Giants Co-Owner Criticizes Odell Beckham Jr. for Making Headlines, Accidentally Creates More Headlines
New York Giants co-owner John Mara is extremely displeased with the state of affairs involving his team and the men he employs to violently bang their heads against one other. On Tuesday, he took a break from a meeting of fellow 1 percenters to address the Giants' 1-5 start and, more specifically, comments made by Odell Beckham Jr.
Roughly a week ago, Beckham did an interview with ESPN's Josina Anderson where he said the quiet part out loud: That 37-year-old quarterback Eli Manning isn't very good anymore.
"I feel like he's not going to get out the pocket," Beckham said of Manning. "We know Eli's not running it. But is it a matter of time issue? Can he still throw it, yeah, but it's been pretty safe and it's been, you know ... cool catching shallow [routes] and trying to take it to the house. But I'm, you know, I want to go over the top of somebody."
Through six games, Beckham is ninth in the NFL in receiving yards, with 506, but he also has just one receiving touchdown. He's arguably the most talented wide receiver in the league, and his frustrations, along with his analysis of Manning, are both accurate and warranted. He also probably shouldn't have said what he said in a televised ESPN interview! Criticizing someone else in your organization in front of everyone is, at bare minimum, not great optics-wise.
Soon afterwards, Beckham apparently gave a speech to the rest of the Giants, and wide receiver Russell Shepard said it was “100 percent a positive." So, water under the bridge and time to move on. Unless, that is, you're an NFL owner who signed away $65 million to his star wide receiver, in which case you MUST get the last word on the matter:
"I wish he would create the headlines by his play on the field as opposed to what he says and what he does off the field," Mara said, not catching the irony of his statement, which has since morphed into dozens and dozens of headlines in New York media circles and sports-oriented websites. "I think he needs to do a little more playing and a little less talking."
If there's one thing NFL owners truly despise, it's when players express opinions—especially the highly-paid players. Last year, Houston Texans owner Bob McNair, easily the most evil villain-looking henchman in a billionaires' club full of them, remarked that NFL protests were bad because “we can’t have the inmates running the prison.” He apologized and then said he regretted the apology, because he lives in an alternate universe where nothing he could ever spout is stupid or wrong. That's helpful context to explain the mindset of fellow alternate universe resident Mara, and his delayed-reaction indignation with Beckham.
But look, if Mara, whose family has owned the Giants for three generations, seems a bit tone deaf and out-of-touch, he's ready to clear the air. That couldn't be further from the truth. He hears your pain, Giants fans, and he's in the trenches every day, fighting alongside the little guy.
"I'm suffering just as much as our fans are, probably more," Mara said.
Mr. Mara is reportedly worth $500 million.
