Jonathan Martin alleges that Dolphins teammates, especially Richie Incognito, tormented him to the point that he had to leave the team last week.
Now Incognito is serving an indefinite team suspension. ESPN reported that Martin recently checked into a hospital to be treated for “emotional distress.” The NFL is investigating the matter.
The story has sparked national debate about bullying and harassment. But Falcons tight end Tony Gonzalez said NFL players work in a “unique office,” so what might be considered inappropriate in a normal work setting is just part of the “tradition” of NFL locker rooms.
That context is why Gonzalez said the issue of hazing has been “blown up” in the wake of the Martin story, and the league shouldn’t take any special actions. Gonzalez, in his 17th NFL season, said teammates giving one another a hard time is part of the NFL culture.
“I compare it to being in a room with a bunch of comedians,” Gonzalez said. “It’s fun in here. It makes you laugh. But just as comedians (do), sometimes (players) push the line. They go overboard a little bit and say stuff like racially, economically — nothing is out of bounds in this locker room. Any type of insecurity that you have, they are going to play on that.
“That’s just how it goes. But it’s done out of fun. It should be done out of fun. It should never, ever go over a line. … I’ve seen it go over the line before. It happens every once in a while, and you try to correct it.”
Martin, a second-year offensive lineman, alleges that his teammates took things too far. The most serious allegations is that Incognito, also an offensive lineman, left Martin a threatening voice mail while using a racial slur.
Falcons rookies said this week they’ve had no issues with harsh treatment from veteran teammates. Coach Mike Smith said he tries to create an atmosphere of respect.
Yet, as Gonzalez said, it’s also a workplace where harsh insults are freely traded among players. That may seem incompatible with the value of respect, but Falcons wide receiver Roddy White, like Gonzalez, said players’ antics should be viewed in the context of the NFL culture.
White said traditions such as having rookies carry veteran players’ equipment off the field, which Falcons neophytes do, is not hazing but rather a show of respect. However, White, in his ninth season with the Falcons, said Martin’s actions suggest his teammates crossed the line.
“It’s unfortunate for guys that go completely that far with a guy and make him have to take those steps to go out there and to check in a place where he needs help,” White said. “At that point, you are damaging him.”
Former Dolphins lineman Lydon Murtha invoked “tradition” and locker-room culture in an SI.com essay defending Incognito’s alleged actions. Murtha played for the Dolphins from 2009 until he was released before the 2012 season.
Martin alleged that Incognito pressured him to pay $15,000 for a group trip and that the other linemen left a cafeteria table when he sat down. Murtha wrote in the SI.com essay that the linemen paying for a Las Vegas trip is “tradition” and that the cafeteria incident is part of a “running gag” with the group.
According to Murtha, Martin was standoffish with teammates, but never was bullied or “singled out, excluded from anything, or treated any differently than the rest of us.”
“What people want to call bullying is something that is never going away from football,” Murtha wrote for SI.com.
The South Florida Sun Sentinel reported that Dolphins coaches instructed Incognito to “toughen up” Martin after Martin missed a voluntary workout last spring. The Sun Sentinel said that directive is what prompted Incognito to leave the threatening phone message.
Gonzalez said if a coach asked him to help toughen a player he would tailor his methods to that individual. White, citing the varying backgrounds and personalities of players, agreed that “you’ve got to handle different guys different ways” as teammates, but said teams determine players’ toughness when evaluating them and it may not be possible to change them.
“You can’t really say, ‘I’m going to make this guy tougher,’” White said.
Gonzalez said if any of his teammates felt the banter went too far, they should come to him, another veteran player or Smith.
“We will get it taken care of and we’ll do what’s best for the team because that’s what’s most important,” he said. “That situation out there (in Miami), I don’t know the details of it, but it’s unfortunate because now you lost two players for the season. … I feel bad for that whole situation. No matter what you believe or what happened, it’s unfortunate.”
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