Keith Strudler: The Hits Keep On Coming

For now at least NY Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham will play the role of villain. His casting was complete after what can only be termed a nasty performance last Sunday against the Carolina Panthers, where Beckham earned three – count ‘em, three personal fouls, including a nasty helmet to helmet shot on Panthers cornerback Josh Norman. That performance earned him a one game suspension and the ridicule of most everyone marginally related to America’s national sport. Particularly as the NFL struggles to emphasize its new safety-first orientation, Odell Beckham’s boorish behavior stood out like a Rhodes Scholar at a Trump rally.

It’s been assumed Beckham acted badly because of the intensity of the matchup, one that the G-Man truly needed to win to stay in the mediocre NFC East division race, now controlled by that football team from Washington D.C. With this loss to the Panthers, the Giants need a couple miracles – both internally and externally – just to make the postseason with an 8-8 record. But it’s far more likely they’ll simply watch the playoffs from the comfort of their own homes, just like the rest of us. Conversely, the Panthers moved to 14-0 and one step closer to the elusive perfect season. All of which as gives Josh Norman and his teammates the last laugh on a game that had more drama than a Netflix miniseries.

For his doings, Beckham has been roundly skewered. He’s been called a thug, dirty, selfish, and pretty much any other derogatory you can think of. It’s been noted this isn’t his first time to the rodeo, and he’s earning quite the reputation as a dirty player, which, in the concussion era doesn’t have the endearing connotation it once had. Considering his place as one of the most talented young wide receivers in the league, he’s made a remarkably quick ascent to public enemy number one. Of course, Beckham’s actions haven’t come without a defense. Specifically, he accused the Panthers of wielding a baseball bat before the game, perhaps as an intimidator. He also accused them of hurling anti-gay slurs and various nasty words before the game, which now makes the second time in two weeks we’ve publicly confronted homophobic bigotry in pro sports. So much for progress. And while the Panthers may have in fact done all this, it can’t warrant a violent and potentially dangerous retaliation on the field of play, all which had the subtlety of a marching band in a library.

Pretty much anyone with a microphone has condemned Beckham’s dirty play – and that’s really the only way to describe it – and insisted it has no place in the game of football. Some of asked for stronger penalties, and others have demanded the Giants and perhaps their head coach Tom Coughlin, who sounded as clueless as a teacher in high school comedy, be punished as well. Certainly, Coughlin could have yanked Beckham from the game long before it got completely out of hand, say after his second personal foul, and before he essentially tried to take someone’s head off. All of these are fair critiques. And, as a sports fan, much less a sports commentator, last weekend’s game was both embarrassing and uncomfortable.

But, before we all congratulate ourselves for our sense of morality, let’s just remember the context of our disposition. Football is, unequivocally and we’d assume u apologetically, a violent game. We watch not simply for the strategy and athleticism, but also the use of brute force in defending a relatively small patch of real estate. In virtually all regards, football is a brutal spectacle.

So, while it’s not acceptable to break the rules of war, as Odell Beckham certainly did, it’s also fairly hypocritical for all of us to feign disbelief. At some point in the midst of force and machismo – all of which were on glorious display in the loud week leading up to this pivotal football game – lines are often crossed. And while it is by no means acceptable, it’s probably doesn’t warrant the outrage it’s getting right now, as if Odell Beckham started a brawl at a Quaker meeting.

Yes, Odell Beckham did a bad, potentially very dangerous thing. And yes, he should be suspended. But let’s not pretend he operated in a vacuum. As a sports loving society, we regularly put hot headed guys like Odell in a workplace that largely rewards legal violence, a culture that exists in an eternal shade of grey. Which leads to this, someone crossing a blurry line in fog of war – even if it’s remarkably clear to all of us.

Did Odell Beckham do a really bad thing? Yes. Should he be severely punished? Yes as well. But I’ll resist walking the moral road here, condemning one guy while I watch hundreds of other endure brutal body contact each week through “legal” hits. See, Odell Beckham might be the villain, but there’s plenty of blame to go around, something we should all consider before casting ourselves the hero. If we do, rest assured we’ll see this movie again soon.

 
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