When Odell Beckham speaks, the world listens. That's precisely what happened a few days ago when the veteran wide receiver and flashiest addition to the Baltimore Ravens was interviewed by Peter King of Pro Football Talk in a heart-softening and touching talk.
Talking to the NFL analyst, Beckham discussed his days as a member of the Los Angeles Rams, the run toward winning a championship with L.A., and the eventual ACL tear that ended his Super Bowl night before everything was said and done on that triumphant day.
What has irritated the Cincinnati Bengals players the most--Cincy was on the losing end two years ago when they fell to OBJ's Rams--was Beckham's remarks about what he could have done to them had he not left the field early and injured.
"People have no idea what I was actually gonna do that day. It was gonna be the day where I catch 15 balls, maybe 250 yards. The gameplan was for me. We would’ve beat ‘em 42-17."Odel Beckham Jr., Baltimore Ravens
"People have no idea what I was actually gonna do that day," Beckham told King. "It was gonna be the day where I catch 15 balls, maybe 250 yards. The gameplan was for me. We would’ve beat ‘em 42-17."
Beckham wasn't totally wrong with those remarks, mind you. The Rams were clearly putting all of their eggs on OBJ's basket back then. He caught two balls for 52 yards and a touchdown.
There was more than a full half left to be played when Beckham went down. Even if he just replicated those first-half numbers, he'd already be at some 100+ yards with a couple of touchdowns.
The first Bengal to react to the interview was Mike Hilton, who simply pointed out that "We’ll see you Week 2," referencing the matchup with the Ravens for the 2023 season. "That’s all I got to say," the cornerback told Joe Danneman of Fox 19.
Then, Bengals WR Tyler Boyd joined the party last Thursday posting a couple of images on his social networks, as captured by Kevin Oestreicher of Ravens Wire. "Woulda coulda shoulda," Boyd tweeted.
Odell Beckham Jr. COOKED Tyler Boyd in the comments pic.twitter.com/2sSnH36oAi
— Kevin Oestreicher (@koestreicher34) August 11, 2023
Of course, Beckham was aware of the post, or simply got his mentions flooded with messages from fans from across the nation telling him what was going on.
OBJ's response? A brutal one. "I FEEEL THT!! Frfr ... but I do have the ring u could would should had..... and that's a fact Brodie."
Sheeeeeeeesh... The roast.
See, there is little thing they call "winning" in sports. You can do all you want, but at the end of the day, you either got those rings and chips, or you don't. And between OBJ and Boyd, the math doesn't lie: Beckham 1, Boyd 0.
And you can't, teach, that.