‘I want to win the same way he wants to win’: Odell Beckham Jr. feels like there is a double standard between him and Tom Brady
The Browns wide receiver spoke to GQ Magazine about the criticism he faces.
Odell Beckham Jr has always been unapologetically himself.
In a recent interview with GQ Magazine, the Browns wide receiver is standing by his explosive personality and sideline meltdowns, even comparing his antics to Patriots quarterback Tom Brady’s. Beckham has made this argument before – he tweeted about how he was criticized for his outbursts while Brady was praised. He even posted a video on Instagram of both players showing their frustration during games.
Beckham thinks there is a double standard.
“Race plays into everything, whether we want to believe it or not,” he told GQ. “I remember posting a video of me and Tom Brady, and I hate to even bring him in this, but he’s passionate. He cares—he wouldn’t still be playing if he didn’t care for the game the way that he did today. He throws a cup, he yells at referees, he yells at his coach. It’s because he cares that bad. He wants to win that bad. Now, because he has won six Super Bowls they validate him and say, “He’s won six Super Bowls.”
Beckham feels like he has the same fire as Brady: “I want to win the same way he wants to win. Whether I hit a kicking net or whether I do whatever. I want to win that bad. I care about winning more than anything. I didn’t get into this to celebrate and score touchdowns. I didn’t get into this for followers for Instagram. It’s, like, you’ve built a monster, but now you’re upset at the one you built. Why are you mad at me? While I’m playing football, I’m not holding a camera on myself. Everything is about what you show the world.”
He also talked about the scrutiny he receives for his social life. While other NFL players, like Rob Gronkowski, partied (hard) during their careers, OBJ feels like he can’t “get wild” like they do:
“It’s like, Why can’t I have fun? People tell me I’m supposed to be a role model. Well, what are they supposed to be? We’re human beings at the end of the day. We earned the right to play in the NFL, but we also earned a life of our own.”
For more about how Beckham feels about his critics, how he was “disrespected” by the Giants, and what he’s looking forward to in Cleveland, read the full story. He will appear on the cover of GQ’s August edition.
Presenting GQ’s August cover star: @obj https://t.co/V3m7IHkVu0 pic.twitter.com/xwsBOLixaL
— GQ Magazine (@GQMagazine) July 22, 2019
