Panthers' Cam Newton "a fan" of Giants' Odell Beckham Jr.

What does Carolina Panthers' quarterback Cam Newton think of New York Giants' star wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr.?

"He's an animal, man. He's a person that I'm a fan of. His preparation and how he respects the game," Newton told Carolina media on Wednesday.

Really interesting that Newton chose the "respects the game" approach in talking about Beckham. Many would say that Carolina's star quarterback disrespects the game with his over the top touchdown celebration.

Newton, incidentally, told Carolina media he understands that he gets away with some of his antics simply because his team is successful. Beckham, of course, likes to style a bit himself after scoring touchdowns. Witness his Ray Lewis dance on Monday night.

I'm old-school (or maybe just old!!) but I've come to accept that we have turned these players into entertainers, and this is simply part of their method of entertaining us and expressing themselves. If it's not done in the face of an opposing player, so what?

Giants' fans just need to hope their team is the one doing most of the dancing on Sunday.