New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham's one-game suspension was upheld during Wednesday's appeal hearing in New York, the league announced.
The star wideout, who will miss Sunday's game against the Vikings, was suspended by the NFL for multiple violations of safety-related playing rules during Sunday's 38-35 loss to the Carolina Panthers. Beckham's appeal hearing was heard by former NFL wide receiver James Thrash on Wednesday.
Beckham issued an apology shortly after the appeal announcement:
I owe some people an apology. I wasn't raised to act like I did the other day. I am not here to make excuses for my conduct. This isn't about anything that was said or done to me. This is about my behavior, and I am responsible for my behavior. People expect better from me, and I expect better from myself.
First of all, I apologize to the organization I represent, the Giants, and our ownership, John Mara and his family and Steve Tisch and his family. And Jerry Reese, who drafted me and gave me the opportunity to be a part of this organization.
I want to apologize to Giants fans. They want to be proud of us, and proud of players like me who represent their team. What happened the other day was embarrassing to them and embarrassing to me.
A lot of kids look up to me as a role model. That is a responsibility I accept and take seriously. Many of the parents of those kids have asked since Sunday what they should say to their children about my conduct. I don't have the perfect answer, but I think one thing they can say is how I handled myself the other day is an example of how not to conduct yourself. I displayed poor sportsmanship. And those parents can also say that when you act like that, there are consequences. And I hope to be an example of somebody who did something wrong and learned from it.
I owe Coach Coughlin, our coaches and my teammates an apology. They have had to answer for my actions, and that's not fair to them. How I conduct myself is my responsibility. I let my coaches and teammates down.
I am blessed and privileged to play the game I love, and I will do all I can to carry myself in a way that honors the game, the NFL, my team, my coaches, all my fans and my family moving forward.
Beckham repeatedly tangled with Panthers cornerback Josh Norman on Sunday, with the wideout drawing four total penalties including an unruly three personal fouls. Dean Blandino, the NFL vice president of officiating, said Tuesday that Beckham's actions during the game warranted ejection, even though referees chose not remove him from the game.
"Acts that jeopardize the safety of players or expose them to unnecessary risk cannot be tolerated," wrote Merton Hanks, NFL vice president of football operations, in his letter to Beckham on Monday.
Norman didn't escape punishment from the NFL. The league hit him with two separate fines, according to NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport. One for $8,681 (face mask) and one for $17,363 (striking an opponent in the head/neck area). Norman is appealing the fines, Rapoport reported.
