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, 2015EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J., Dec. 22 (UPI) -- One of the reasons New York Giants receiver Odell Beckham Jr. gave for going 'batty' Sunday appears to have some validity.
A video released by Giants Daily Monday shows a Carolina Panthers practice squad player, dressed in street clothes, walking through the Giants' team stretch and up to Beckham, wielding a black baseball bat.
Beckham, who was suspended for one game by the league on Monday, will appeal the punishment. Beckham and Panthers cornerback Josh Norman were constantly jawing and coming to blows in the Giants' 38-35 loss. At one point, Beckham appeared to launch himself, helmet first, into the helmet of an unsuspecting and defenseless Norman.
Two anonymous Giants players told the New York Times that various Panthers players were taunting Beckham, while holding the bat, before the game.
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Giants reviewed pregame incidents b/n Panthers players and Beckham. Are convinced he was threatened physically and called homophobic slurs
— Jason La Canfora (@JasonLaCanfora) December 21, 2015A video released by the New York Giants also shows the practice squad player walking up to the Giants as they ran onto the field to greet quarterback Eli Manning. NFL Network reporter Ian Rapoport said the practice squad player was Marcus Ball and he "had to be separated" from Beckham during pregame. Ball later gave the bat to Norman.
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, 2015Beckham's appeal will be heard Wednesday by James Thrash, a hearing officer appointed by the league and the player's union, according to ESPN's Chris Mortensen.
As of a couple minutes ago, the #Giants and @NFL were trying to make sense of why Josh Norman was carrying a black bat on the field pregame
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 21, 2015Beckham is allowed to be at the Giants facility and participate in practice during the appeal process.
CBS Sports' Jason La Canfora said that the Giants are "convinced" Beckham was "threatened physically and called homophobic slurs" before the game by Panthers players. Carolina denies the reports, according to La Canfora.
Suspension appeals have worked recently. Denver Broncos cornerback Aqib Talib lost his appeal and was suspended one game after eye-gouging Dwayne Allen, of the Indianapolis Colts. But when Detroit Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh stepped on Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers last season, he had his one game suspension turned over on appeal in favor of a $70,000 fine.
In 2012, the New Orleans Saints also had its 'Bountygate' suspensions turned over on appeal.
In 2013, commissioner Roger Goodell suspended Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Dashon Goldson for one game for a helmet to helmet hit. Goldson appealed down to a $100,000 fine. Washington Redskins safety Brandon Meriweather, who was also suspended for a hit in 2013, had a two game suspension reduced to one game after an appeal.
