Miami Dolphins controversy is not simply about Richie Incognito

You may have been made aware of the scandal surrounding the Mimi Dolphins professional football team earlier this season. One veteran pro bowl payer, Richie Incognito, has been accused of "bullying" for lack of a better word, another player by the name of Jonathan Martin. There is even a voicemail from Incognito on Martin's phone of him harassing Martin on the basis of race. So then, why is this such a complicated issue, and why has no permanent action been carried out? Partially it is because the rest of the team unilaterally stands behind Incognito, and even the black players have stated that they consider Incognito to be an honorary black man, while Martin is considered soft. The fact that his teammates, the people who know the most about the situation, support Incognito lends credence by argument of authority. On the other hand, bullying is a hot topic right now in the context of modern America and the prevalence of teen suicide among bullied youth, and every mother with a minivan is likely to support Martin on ethical grounds. Even more unusual, it could be possible that a coach directed Incognito to make these comments, as he was apparently Martin's best friend on the team just a few weeks prior to the event. From a logical standpoint, if Incognito is held in high regard by his black teammates, it seems unlikely that his comments were racially motivated, or that he has any problem with black people. From my perspective from my high school lacrosse team, teammates can get pretty harsh with teasing or hazing, especially if a player is under-performing, and anything can be fair game. However, this chastising is never meant to hurt anyone, but to motivate them to play better, even if it isn't the best way to do it. It sounds like Martin, whose family has been almost exclusively ivy school educated, just wasn't raised to handle criticism well.



http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap2000000277784/article/miami-dolphins-controversy-is-not-simply-about-richie-incognito
http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/11/07/21349468-a-list-lawyer-digs-into-dolphins-bullying-controversy?lite