Odell Beckham Jr. on referee calls: ‘Nothing’s going to change’
Giants receiver Odell Beckham Jr. cannot make the catch in the second half against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field on December 4, 2016. Credit: Getty Images / Justin K. Aller
Three days after complaining bitterly about what he considered poor officiating in the Giants’ 24-14 loss to the Steelers, Giants receiver Odell Beckham Jr. said he didn’t want to talk about the subject any longer.
And then he did.
Asked Wednesday about his reaction to Giants coach Ben McAdoo actually supporting Beckham’s contention that many calls that should have been made against Steelers players defending the receiver, the third-year wideout again went off on the officiating.
“There’s not any point in talking about it,” Beckham said. “Nothing’s going to change. You’re sitting there wasting your breath. It doesn’t surprise me [that McAdoo backed him up]. Like I said, everybody knows what’s going on on the field. Everybody can see it. Stevie Wonder can see it. It is what it is. You can’t do anything about it.”
Beckham was livid after the game about several non-calls, as well as an offensive pass interference called against him in the first quarter. He also suggested that referee Terry McAulay’s crew shouldn’t work any future Giants games because of problems Beckham said occurred in two previous games the crew worked – against Washington earlier this season and Carolina last year.
“It’s not like I’m sitting here saying the refs are the reason we lost the game, but anybody can go watch the film and see exactly what was going on,” Beckham said. “I don’t think we should have this crew any more when the Giants are playing, with the past history and everybody that’s going on.”
Beckham said on Sunday that he asked one official, whom he didn’t identify, for an explanation of the offensive pass interference penalty.
“He said, ‘Get out my face,’” Beckham said. “I haven’t really heard that [before]. I’m trying to turn over a new leaf. I’m trying to just play football the way I love playing football, and it’s hard. It almost feels like a disrespect thing. I’m trying to figure out what I did wrong so I don’t do it again, and you’re going to sit there and tell me, ‘Get out my face.’ I don’t really understand that.”
The NFL has not commented on any of Beckham’s remarks.
“I shouldn’t have even brought it up, because it’s always a lose-lose situation bringing something up,” Beckham said Wednesday. “Either you’re speaking on it and now you’re trying to defend yourself or the other way around – you’re complaining about it. It’s really irrelevant. Nothing’s going to change. No calls are going to be made because of what I say now. You just have to keep playing. You know what you’re going against. It’s the Giants vs. everybody, and I wouldn’t want it any other way.”
Bob Glauber retired in 2022 after covering the NFL for nearly 40 years. He was selected in 2021 for the Bill Nunn Career Achievement Award by the Pro Football Writers of America, and is a three-time winner of the New York State Sportswriter of the Year by the National Sports Media Association. President of the PFWA for the 2018-20 seasons, he is the author of “The Forgotten First” and “Guts and Genius.”
