Odell Beckham Jr. Loses Appeal Of His One-Game Suspension

Odell Beckham Jr’s one-game suspension has been upheld on appeal after a hearing conducted by the NFL on Wednesday. The suspension prevents Beckham from practicing with the team or playing in the game in Minnesota on Sunday.

Beckham, New York Giants wide receiver, was suspended Monday after Sunday’s 38-35 loss against the Carolina Panthers, as reported by ESPN. Odell was flagged three times for personal fouls against Panthers cornerback Josh Norman. In the letter to Beckham detailing his suspension, Merton Hanks said that the roughness Beckham used during Sunday’s game was excessive and intolerable in the league.

“Acts that jeopardize the safety of players or expose them to unnecessary risk cannot be tolerated.”

On Wednesday, Odell appealed the suspension as it is his right under the collective bargaining agreement. Jointly appointed appeals officer James Thrash oversaw the hearing for Beckham at the NFL offices in New York City. Thrash issued the ruling upholding the one-game suspension for Odell just before 5:30 p.m. ET.

Beckham issued an apology on Twitter and another one through the Giants, expressing his remorse for the actions he took during the game this past Sunday.

In his apology from the Giants’ website, Beckham made it clear that he was not trying to make any excuses, he just wanted to apologize for his behavior. According to Bleacher Report, Odell said that he was not raised to act the way he did, and he felt there were many people who deserved an apology from him. Beckham started with apologizing to the Giants, the owners, and the people who gave him the opportunity to play in the league. Odell apologized next to Giants fans, who he felt were embarrassed by his actions. Beckham also apologized to the kids who look up to him, and to the parents who have to explain to their kids why Beckham acted the way he did. He expressed his hope that the kids would use him as an example of how not to act. Finally, Odell apologized to his coach and teammates for letting them down.

“I am blessed and privileged to play the game I love, and I will do all I can to carry myself in a way that honors the game, the NFL, my team, my coaches, all my fans and my family moving forward.”

Giants coach Tom Coughlin made it clear that though Beckham might have been in the wrong, there were factors that needed to be taken into account. USA Today reports that Coughlin made it clear that there is “well-documented” evidence that Odell had been provoked, and that to blame only him for the events of the day is unfair.

“The only thing I’ll say about the incident that occurred the other day in the game that everyone is preoccupied with right now is the fact that to depict this as Odell Beckham being wrong, and the only one wrong, is not right. It’s not fair. It’s not justice. It’s not the way it was. If you’re naïve enough to think that way, then you better do some soul-searching yourself… and if you know what occurred at the very beginning of the game, you can understand that there were two sides to this and not just one.”

The Inquisitr reported earlier on Wednesday that Beckham was not the only player to be punished for the events in Sunday’s game. Panthers cornerback Josh Norman was fined $26, 044 for his personal fouls against Odell. Norman indicated that he plans to appeal his fine, claiming that he was provoked.

Odell Beckham Jr.’s suspension will prevent him from practicing with the Giants for the rest of the week, and he will be unable to play in Sunday night’s game.

[AP Photo/Seth Wenig]