*Odell Beckham Jr.’s aggressive play on Carolina Panthers receiver Josh Norman may have been sparked by a different set of circumstances.
In an interview with the New York Daily News, former NFL star Michael Irvin referenced phone conversations he had with Beckham over the last few days, which found the New York Giants wide receiver revealing that he received gay slurs before the game on Sunday (Dec. 20). While Beckham’s revelation raises eyebrows, it apparently isn’t anything new for him in light of him telling Irvin that he’s been getting gay taunts every week all season.
Although Irvin understands why Beckham is angry, he believes the 23-year-old athlete should learn how to control his emotions.
“He deals with it a lot. For some reason, everybody goes after him with gay slurs,” Irvin told the Daily News. “He’s a different kind of dude. He has the hairdo out, he’s not the big muscular kind of dude. The ladies all love him. He’s a star. I wonder why people are going in that direction. It blows my mind. I told him he can’t let stuff that people say get to you.”
Irvin’s comments come days after Beckham was suspended for one game after his helmet-to-helmet contact with Norman on Sunday.
While it’s easy to comment from the outside, Irvin voiced his hope of keeping his emotions in check if he were in a similar situation, something he admits would be a challenge for him.
“I would like to think I could handle it correctly,” Irvin said. “But I can’t promise you that. Really, nobody can. That is why they give you leniency for crimes of passion.”
Considering Norman’s reputation for being a physical player, the Daily News notes how Beckham can’t see why the criticism regarding the situation has been so one-sided.
As his interview continued, Irvin went on to share that with Beckham getting so much attention as the Giant’s season has been less than stellar, other NFL players are most likely jealous. Nevertheless, the best strategy, Irvin said, is for Beckham to take his frustration over the personal attacks out on the field with scoring on his haters, who obviously benefit from getting him upset.
“The more you react, the more people will try to rattle you,” added Irvin.
