In plain sight Jon Svecs November 22 column The most controversial story currently unfolding in the world of sports is taking place down in Florida, though the repercussions from this case could ripple far and wide, for years and year to come. The first inklings that something was wrong in Miami surfaced at the end of October when Dolphins offensive tackle Jonathan Martin suspiciously left the team. It took a little while for the public to get an update on the situation, but early in November we learned that Martin’s exodus had to do with allegations of bullying. Soon, Richie Incognito, another offensive lineman on the team, became the target of those allegations. Eventually, recorded voice messages and transcripts of texted conversations began to emerge, ones that revealed vulgar, violent and racist remarks that were sent from Incognito to Martin. Incognito was immediately branded as a bigot and a bully, and was suspended from the team. But while everyone was hoping for a cut and dry ending to this saga, details continued to materialize that showed a rich tapestry of interwoven factors, and with each passing day there seemed to be more questions than answers. On the surface this tale seems to be extremely racially charged. Incognito has admitted to using the n-word when addressing Martin, who is an African-American. Panelists have held forums to address this issue, interviewing former and current players of all races, trying to get a sense of race relations in today’s NFL. These panels are disheartening to watch. It is disappointing, in 2013, to see the awkwardness that still exists while discussing these issues, the fumbling over words, and the anger that begins to roil when former players discuss past incidents of hatred and racism. It reminds us that we still have a long way to go. Observers might be mistaken, however, to chalk this incident up as being solely racial. Amidst the racial slurs, Incognito also mentioned violence towards Martin’s family, and threatened to commit extremely vulgar acts to Martin himself. Incognito, in an interview with Jay Glazier of Fox Sports, claimed that the threats and vulgarity went both ways. He also contended that there was no malice or hatred behind the texts, that he and Martin are in fact good friends, and that this was simply the way that they communicated. The real issue here, in my opinion, is the structure of the modern day locker room. The dynamics that go on within the confines of those often-thick walls are complex, and there are many schools of thought as to what rules should be enforced, and how. Some say that societal norms are abandoned when one walks over the threshold. After all, if one were to head out onto the street and commit any of the permitted and encouraged acts that go on throughout the course of a football game, he or she would be arrested. Others claim that playing in the NFL is a job like any other, and players must adhere to the rules that are implemented at any other workplace. It is an interesting debate that won’t be solved here, thought I’m pretty sure that the answer lies somewhere in the middle. I will say that, having been both a player and a coach, I am confident that the players themselves are responsible for controlling the day-to-day happenings of a locker room. Coaches can step in when things get out of hand, but even then it is usually the leaders on the team who bring the issues forward. Good teams have leaders that are able to put a stop to excessive bullying or any other behavior that may upset the pack, nipping it in the bud before it becomes a real problem, and getting everyone re-focused on the task at hand, which is winning the next game.
Posted on: Fri, 22 Nov 2013 19:14:25 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015