Football World and Individuals Need to Change After Bullying Exposed
FILE – In this July 24, 2013 file photo, Miami Dolphins guard Richie Incognito (68) and tackle Jonathan Martin (71) stand on the field during an NFL football practice in Davie, Fla. Two people familiar with the situation say suspended Dolphins guard Incognito sent text messages to teammate Jonathan Martin that were racist and threatening. The people spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the Dolphins and NFL haven’t disclosed the nature of the misconduct that led to Incognito’s suspension. Martin remained absent from practice Monday, Nov. 4, 2013, one week after he suddenly left the team. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky, File)
November 19, 2013
The professional football world has been turned upside down since Jonathan Martin left the Miami Dolphins and released a voice mail which he received from fellow teammate Richie Incognito. After all these bullying allegations there is now a question of whether the culture of football needs to change or if it’s just that Incognito is a racist. The answer is both.
Richie Incognito’s track record speaks for itself. Public outburst caught on tape, head butting other players, low blocks, and starting fights on the field are just a few things on Incognito’s lists of transgressions on and off the field. So yes, Incognito is an athlete who needs an attitude adjustment in the harshest way, but the culture of football, or sports in general, has needed to change for quite some time now.
A prime example of this was back in 2011 when after the firing of long time coach Joe Paterno was fired after Penn State’s defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky was accused (and later convicted) of sexually assaulting children in the locker rooms and football team showers. Paterno failed in his duties to pay attention and realize this was going on or he knew and failed to do anything. After he was fired students and fans rioted and destroyed everything in the streets. Not for the children of course, but for a coach who very well may have known this was going on. Way to stay classy Penn State.
The issue in America and our sports is how we view sports and how we act in the locker room all the way to high school. If you believe vulgar things or actions aren’t conducted at the amateur level in sports you are mistaken. We build statues for players and coaches, let them off the hook with a slap on the wrist when breaking the law, and hell we will give them a passing grade as long as they can catch the ball.
If we expect super stars and college athletes to act different and make better decisions than the culture must change around sports. This isn’t to take anything away from the responsibility of the players, but these issues are looked at in a different light in sports. We either need to make changes all the way to the high school level or leave what happens in the locker room in the locker room.
