The Controversy

This past week, the Miami Dolphins faced a crisis within their team that has gained national attention. And so far, it has led to one player quitting the team, and another being suspended indefinitely.

Guard Richie Incognito, who is not a stranger to trouble within the NFL, was accused of player misconduct, and harassment towards fellow teammate Jonathan Martin. Supposedly, Martin has been being bullied for quite some time- since he was drafted by the team in 2012. Incognito has been identified as a main culprit in the bullying. And to add to this, voice and text messages were recently recovered, in which you can hear Incognito using heavy offensive language, and racial slurs directed at Martin. The voice message ended with Incognito saying he will “kill” Martin. Martin apparently had had enough, and left the Dolphins team last week. Sources have also confirmed that the use of racial slurs by Incognito is nothing new. Since then, Martin has checked himself into a Florida hospital for emotional distress.

Incognito has been in the league for 9 years. He’s a former Pro-Bowler, and is also on Miami’s 6 player leadership council. He has been described as a model player, and a leader. But on the other hand, Incognito is also seen as one of the dirtiest players in the league, and has been involved in some controversy wither other league players in the past. In the situation, the Dolphins made the right call in suspending him. It is believed that the Dolphins will eventually let him go altogether.

Current Implications

Understandably, the League and the Dolphins ownership and staff are doing all they can to get to the bottom of these serious allegations. The 4-4 Dolphins, who usually don’t get much media coverage at all, will undoubtedly receive more and more negative press. Further investigations will have to be done; players and staff alike will have to be interviewed. There is probably a whole lot of confusion and anticipation in the locker room, as team members worry about what accusations will come out next, and who else may be further implicated. Divides may occur, as some players may choose to defend Incognito as several Miami veteran players have already done, or take Martin’s side.  This is all undoubtedly going to be a huge distraction for the team, who are putting all their efforts into trying to have a winning season for the first time in a long time. But with two starting Offensive Linemen (Martin and Incognito) already off the roster because of this, there is a strong chance that this could seriously endanger their season.

But make no mistake- the league will get to the bottom of this. Hopefully, the investigation is done quickly and quietly. The Dolphins have had enough publicity in the past week than anyone needs in an entire season. Hopefully, they’ll be able to stay positive, and focused.

Not only has this situation affected the Dolphins, but the entire NFL as well. Now, the administration and staff on every team will have to look into their own organizations to make sure that similar situations are not occurring. Already, several teams have made statements asserting that they are firmly against player harassment of any kind. This will most likely become a topic that will have to be discussed on a regular basis.

Who would have thought Bullying would become a problem in the NFL?