Richie Incognito: Still searching for lesson of Bullygate

[hordman]

From the pages of Armando, who had a conference call with Richie

miamiherald.typepad.com/dolphins_in_depth/2016/10/richie-incognito-still-searching-for-lesson-of-bullygate.html

Can you imagine if we still had this road grinder on our team??? Holy shit, we could have moved Tunsil to LT, with some pretty good bookends

Jonathan Martin focked up a lot of things, team chemistry, '13 season and Richie leaving the org.

[dolphins4life]

I don't think that ended the 2013 campaign.

Here's what did.

1) The offense collapsed in the last two weeks of the season against WEAK teams.  The situation was perfect for the playoff berth.  All they had to do was beat the Jets, and they couldn't do it.

2) They couldn't close out games and did stupid things, for example, the first Patriots game that year and the Panthers game.  Of course, losing to a pathetic team in primetime, (I think it was Tampa Bay) didn't help matters either.  Then, that Bills game, where choke-artist (Carpenter) suddenly turned into Mr. Clutch.   That guy cost us the playoffs in 2012.

Good teams don't let scandals like that affect their seasons.  The Patriots just went 3-1 with their starting quarterback suspended for four games.

Of course that was the year, the Patriots kept pulling games out of nowhere, sometimes with help from the refs (Saints, Dolphins, Browns).

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

One player no matter how good does not make or break a team.  But you need team chemistry.  That the situation got that bad is on the coaches and GM, not one or two players.

[dolphins4life]

I still want a couple of questions answered.

1) Was what was going on acceptable?

2) Would it be acceptable in another work environment?

[Spider-Dan]

1) no
2) no

[dolphins4life]

Interesting, most people on this site seem to think yes. 

[Pappy13]

Interesting, most people on this site seem to think yes. 

No one thinks what Richie did was acceptable. I for one however think that what Martin did was also not acceptable. He didn't tell Richie or at least it wasn't clear to Richie and the others involved that Martin was having an issue with them. He didn't go to the position coach and ask for help with the situation. He didn't go to the head coach and ask for help. Hell he didn't even go to his parents who were supposed to be well versed in the subject of work place issues and tell them he was having an issue, not at least until after he had already walked out on the team never to return. Sorry but if you are having a work place issue, you got to TELL someone or it's not going to be addressed. If you don't tell anyone and then you simply walk away, then you have failed to address the issue. Now I don't know for sure what his position coach, head coach or even his parents would have done to help, but you got to at least try to get help. If you do that and you don't get any help, then I'm fine with walking away, but if you don't tell anyone you're having a problem, then that's your fault. Sorry, that's how I feel.

I work for Southwest airlines and if I'm having an issue at work I'm scheduling a meeting with my manager to talk about it, ESPECIALLY if it's of the nature that someone in the work place is harassing me. I don't see how this is any different. If it is different in the locker room, then the answers to your questions change too. So you tell me if you think it's the same or not. Either way it's not all on Richie, Martin had something to do with it too.

[Sunstroke]

Interesting, most people on this site seem to think yes. 

I'd love to see an example of this, because I thought pretty much everyone was of the opinion that:

1) The bullying that Incognito did to Martin was wrong.
2) Martin is actually a large vagina, cleverly disguised as a terrible offensive lineman.
3) Miami's coaching staff and front office did not handle the situation well.

[fyo]

^ While #2 might be correct superficially, I think his actions afterwards have demonstrated that he has some serious mental issues that go far beyond simply genitalia. Mental issues, one might add, that probably should have been caught by anyone who coached him, as well as his parents.

[Dave Gray]

I agree with Stroke.  It highlighted several problems at once.

Incognito's behavior got out of control.  On a stronger team, though, he could've been reigned in, because it likely wouldn't have gone so far.  And Martin was mentally unstable.  And our structure and management was weak.

The scandal just exposed all of it.

[Dolphster]

I don't necessarily condone Incognito's actions, but probably the lesson to be learned from "Bullygate" is that ours is now a society that has been pussified to the point that being masculine is frowned upon.  Again, Incognito's actions were probably not appropriate, but Martin had no business being on a football team.  Neither physically nor emotionally.  Being a "sensitive guy" on a football team is not unlike a passivist joining the military and then wondering why he doesn't fit in.