If you only watched one game on NFL Sunday, it should’ve been the Carolina Panthers vs. the New York Giants. One team on the verge of making history lead by the league’s clear MVP, quarterback Cam Newton. The other a team needing to break the streak in order to keep their post-season dreams alive.
Right from the start, you knew something was going to be different. Perhaps it was those almost-perfect pirouette’s Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. executed during warm up.
Odell was literally just hitting pirouettes and now.. pic.twitter.com/TH6xweCOCq
— Jill Munroe (@StilettoJill) December 20, 2015
The game started off chippy, especially between Odell and Panthers cornerback Josh Norman. Norman locked up the wide receiver early and seemed to really frustrate Beckham and led to three personal penalty flags.
There was tussling:
Josh Norman is in OBJ's head and picking out furniture pic.twitter.com/2s5TpxrfOi
— The Cauldron (@TheCauldron) December 20, 2015
and some helmet-to-helmet contact
what Odell did was not just dirty, but incredibly dangerous. No way he should avoid league discipline. https://t.co/woWOmXpiHs
— Kenny Ducey (@KennyDucey) December 20, 2015
and lastly, in a moment like Allen Iverson stepping over Lakers’Tyron Lue during the 200X Finals, ODB stepped over Norman after a late fourth quarter touchdown.
OBJ steps over Josh Norman while Iverson steps over Tyronn Lue https://t.co/3Ut27G0r8Z
— The Cauldron (@TheCauldron) December 20, 2015
Norman had a lot to say about Beckham postgame some of the highlights:
“If he wants to be Michael Jackson and dance all over the place and not be a football player…I hope I pulled back his mask.”
Norman said Beckham’s true nature was exposed today. As his “layers were peeled back.”
Oh, and my personal favorite,
Josh Norman on Odell “F— him. He’s a B***! Screw him and his whole set up”#NYGvsCAR
— Steve Overmyer (@OvermyerTV) December 20, 2015
Josh Norman’s teammate Cortland Finnegan implied the beef might extend beyond football.
Asked why he thought Beckham acted like he did today, Cortland Finnegan: “Maybe it’s in his blood. Maybe it’s female-related.”
— Black & Blue Review (@BlackBlueReview) December 20, 2015
It does seem a little personal, Josh retweeted a meme of Beckham taking an “L”
❗️❗️❗️RT @WorIdStarComedy: pic.twitter.com/mILhDLpe7S
— *Joshua R. Norman (@J_No24) December 20, 2015
The topic of professional athletes and the drama that comes from dating the same women is a topic I cover in my book, PostGame Pass: access into “the life”
