2013 NFL regular season thread

[Sainters7]

Am I the only one getting tired of this story? Flipped on NFL Network last night, it was ALL they talked about. Flipped er on again this morning as I was eating breakfast, again, ALL they talked about. Complete with endless player/former player/broadcaster/psychologist interviews full of speculation, etc. I agree its certainly a story, and helps shine a light on perhaps an NFL (and probably sports itself) wide troubling culture of bullying / coercing rookies, so for that its important. But it feels like between NFLN and ESPN, its encroaching on Boston Marathon bombing levels of coverage. It's way over the top.

I just hate when sports media gets all TMZ'ish. I don't care who's banging / cheating on who, or who's sending dick pics to who, or who's being mean to who in the locker room (at least not to "BREAKING NEWS!!" coverage levels)...just try to keep the primary focus to on the field & injury news please, there sports media.

[Erick Estrada]

They had a lawyer on Sirius NFL radio that specializes in workplace discrimination. After listening to him it sounds like this is not going to go well for Icognito or the Dolphins. Could also be the last straw for Ireland who has put his foot in his mouth a few too many times after the whole asking Dez Bryant about his mother being a prostitute thing.

[Senator Clay Davis]

And it gets weirder because of course it does

I've spoken to multiple people today about this and the explanation from all of them is that in the Dolphins locker room, Richie Incognito was considered a black guy. He was accepted by the black players. ...

And Jonathan Martin, who is bi-racial, was not. Indeed, Martin was considered less black than Incognito.

"Richie is honarary," one player who left the Dolphins this offseason told me today. "I don't expect you to understand because you're not black. But being a black guy, being a brother is more than just about skin color. It's about how you carry yourself. How you play. Where you come from. What you've experienced. A lot of things."

http://miamiherald.typepad.com/dolph...cker-room.html

[rubecube]

Originally Posted by Senator Clay Davis

And it gets weirder because of course it does


http://miamiherald.typepad.com/dolph...cker-room.html

[Philly06Cup]

Americans care A LOT about sports. They don't care enough about bullying / human rights. This story can help bridge the two, and get the whole country thinking more deeply about the epidemic that is bullying. The more attention this gets, the better.

This is bigger than Incognito and Martin. Bullying happens everywhere. Martin is not the only victim; Incognito is not the only bully. Everyone else in the Miami locker room is complicitly part of this.

We live in a world where "tattling" and "whistleblowing" are more frowned upon than bullying/cheating/extortion. That's not right. Other people see it happening to others, but sit silently. We need to change the whole culture in peoples' minds where standing up for people is encouraged.

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by Senator Clay Davis

At this point this is going to be weirder than Manti Te'o

What I'm not clear on is how all of the extortion stuff from last week fits in. Otherwise, it seems pretty straightforward. The coaches and front office liked Martin, but wanted to light a fire under his ass. They picked Incognito because he plays on the line and he's a team leader (it seems like there is nothing but respect for Incognito coming from the players). Unfortunately, they picked either the wrong tool, or the wrong method, (or both) to fix Martin, and it's blowing up in their face.

[Bobblehead]

Good point - how does making Martin pay for a trip to Vegas he wasn't going to go on, "toughen him up"?

[Senator Clay Davis]

The other theory out there is that Martin was looking for an out from football after getting replaced by Bryant McKinnie, and that the endgame here from his perspective (or has been suggested, his handlers/parents perspective) is a lawsuit for workplace harrassment. The more evidence that is coming out the more it seems like Incognito was not some sort of over the top bully, and that at worst he and Martin appeared to be friendly teammates.

[kipperfan]

I'll wait until all the facts come out before making a final judgement on this one, but I think it's far from being as cut and dried as some of you are making it out to be.

By almost all accounts these guys were best friends until about 10 days ago. Martin voted for Incognito for the Dolphins leadership counsel. Martin allegedly brought in a tape recorder with the infamous voicemail on it 6 months ago, played it for everyone in the locker room and was laughing about it. Martin acknowledged to teammates that he knew Incognito was drunk when he left the message in question. And finally, Martin, after starting every game since joining the team, left the team and came forward about the "bullying" 3 days after he was informed by the coaching staff he'd lost his starting job - probably a coincidence, but interesting never the less.

That stuff, plus a lot more I've read makes me think this is a much more nuanced situation then it's being made out to be by most in the media/on this forum. One thing is for sure though (well, not for sure at all actually, but I would bet a large share of money on it), rightly or wrongly, Martin will never play another down in the NFL and Incognito will.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by kipperfan

I'll wait until all the facts come out before making a final judgement on this one, but I think it's far from being as cut and dried as some of you are making it out to be.

By almost all accounts these guys were best friends until about 10 days ago. Martin voted for Incognito for the Dolphins leadership counsel. Martin allegedly brought in a tape recorder with the infamous voicemail on it 6 months ago, played it for everyone in the locker room and was laughing about it. Martin acknowledged to teammates that he knew Incognito was drunk when he left the message in question. And finally, Martin, after starting every game since joining the team, left the team and came forward about the "bullying" 3 days after he was informed by the coaching staff he'd lost his starting job - probably a coincidence, but interesting never the less.

That stuff, plus a lot more I've read makes me think this is a much more nuanced situation then it's being made out to be by most in the media/on this forum. One thing is for sure though (well, not for sure at all actually, but I would bet a large share of money on it), rightly or wrongly, Martin will never play another down in the NFL and Incognito will.

By what accounts were they best friends besides the Incognito supporters in the locker room? Yes he did supposedly bring that tape recording to the locker room laughing about it but I've heard a lot of experts over the past week say that doesn't mean much in that could have been Martin suppressing his feelings and trying hard to fit in as he was likely feeling like an outcast. Maybe losing his starting job was the final straw that after putting up with the abuse now that he wasn't starting he was no longer going to take it any more?

[KelVarnsen]

https://twitter.com/adamschefter/sta...15552857735169

[moon]

Originally Posted by kipperfan

One thing is for sure though (well, not for sure at all actually, but I would bet a large share of money on it), rightly or wrongly, Martin will never play another down in the NFL and Incognito will.

For sure that Martin will never play in the NFL again? Based on what?

And considering his marginal (at best) skill and history of being a d-bag the only reason it appears the only thing keeping Incognito in the NFL is the Dolphins moronic decision to defend him.

Everything I have heard has people saying no way would they have Incognito on their team after this.

[browna]

From the fact that there isn't a lot of player outrage about this, that, although Incognito, clearly having issues and going well over the line to throw in the race and allegedly about his family, that this sort of behavior goes on around the league, and has for years.

I am guessing Incognito had some veterans on the Rams ride him hard and he's passing that on. Toss in the coaching staff giving some "suggestions" and Incognito not being a Masters in Pysch., and you have this turn into what it is. I am sure there's also a lot of naval gazing and making sure teams have their optics looking correct around similar, yet not quite as extreme situations, around the league.

Not saying any of that makes this fine.

[chemgear]

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com...ent-of-martin/

Quote from teammate: “We are going to run train on your sister. . . . She loves me. I am going to f–k her without a condom and c– in her c—.”

[Flickered Flame]

Again, this is really just getting started. Incognito and his reps apparently have information to release as well. Players, coaches, managers, everyone is losing in this. There will be no winners.

[chemgear]

Originally Posted by Flickered Flame

Again, this is really just getting started. Incognito and his reps apparently have information to release as well. Players, coaches, managers, everyone is losing in this. There will be no winners.

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/99...012-no-charges

Miami lineman Richie Incognito was investigated last year for harassing a volunteer at the Dolphins' annual golf tournament by allegedly molesting her with a golf club, according to Aventura, Fla., police.

The report states the the female volunteer told police that Incognito "used his golf club to touch her by rubbing it up against her vagina, then up her stomach then to her chest. He then used the club to knock a pair of sunglasses off the top of her head.

"After that, he proceeded to lean up against her buttocks with his private parts as if dancing, saying 'Let it rain! Let it rain!'" the report states. "He finally finished his inappropriate behavior by emptying bottled water in her face."

The story was first reported Thursday by WPLG-ABC in Miami.
The woman, who is black, told several media outlets she has declined to talk because she had signed a confidentiality agreement. Incognito, who is white, was suspended by the Dolphins on Sunday for conduct detrimental to the team amid accusations he bullied and used racially charged terms against teammate Jonathan Martin, who has since left the team. Martin is biracial.

[Sylvanfan]

So there was a game tonight. Adrian Peterson was awesome and the Vikings won. John Carlson rose from the grave to have a good night too. Washington was flawless in the first half, but struggled in the second half. Leslie Frazier still made two bizarre time out calls in the final minute. I guess it did work as they stopped them, but strangeto see a defence calling timeout right after the play ends and the opponent is out of timeouts.

[Pagal4321]

Those timeouts were a microcosm of the ineptitude of the Vikings coaching staff. Who calls a timeout, on defense when you just stopped a team with zero timeouts after a failed running play?

[fundmark19]

I was about to throw my tv out the window if those timeouts made the vikings lose on that last drive. So frustrating to watch. Ponder was good though until he hurt himself

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by Sylvanfan

So there was a game tonight. Adrian Peterson was awesome and the Vikings won. John Carlson rose from the grave to have a good night too. Washington was flawless in the first half, but struggled in the second half. Leslie Frazier still made two bizarre time out calls in the final minute. I guess it did work as they stopped them, but strangeto see a defence calling timeout right after the play ends and the opponent is out of timeouts.

Originally Posted by Pagal4321

Those timeouts were a microcosm of the ineptitude of the Vikings coaching staff. Who calls a timeout, on defense when you just stopped a team with zero timeouts after a failed running play?

Originally Posted by fundmark19

I was about to throw my tv out the window if those timeouts made the vikings lose on that last drive. So frustrating to watch. Ponder was good though until he hurt himself

I don't mind using timeouts sometimes just to slow things down and reset the defense. The Vikings defense actually knew what they were doing on those last 3 plays. Time was no longer a factor, the Redskins can't run the ball again with under 30 seconds left, it was going to be 3 throws.

Remember a couple of weeks ago when the Lions drove 80 yards on the Cowboys in about 50 seconds? The Cowboys still had 2 timeouts left and their defense had no clue what was doing on when Stafford reached over the goal line.