For Josh Norman, his rivalry with New York Giants receiver Odell Beckham Jr. is about one thing and one thing only.
Stolen bologna.
In a first hand essay on The Players’ Tribune, the new Washington Redskins cornerback detailed the rivalry with Beckham, which came to a head last December in a game between Beckham’s Giants and Norman’s old team, the Carolina Panthers.
“When Odell and I went at one another last year, people got mad. Imagine that. People who watch this sport every Sunday and say they love it actually pretended to be offended. They don’t see the beauty in it. They don’t see the truth.
But Odell and I, we know the truth. Anybody who makes it to this level knows it. The truth is that on the football field, he’s trying to steal my bologna, and I’m trying to steal his.
See you twice a year, bro.”
Norman put context on the example with a story about his brothers stealing bologna from him when he was a kid.
“At home, I had to hide my food. I’d always cook up some eggs, grits and bologna. We usually didn’t have enough money for bacon. We only had the po’ man’s meat. If I left my plate out for a minute, my older brothers would try to steal my damn bologna, and I was too small to stand up for myself.”
It’s certainly an interesting comparison, but it makes a lot of sense. Professional sports is a highly competitive job. A job in which basically everyone out there is trying to take what’s yours from you.
By the same token, you should be doing the same thing with your opponent. If players aren’t doing that, then chances are that they won’t be around for a long time.
In truth, this explains why Norman and Beckham are such great players. It’s the competitiveness that brings out the best in them.
All professional athletes have great gifts and athleticism. But when it comes down to it, sports is really about stealing bologna and not letting anyone steal yours. The players who do that are the ones that generally stick around for a while.