Written by Suave
9/19/2019
“See I knew he was overrated!”
“He just needs to shut up and play.”
“Why he got such an expensive watch on?”
“He only cares about himself.”
I can’t tell you how many tweets I read reiterating this sentiment all offseason. It only got worse after Odell and co.’s embarrassing performance in week 1 against the Titans.
Fast-forward a week.
Baker drops back to midfield, launches one…damn that one’s definitely going out of bou—HOLY SHIT!!
One one-handed catch later, Odell reminded everyone watching him that he will continue to transcend the sport of football and he does not give a damn what you think.
Seeing greatness in its purest form makes me post the question to all the OBJ haters out there: why do you care?
You’re witnessing someone who is not only putting a sport on his back, but also a culture. Odell stands for that person of color who is unapologetic about where they come from, that competitor that works so hard it looks selfish, and that stunter who can actually back up his antics.
Odell makes a lot of you feel uncomfortable, but he shouldn’t. I feel at home when I watch greatness. I feel inspired when I see someone stand up for what they believe in. I feel valued when I see other people of color speak their truth.
In short, it’s really not that deep. We construct all these narratives about superstar athletes that we forget how rare it is for PEOPLE like Odell come around.
There will come a day that Odell Beckham Jr. will not be in the NFL anymore, and that day may come sooner rather than later. I just hope we can all admire his greatness together before he hangs it up.