Buffalo Bills on Odell Beckham Jr.: Is He a 'Clown,' Or a 'Circus'?
The Buffalo Bills, led by Von Miller - and hopefully backed by GM Brandon Beane and others in the organization - seem on-board with the idea of bringing OBJ to Orchard Park ... and not just next weekend for a visit, but long-term.
But among the final questions they must ask themselves, especially in the wake of the weekend's "Air OBJ'' incident, is this:
Is Odell Beckham Jr. a "clown''? Or is it all just a "circus''?
On Sunday morning, Beckham Jr. found himself embroiled in a bizarre situation while aboard an American Airlines flight trying to leave Miami International Airport ... in the end, resulting in the free agent wideout's police-assisted removal from the aircraft.
Per the statement released by Miami police, flight attendants observed Beckham "falling in and out of consciousness" as they attempted to get him to fasten his seat belt ahead of the flight. They are claiming concern that Beckham was suffering a medical emergency, and therefore called for police and fire rescue.
They claim that he initially refused to exit the plane, with police eventually convincing Beckham to leave "without incident."
Beckham's attorney said he was simply sleeping with a blanket over his head and that a flight attendant was the one who caused the conflict.
Two quick responses:
1) Actually, never in my life has that ever happened to me. Because when I sit down in my airline seat, before I fall asleep ... I buckle my seat beat. Really, OBJ is being disingenuous to suggest that his professional life hasn't included high-profile and dramatic conflict.
2) It's not "comedy.'' Because of this conflict, every single other person on that flight from Miami to LA was forced to deplane. There is nothing "comedic'' about that.
Indeed, here's the football problem now regarding the 30-year-old, who hasn't played since tearing his ACL in Super Bowl LVI in February: As Beckham begins his free agent tour this week (Beckham will meet the New York Giants, on Thursday and Friday before hooking up with the Dallas Cowboys and the Bills), are the "colorful'' behavioral issues part of what his new team will be buying?
Beckham was a good soldier in the second half of last season with the Rams. But that came after he (with the help of his father) pouted his way out of Cleveland. And before that, he was billed as a "diva'' and a "drama queen'' as a member of the Giants.
The Bills need to do their homework here. If OBJ is simply in the middle of a personal "circus''? Hey, the circus is entertaining; there need not be negative connotations to that. And in that sense, being a "circus'' is different than being a "clown.''
Which label better characterizes Odell Beckham Jr.? As dazzling as the idea of an OBJ signing might be ... Before anybody hands out any jerseys and locker stalls, let alone any $20 million APY contracts, the Buffalo Bills had better find out.
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