Most football fan’s eyes were glued to the Giants vs Panthers game Sunday afternoon, and we all saw the scuffled which escalated into dirty hints, which turned into suspension warranted cheap shots. But nobody saw this…
Per multiple reports, numerous Carolina Panthers players, including cornerback Josh Norman himself walked onto the field during warm-ups yelling wooden baseball bats, apparently threatening Giants’ Odell Beckham Jr. According to Jason La Canfora, Norman and the Panthers also directed multiple homophobic slurs towards Beckham. The Panthers are denying all reports at this point.
What is a Panthers practice squad player doing going into the Giants team stretching area.. with a baseball bat? pic.twitter.com/4mIQ0jwYRg
— Giants Daily (@NYGDaily) December 22, 2015
The following is a report from ESPN’s Adam Scheffer:
In pregame warmups, at least one Panthers official, and possibly more, carried black baseball bats on to the field and were motioning with them towards Odell Beckham Jr. while making comments to him, per a league source. Norman later grabbed the black bat and was swinging it in pregame warmups – which, by the way, an NFL Films camera captured. Beckham, according to another source, felt threatened and it helped put him in a certain frame of mind. It does not excuse what he did during the course of the game, but it does explain what led up to the battle that still is the talk of the league today. In pregame warmups, at least one Panthers official, and possibly more, carried black baseball bats on to the field and were motioning with them towards Odell Beckham Jr. while making comments to him, per a league source. Norman later grabbed the black bat and was swinging it in pregame warmups – which, by the way, an NFL Films camera captured. Beckham, according to another source, felt threatened and it helped put him in a certain frame of mind. It does not excuse what he did during the course of the game, but it does explain what led up to the battle that still is the talk of the league today.
Apparently Marcus Ball, a #Panthers practice squad player, was holding a bat pregame. He had to be separated from Odell Beckham pregame. — Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 21, 2015
What upset Odell Beckham Jr.? Per source, Josh Norman brought a baseball bat out pre-game. Perception: he was sending message to Beckham. — Art Stapleton (@art_stapleton) December 21, 2015
I’m told there were comments made in direction of Odell Beckham Jr. + other players about how Panthers coming to “beat the s**t out of him.” — Art Stapleton (@art_stapleton) December 21, 2015
Numerous photos and videos surfaced that show the multiple bats, one where a player dressed in Panther sweats, which was captured in a photo that the NY Giants posted to their own Instagram account, and another with Norman holding one in a Panthers pregame huddle:
ELI greets his teammates as they take the field! #CARvsNYG ? A video posted by New York Giants (@nygiants) on
According to jay Glazer, insiders have come forward saying that the Panthers had the bat as a symbolic item, carrying the message of “bringing the wood,” a motivational phrase common among sports. Even if so, it’s in essence not about the bat itself it’s about flaunting the bat around as a weapon.
The league came down on Odell Beckham was suspended for the Week 16 game. Norman played the role of a victim following the game, which was in many people’s eyes not exactly the case. This story shouldn’t help his cause.
(Deadspin)
