Photo courtesy of Erik Drost, Wikipedia
Cleveland Browns receiver Odell Beckham Jr. threw the first punch at Baltimore Ravens defensive back Marlon Humphrey during Sunday's game at M&T Bank Stadium.
The next move: Humphrey put Beckham in a chokehold on the ground.
Of course, both players were penalized due to this battle, but neither party was ejected from the game.
Shawn Hochuli, a referee that was on the field during the occurrence, then told the Baltimore Sun that he "didn’t see anything on the field that rose to the level of a disqualifying foul.”
Many are outraged by the call, especially Browns coach Freddie Kitchens. He believes that Humphrey got away with a "cheap shot" and Kitchens has announced that he will file an official complaint.
Officials were not shy about calling personal fouls throughout the game, however. Flags were thrown for personal fouls on four players: two Browns and two Ravens.
In response to the backlash, Humphrey mentioned that he apologized to Beckham for his actions immediately after the game.
“I ran into him after the game and apologized,” Humphrey told ESPN. “It’s not really the brand of football I want to represent. The whistle blowed. It has to be over with."
Beckham has stated that for the most part, he has forgiven Humphrey for the physical threat. However, he is still upset and holds a grudge towards Humphrey about one thing:
“I’m just upset I lost my earring," Beckham said to ESPN.
Only time will tell when regarding the future of Humphrey and whether or not the report against him will affect his career. Kitchens' report will be sent to NFL supervisor of officials Al Riveron. He will decide if the referee's call can be justified.
ddeange1@ramapo.edu
