Odell Beckham, Jr., a game changer, didn’t get enough looks in the Game 2 loss

KEISHA: So we're going to move from the hard courts of the NBA and we're going to go to the Gridiron of the NFL and we are going to talk about one of our favorite teams and one of our favorite players at least mine, and that's Odell Beckham Jr.

New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., told Kimberly A. Martin of Yahoo Sports that he feels like he can help out much more in the passing game to steer the Giants in the right direction.

Mike, do you think that Odell Beckham is being utilized enough or is it the team's 1 - 2 to start that is causing Beckham to search for answers?

MIKE: Well, the first game he was certainly utilized enough in the game against Jacksonville, no question about it against the toughest defense in the NFL, right now, that certainly he played a very good game and I thought that they gave him enough opportunities throughout that game. And then, of course, Game 2, I didn't think that they gave him, they looked at him enough in that loss where they lost that second game of the season. But, I felt like in Week 3, the offense was really clicking on all cylinders. And, I think a lot of that had to do with the offensive line. If the offensive line is playing well, there's no question that Eli Manning is going to get more and more opportunities to get Odell Beckham, Jr. the ball. The guy is a game changer. There's no question about that and they need him, you know, they certainly need him but Keisha what I'll finish with is it's going to be a tricky road for the next month of the Giants, you know, they face the New Orleans Saints and then they go and they have to play the Carolina Panthers they back that up on a short week against the Philadelphia Eagles and then play the Atlanta Falcons. Now, these are four teams that wound up making the playoffs last season, 3 out of the last four years, I think three of those four teams with the exception of New Orleans has won the NFC.

KEISHA: I think the Saints were out last year right there.

MIKE: Yeah, exactly. They lost to Minnesota (Vikings). I think in that crazy last-second miracle game. But I think for the Giants this is going to be a tough road ahead and it's going to be a tough test for Pat Shurmur and Odell Beckham, but I think that the biggest question mark they have is the offensive line at that offensive line, which really started to come around and that win against Houston if it's starting to play a lot better than Odell Beckham certainly will be happy.

KEISHA: Yeah, definitely. I agree with you. I think that his, Odell's frustrations or his sentiment was based on that Dallas (Cowboys) game Week 2 where he only had four receptions in 51 yards. And I think you know the Giants offense has struggled scoring for the past couple of seasons. I mean the last time they scored 30 points in the game was January 3rd, 2016.

That's a lot of football to happen and you can't score 30 points when you have an Odell Beckham Jr., when you have a Sterling Shepherd. At one point, they had Brandon Marshall, but he was gone within like the first couple of games of the season but when you have an Evan Engram when there's talent that you know, it's one of the best receiving corps in an NFL in if you can't score 30 points, there's an issue. The offensive line really rebounded and played well on the third game against the Houston Texans and there was a shift in the line where Ereck Flowers was sidelined. He was benched and that was a sigh of relief and probably jubilation for most of us who just really are shaking our heads as to why Ereck Flowers has been allowed to start this long. But, the offensive line is key. And you know, I think Odell was probably, maybe if you read between the lines he was talking to Eli because Eli has overthrown him or short-thrown him or haven't seen him wide open.

So it's going to be imperative for Eli to be able to notice and fairly quickly because even with the better play from the offensive line, he's not going to have tons of time to just sit and scan for like 30 seconds, 10 seconds or whatever. So, you know Eli's got to make sure that he sees the field see it quickly and get and delivers the ball to him. And with Odell, it doesn't have to be a pinpoint precise pass just throw it somewhere in his area, he's gonna get it with those big hands he's got. And, then also, you know, it's going to be up to the offensive coordinator Mike Shula to make sure that he is running an offense that's going to get Odell involved. I mean and it doesn't necessarily I don't think you have to force feed it to him. I think because you have Sterling Shepard and you have Evan Engram who presents enough of a threat that you can pass the ball, so you're not forced feeding and showing your hand all the time.

So, you know, if the game against the Houston Texans was any indication that how the season's going to go, Odell is going to be happy, Giants' fans are going to be happy. We're gonna win some games, maybe make a push for the playoffs and all will be right in New York City.

Rashad Jennings Says Odell Beckham Jr. is Capable of Leading Giants

Rashad Jennings, former New York Giants running back. Photo by Bill Kostroun

During a conversation on an episode of Fox Sports’ Speak for Yourself, Rashad Jennings, a former running back with the New York Giants said that Giants WR Odell Beckham Jr. could “absolutely” be a leader.

What’s The 411Sports hosts Keisha Wilson and Mike McDonald took up the question and the responses were mixed.

WATCH: Keisha Wilson and Mike McDonald Discuss Odell Beckham Jr.’s perceived leadership capabilities

WATCH: Rashad Jennings: Odell Beckham Jr is ‘absolutely’ capable of leading the Giants

VIDEO DISCUSSION: University of Alabama sorority member racist social media post goes viral, and she is promptly expelled from school

NY Giants safety Landon Collins and other Alabama-affiliated athletes took to Twitter to respond to racist remarks made by Harley Barber, a member of the Alpha Phi sorority at the University of Alabama, on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

"Alpa Phi, 'Be weary of the company you keep for they are a reflection of who you are or who you want to be.' Harley Barber didn't wake up this morning and decide to spew racist rhetoric for the first time in her life. Therefore, I believe I speak on behalf of my brothers and myself, when I say, the Bama football team does not need the support, cheers or high fives of anyone who condones this type of intolerant, hateful behavior. #BuiltByBama."

The school and the sorority expelled Barber. She is now back home in New Jersey and told the NY Post:

"I did something really, really bad. I don't know what to do and I feel horrible. I'm wrong and there's just no excuse for what I did."

Collins said he would be willing to speak with her.

Does Collins need to speak with her? Should he speak with her? Or, are the expulsion from school and her sorority enough to be teachable moments?

Comment here.

VIDEO DISCUSSION: Has Odell Beckham reached NFL icon status?

New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. landed at number 8 on the Top 100 NFL Players list and some people are already giving him icon status.

Michael McDonald and Keisha Wilson, hosts, of What’s The 411Sports, are pondering the question, has Odell Beckham Jr. reached icon status?

According to Mike McDonald, not yet.

“Certainly he has a long way to go. He’s got the talent to be a Hall of Fame wide receiver. He’ got the game-changing ability. He’s not on Julio Jones, Antonio Brown’s level yet, but he’ll probably get there because he's younger than those guys, and he hasn’t had as many opportunities to play in the playoffs. But, with the NFL, for me, the guys who are the icons are the quarterbacks, those are the guys that have to lead their team. But, there's no question that Odell Beckham Jr. despite all the controversy which is mild controversy, it’s not like this guy is out there getting into fights, doing anything illegal or anything like that. All the controversy that surrounds him, it's all small stuff. It's like you shouldn't have gone to Miami to go party. It's not like it's major things. But he has certainly no question about it, the opportunity in front of him to be one of the most famous athletes in the world,” responded Mike McDonald.

“A lot of that has to do with the fact that he plays in New York, a lot of it has to do with the fact that he plays in this major market and a lot of it has to do with the personality that he has. People always point to the hair. It's not just the hair it's the fact that he is one of the few players in the NFL where at any given moment in the game he just has that breakaway speed where he can just pull away and just have a game game-changing touchdown. I think he absolutely has an opportunity, but to make a name for himself and be one of the greatest to ever play at his position, but icon status he has a long way to go until he gets to that point,” Mike continued.

Keisha Wilson is threading the needle on Odell Beckham and icon status a little differently.

“I think at this point he's had iconic moments. I think we all remember the catch and I think that catch against Dallas Cowboys will always be in the running for one of the best catches ever. So, there are other times when he has had iconic moments but like you said he has a long way to go and hopefully he will be injury-free to allow him to have a long career to cement his status as being an icon. He's got out of this world talent and I think we're still are scratching the surface. I think there's still more to come and it just going to get better and better, Keisha added.

He's definitely, while not an icon, he's definitely I think he's one of the faces of the NFL and I think that he has transcended football and I think you know he's becoming worldwide a phenomenon. He's very active on social media. I think he’s great at marketing himself. He went over to Germany and he had a picture, he had his phone, and he was on top of a car and there was a mass of people. As far as I know, the NFL doesn't have a big football presence in Germany, but they loved him. They knew him, they were shouting his name and so everywhere he goes, he has this magnetic personality. It's the hair, it’s the smile, it’s the outfit, it’s who he is, and that's bigger than NFL. I think even if he doesn't become an NFL icon, I think he'll be one of the biggest personalities that the game has seen in a long time, if ever.”

VIDEO: Jimmy Butler and Timberwolves are big winners in NBA Free Agency; Paul George lands in OKC, Brooklyn Nets, Knicks, focusing on young players

Before we get to our discussions of the top sports stories, here a couple of quick bites:

• The NBA fined Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid for foul language after he released a video on Instagram where he said, "F- LaVar Ball"
• Lakers small forward Brandon Ingram will miss the remainder of summer league due to cramping in his right leg
• The Miami Heat officially waived Chris Bosh and plan to retire his jersey. Bosh has since cleared waivers and is now a free agent.
• James Harden landed the biggest NBA extension contract in history. The deal, reportedly worth $228 M, would start trickling in 2019-20 at a salary of $37.8M, $40.8M, $43.8M and $46.8M.

NBA Free Agency

NBA free agency was in full effect this past week. And, Keisha and Mike are talking about the winners and those who did not do as well.

Paul George Goes to OKC

Indiana Pacers guard Paul George has left the building and has landed in OKC to play with NBA MVP, Russell Westbrook, and the rest of the Oklahoma City Thunder team. Has OKC positioned itself to be in better contention to take over the West? Did the Los Angeles Lakers miss the boat on not trading for him?

Lonzo Ball NBA Summer League Outing

As his father, LaVar Ball predicted, NBA Draft stand-out, Lonzo Ball is now in the NBA and playing for the Los Angeles Lakers. Lonzo had a rough Game 1, but he managed to right his ship and played clicking on all cylinders for Game 2. Will Lonzo bring “show time” back to the Lakers?

What’s The 411Sports’ Photo of the Week

Our photo of the week is a photo of Markelle Fultz, the 2017 NBA Draft’s #1 pick overall, being helped off the court by his teammates because of an injured left ankle.

What’s The 411Sports’ New York Sports Report

Brooklyn Nets

The Brooklyn Nets acquired Jarrett Allen in the 2017 NBA Draft at No. 22, and just before the draft, the Nets acquired guard D’Angelo Russell and center Timofey Mozgov from the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Brook Lopez and a Nets first round draft pick. Russell attended NBA Summer League and like a good teammate, he cheered on the Nets. However, when the game was over, Russell stayed to watch the Lakers play.

Should D’Angelo Russell have stayed to watch the Lakers summer league game? Will the Nets development culture be able to assimilate D’Angelo Russell?

New York Knicks

Phil Jackson is out as the NY Knicks president and the Knicks inked a four-year deal to bring Tim Hardaway Jr. back after Jackson’s exit. New York Knick fans are crowing about Hardaway’s $71 million four-year deal. Meanwhile, David Griffin, former Cleveland Cavaliers general manager, has turned down the job of general manager of the New York Knicks.

Is this a good move to bring Hardaway back to the Knicks? Who made this decision? Would the Hardaway acquisition have happened if Phil Jackson was still with the Knicks?

The New York Yankees

New York Yankees were in a huge tailspin heading into the MLB All-Star Break.

Will the Yankees turn this ship around and sail into smoother waters?

New York Giants

New York Giant wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr landed on the number 8 spot on the list of Top 100 NFL Players of 2017 as determined by his peers.

Off Topic

LaVar Ball Gets Real

LaVar Ball’s camera-ready persona has reportedly landed the Ball family a reality-show deal. Deadline is reporting that the Ball family will be the focus of a yet-to-be-named docu-series as part of Facebook's push for original video content.

A Woman Uber Driver Gets First-Day Surprise

It was a woman’s first day as a Uber driver and she picked up Golden State Warriors center JaVale McGee. How cool is that?

McAdoo, Spagnuolo, Austin Interviewed for Giants Head Coach Position

The search for a new head coach continues for the New York Giants. Current offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo and current defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo for the NY Giants have interviewed to replace Tom Coughlin.

Austin, Gase, and Marrone have their hats in the Giants head coach ring

McAdoo has also interviewed with the Philadelphia Eagles. Another candidate, Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin, also met with the Giants organization in hopes of becoming the next head coach. Chicago Bears offensive coordinator Adam Gase whose name has generated considerable buzz has his proverbial hat in the ring. Former Buffalo Bills head coach Doug Marrone rounds out the list of current potential candidates. It is not known at this time, who any additional candidates will be, if any.

In Tom Coughlin news, the Philadelphia Eagles have requested permission from the New York Giants to interview Coughlin for their vacant head coach position. Even though Coughlin resigned from his position, the Eagles need permission to speak to him because there is one year left on his contract.

VIDEO Discussion: Did Tom Coughlin get a raw deal; how long will Jerry Reese last as Giants General Manager?

As hard as I try, I can’t remember the exact moment that I was introduced to sports. I just know that it has always been a part of my life like the air I breathe. My viewing ranged from basketball, football, baseball, tennis, gymnastics, and swimming, but my love of football and basketball reigns supreme.

My weekends have always consisted of spending hours in front of the television watching my favorite gladiators engage in battle. When I was in high school, I began to follow college basketball, in particular, Duke University and now I bleed blue! As a lifetime New York Giants and Los Angeles Lakers fan, I have been blessed to see my teams hoist championship trophies over their heads and it was almost like I was sharing in their moment.

The need to share my passion for sports prompted me to start my own blog called stilettoandsports. Here is where I get to impart my thoughts on some of the current topics trending in the world of sports.

When I am not watching, writing, talking or thinking about sports, I love to eat! I am a self-professed foodie and I love to try new restaurants and cuisines. I also love listening to music, dancing, traveling, and bowling.

VIDEO DISCUSSION: New York Jets defeat the New York Giants 28-18; Jets now 2-1

It's only the preseason, but in NEW YORK, this past weekend, football fans had their eyes on the Snoopy Bowl, the annual preseason match-up between the NY Jets and the NY Giants. The Jets won 28-18, which included an Antonio Cromartie pick-six. Ouch! Jets quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick performed very well.

New York Giants Jason Pierre-Paul gets to warm the bench for poor decision-making

I know we talked about this story last week, but I am putting Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul on the bench for poor decision-making.

We now know JPP’s right index finger was amputated resulting from playing with fireworks on July 4th. He's already supposedly in a bad place with the Giants and this situation does not make it any better!

Use your head Jason, you're smarter than this!