Is it possible that Jonathan Martin is the bad guy in all this? Dolphins players speak out


Dolphins' offensive lineman Richie Incognito has been the subject of a lot of scrutiny lately.

After pulling a prank on teammate Jonathan Martin last week, Martin literally walked away from the team. It was then revealed that Incognito had been "bullying" Martin as a voicemail was leaked with Incognito calling Martin a "half n##%er" and threatening his family.

So, Incgonito was naturally being viewed as a racist psychopath, which didn't seem far off given the on-field trouble he's gotten himself involved in over the years. However, Incognito's teammates ignored Dolphins PR today and went on blast to the media. What they had to say was surprising.


Everything we've heard the past week has painted Incognito in a horrible light, but his teammates are actually taking Incognito's side. Perhaps it was telling when Incognito was asked about the controversy earlier today, and didn't seem all that concerned.

"I'm just trying to weather the storm right now," Incognito said according to SportingNews. "This will pass."

That doesn't sound like something a crazy racist man would say when it's just been revealed he's been terrorizing a teammate. Is it at all possible that Incognito isn't the bad guy in this after all?

According to his teammates today, it very well could be true. The Dolphins players speaking in the locker room were all pretty adamant in defense on Incognito.

The New York Post's Bart Hubbuch was on the scene in Florida and relayed some quotes.

Dolphins wide receiver Brian Hartline told the media that they were told by the team not to comment, but the players decided to "let loose and defend ourselves".

He went on to deny that Incognito was a racist, calling the question ridiculous. Perhaps the most interesting thing the apparently visibly mad wide receiver told the media was about that now famous voicemail full of threats and the n word. Hartline said that the voicemail was actually passed around by Martin earlier in the year and that Martin was laughing about it.

Curious.

It was not just Hartline though. Incognito and Martin's fellow offensive lineman, Tyson Clabo, was very upset about the situation, and came out in defense of Incoginto.

"I don't know why he's doing this," said Clabo of Martin. "This is ridiculous."

Also intriguing was what Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill had to say. Tannehill, a member of the leadership council, maintained that no one knew that there was an issue. Which was something echoed across the entire Miami organization.

Tannehill also spoke about the prank that was played on Martin, with teammates calling him over to a table in the cafeteria and all getting up as soon as he sat down. He said that the prank had been played on him before, and even coach Joe Philbin. In fact, Martin has actually participated in the prank before. I guess he just didn't like it when the tables were turned?

Tannehill also said that Martin and Incognito were like brothers, and appeared to be confused about what had changed.

PFT:
“I think if you had asked Jon Martin a week before who his best friend on the team was, he would have said Richie Incognito,” Tannehill said. “The first guy to stand up for Jonathan when anything went down on the field, any kind of tussle, Richie was the first guy there. When we would hang on off the field, outside football, who was together? Richie and Jon. I’m not in those guys’ shoes, I can’t explain what’s going on.”

One thing is for sure, this might change everything. We don't have all of the facts yet, but the testimony of tons of players in that Dolphins locker room tells you a lot. Martin was joking earlier in the year about the voicemail he leaked to sully Incognito's name? The prank that forced him to leave was actually an ongoing thing he'd participated in?

We've been treating Jonathan Martin as the victim in all of this, but maybe that's not quite the case. Sure, hearing Richie Incognito say terrible things like that to him appears bad out of context, but teammates seem to suggest that it was all in jest. The poop in your mouth comment would certainly make a lot more sense if that were the case.

This story is just getting started, and if this had to happen somewhere, I'm glad it's to an AFC East rival!

Related:

Guess who told Richie Incognito to haze Jonathan Martin? Ok, it was the coaches
Video: Richie Incognito dropping the N word in a fit of shirtless rage, also said Martin is easiest to scare
Report: Richie Incognito Called Jonathan Martin a "Half N*****", Threatened to Poop in his Mouth