Bad Parenting to Blame? Odell Beckham, Jr., Odell Beckham, Sr., Lenny Dykstra, Lamar Odom…

DENVER, CO – What did one wall say to the other? I’ll meet you at the corner…  What did Baby Corn ask Mama Corn? Where’s Pop Corn? I don’t trust those trees. They seem kind of shady…  What kind of car does an egg drive? A yolkswagen… What color are the Browns uniforms?   Medi ochre… That last dad joke took more thought and wit than what Odell Beckham Sr. put forward this week.  Instead of using his brain to prove a point through puns he simply posted a video showing Baker Mayfield not throwing the ball to his son.  If I were a coach I wouldn’t tolerate this in Pop Warner.  ODB isn’t playing Pop Warner.  He is playing in the NFL.

Growing up many youth athletes deal with overzealous parents living through their children.  I know.  I was one of them.  I am blessed to have had my father in my life.  Not everyone is afforded that luxury.  My dad was the guy that stood way down the baseline in left field because he couldn’t separate his emotion from the game.  He was the guy who wanted so badly for me to be the best version of myself that he couldn’t see the way his emotions clouded his judgement in the moment.  He was oftentimes quite difficult and demanding.  This expectancy of excellence, while painful and socially unacceptable at times to other parents, came from a good place.

Part and parcel with the expectancy was an understanding that I alone was responsible for my success or failure.  For that life lesson, I am ever grateful. 

Personal accountability seems to be the rarest commodity in our country.  It’s the parents fault.  Whether in sports or not, this country is full of bad parents that have kids that can do no wrong.  These children walk on water.  They are spoiled worse than a waygu steak left to rot at Short Matt’s house.  After watching ODB Jr. act the way he has throughout his career it is clear to me he is one of these spoiled golden children and ODB Sr.  is one of these bad parents.  ODB Sr. proved it this week.  Utilizing the Twitterverse to slam your son’s QB publically is about as childish as it gets.  Doing it strategically after the trade deadline to help induce a situation wherein they cut your son so he can choose his team?  Irreprehensible.   

It may not be this week.  It may not be this year.  It may not be this decade, but eventually ODB Jr. will be a sad page six story.  He might be the next Latrell Sprewell. Latrell’s family won’t talk to him and sued him for all his money.  He might be the next Lamar Odom. Watch the Kardashians if you want to know more about Lamar.  He might be the football equivalent of Lenny Dykstra.  

In a sense a bad page six story is more than I will ever be publicly.  Then again, I was lucky enough to learn from my father that people with integrity in private, sleep a lot better than those that don’t in public.