target in the Giants’ locker room.

“[i want him to react to it] just like he did last year,” Coughlin said of the digs. “Worry about things you can control and not about those you can’t. There was obviously some [verbal back-and-forth] in there. There may have been somebody serious, but most of it would have been well-intended shots just over the bow.

“His personality hasn’t let up any because of it,” Coughlin added. “I can guarantee you that.”

Cruz, whose comeback from knee surgery relegated him to the sidelines with Beckham this offseason, sounded surprised by Beckham’s claims that the teasing has been relentless.

“Everybody’s keeping it cool,” Cruz said Thursday. “Nobody’s messing with him too much, at least from what I’ve seen.”

Wide receivers coach Sean Ryan indicated Cruz wasn’t telling the whole story, though.

“Those guys get after each other every type of way possible,” Ryan said. “They make fun of each other about what they eat for breakfast. A comment gets made here or there, but it’s all done [in fun]. The atmosphere in that [receivers meeting] room is a good atmosphere, and they certainly have fun with each other. They’re a tight-knit group of guys, and that shows up. He can handle it.”

According to Ryan, Beckham has no room to complain when it comes to dishing out sarcasm.

“He gives it out as much as he takes it, let’s put it that way,” Ryan said.

 

 

‘How’s your fingernail?': Eli says Beckham taunts keep Giants loose

By Paul Schwartz

June 19, 2015 | 11:57am

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Odell Beckham Jr. on the sidelines during Giants practice, nursing a hamstring injury.Photo: Bill Kostroun

Yes, Eli Manning says, he’s heard his Giants teammates get on star receiver Odell Beckham Jr., ribbing Beckham for yet another hamstring issue that has kept him on the sideline during practice.

And yes, Manning admits, he’s joined in on what he insists are good-natured jibes at Beckham.

“It’s fun-loving, guys aren’t getting on him or mad at him,’’ Manning said Friday morning on WFAN. “We’re out there practicing, you’re just kind of making fun of, you know, you might say: ‘Hey, how’s your fingernail? Is it still hurt and keeping you out of practice?’ Just little things like that, just trying to keep things loose.’’

The problem is, rather than stay loose about all this, Beckham has grown tighter the longer he sits out. Last year, Beckham missed the spring, summer, all the preseason games and the first four regular-season games with a left hamstring injury. He then went on to have a sensational, record-breaking rookie year.

This spring, he’s been out with an issue with his right hamstring, and he sat out the organized team activity practices and the entire three-day minicamp.

All this is getting to Beckham, who was described as “grumpy’’ by a Giants official.

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Eli Manning with offensive coordinator Ben McAdooPhoto: Bill Kostroun

Beckham told ESPN this week: “It takes a lot of strength for me to be able to come here every day and not practice, have to hear the little remarks, the little jokes, this and that.’’

Beckham said it’s not only his teammates who have gotten under his skin.

“Because of the hamstring last year and then the fame, it’s like, ‘Oh, you’re too big-time now,’ all that,’’ he said. “So I mean, I just hear it and you want to blow it off, but after a while it gets old, and it kind of bothers you.”

No doubt Beckham, 23, is sensitive to all this.

“I think that’s probably a good thing,’’ Manning said. “I’m friendly with Odell, and we have a great relationship. You’re not practicing and people are going to get on you a little bit. It’s usually in fun, but I’m sure he is sick of it. He wants to be out there practicing, he doesn’t like being on the sideline. He wants to be doing everything. I think that’s not a bad thing.’’

Beckham was scheduled to meet with the media Thursday, the third and last day of minicamp, but as soon as the work on the field was over, he bolted from the locker room without fulfilling his media obligation.

“He wants to be out there practicing, he’s got to watch and he’s got to talk to the media and he’s got to deal with the hamstring question over and over,’’ Manning said. “He’s still young. He’s a young player, and his success has come on him quickly. He’s got to learn how to handle the media. Sometimes, hey, if things go wrong, you’re not practicing, you just got to sit there and take it and learn from it and move on from it.

“I don’t think he’s mad. I think it’s more he probably just doesn’t feel like talking a whole lot to the media when he’s not practicing, he’s not doing anything. It’s frustrating. I think he wants to get better. It’s tough sitting on the sideline and watching everybody practice.’’

Getting on a teammate who is not practicing is more common, Manning said, when it is a certain type of injury. Soft-tissue injuries — compared to, say, torn ligaments or broken bones — always spark verbal jabs.

“Especially like a hamstring, it’s a different deal,’’ Manning said.

Victor Cruz, who is rehabbing from a torn patellar tendon and spent much of the minicamp practices playing catch with Beckham, said no one has gone over the line with Beckham.

“Everybody’s keeping it cool,” Cruz said Thursday. “Nobody’s messing with him too much, at least from what I’ve seen.”

 

[Mr. P]

This is seeming like much ado about nothing. Writers see it as a good opportunity for a story.

[Balloonknot]

This is seeming like much ado about nothing. Writers see it as a good opportunity for a story.

Yeah, Pretty much this. There is so little NFL news right now they will write about anything.

[CrazedDogs]

I kinda like it. He's a damn intense guy.

[Mr. P]

and you know why the reporters are choosing to make this into a bigger deal, because he skipped out on talking to them.

 

He was scheduled to speak to media and left practice without doing so.

[JMFP]

and you know why the reporters are choosing to make this into a bigger deal, because he skipped out on talking to them.

 

He was scheduled to speak to media and left practice without doing so.

 

He's getting an education about the NY sports media.

[gmenroc]

I think handling the media is something that Eli could shed a lot of light on. Take an hour after practice and have Beckham sit with Eli and talk it over. I'm sure Eli could provide a few pointers in ways to respond or ways to dodge certain questions.

 

As for his teammates, I'm sure Beckham is probably used to being praised constantly. Taking criticism, even if it's in good fun, might not be something he is used to. I'm hoping that he's ready for the regular season so he can get out there and shut everyone up.

 

I do think that his rise to fame came a bit too quick for him and this is a bit of the result. His personality, his ability to deal with the business side of the NFL needs to catch up with his fame. Someone needs to tell him that as long as he continues to produce on the field...none of the other garbage matters.

[Herc]

even if this is true, this is between the players. any locker room in any sport can police itself when it comes to ribbing. i didn't see that jpp/prince cold bath thing as a big deal a few years ago and i don't see this as one either

[Sephiroth]

I got a little bit of the "bitch vibe" off him towards the end of last season. I guess we'll see.

[Gman329]

and you know why the reporters are choosing to make this into a bigger deal, because he skipped out on talking to them.

 

He was scheduled to speak to media and left practice without doing so.

 

I think there's a lot of truth in this statement. Reporters always think a player declining to talk to them is a BIG story.

[CrazedDogs]

I got a little bit of the "bitch vibe" off him towards the end of last season. I guess we'll see.

 

well, he is a wide receiver....

[GA4M]

Why does there always have to be shit like this?

[Treehugger]

"...but after a while it gets old, and it kind of bothers you.”

 

DOOMED!

 

 

Geez, this is a ridiculous piece from a writer with nothing to say.

[Mr. P]

"...but after a while it gets old, and it kind of bothers you.

 

DOOMED!

 

 

Geez, this is a ridiculous piece from a writer with nothing to say.

If he said it doesn't bother him theyd write a story on how he doesn't mind being injured and missing time.

[Iceman_NYG]

This is pure ass-wipe media filler. The part I did like was how Beckham doesn't like talking to reporters when he is not practicing - when he is not doing anything productive. The dude obviously has a fire to continuously keep getting better and being the best and he doesn't like to yap irrelevant garbage when he himself has done nothing. This is more reporters generating toilet paper.

[Thatius]

 

He's getting an education about the NY sports media.

 

 

the NY media are assclowns.

 

they have this perception of being so tough, but they are really the most ass kissing media in the country. Shit ever catch a whiff of the Philly or Baltimore markets? hey lay into guys far more that the pansy asses in NY.

 

In NY there is just more fame and more media to go around.

 

that fat ass Mike and his butt buddy mad dog still around? they wouldnt say anything that would put them out of favor with the owners of the teams they cover.

[Herc]

Mad dog split for Sirius maybe 5 years ago? Mike does it solo now and is basically being laughed into retirement between embarrassing YouTube clips (seriously look these up they are gold) and boomer and carton clowning on him constantly on the morning while taking over his top spot in the metro market

[Sephiroth]

 

that fat ass Mike and his butt buddy mad dog still around? they wouldnt say anything that would put them out of favor with the owners of the teams they cover.

Mike and the Mad Dog were awesome. Awesomely retarded.

 

I remember the year the Giants beat the Vikings to go to the Super Bowl... they shut out the record setting Vikes offense... scored 41 points... and what's MnM's lead story? "The Yankees are in preliminary talks to bring A-Rod to New York."

 

It was just obvious they didn't give a shit about football and didn't really watch any of the games they commented on.

[Gman329]

I still listen to Mad Dog (Chris Russo) sometimes on Sirius and he's a good, entertaining listen. I disagree with him as often as not but at least he has some humility about him and doesn't act as if every word he utters should be etched in stone, like his former pompous, fatass partner. I can't listen to that ahole for 30 seconds without turning the dial.

[Mr. P]

from o'hara:

 

 

Q: Odell Beckham complained recently about players teasing him over his hamstring injury. Is he being too sensitive?

A: I didn’t look at it like that. I am glad he’s upset and got his feathers ruffled a little bit because nothing would irk me more as a veteran player than seeing a young guy riding the bike, smiling and being OK with not practicing. I am OK he’s a little testy and fed up. It says to me he wants to be on the field. He doesn’t want to be a spectator. He wants people to be watching him.

 

http://nypost.com/2015/07/23/how-shaun-ohara-would-block-jpp-after-finger-loss/