Odell Beckham Jr. wasn’t meant to be covered up. He can’t stand it. He’s full of passion always ready to erupt, and the helmet impedes his connection to the fans. Or something like that… Anyway, after the brilliant Beckham ran a reception 66 yards into the end zone to give his Giants a late lead, he took his helmet off.
There are two words for this. One is irrepressible — that’s the charming way of describing his celebration. The other is irresponsible — the 15-yard unsportsmanlike-conduct penalty for removing his helmet gave the Ravens a chance to erase his accomplishment. The Ravens fell short, but it never needed to be so close. Giants won 27-23 and Beckham’s 222-yards were his most ever. It’s a hard thing that coaches demand from players like Beckham. They require he play with every ounce of energy at every moment and leave nothing out there, and then act calm and cool as soon as he succeeds. It’s hard, but it’s necessary. Beckham’s got the first part down.
