The NFL And Adult Bullies

A bullying case rocks the NFL. We look at adult bullying in sports and more.

Bullying has a new poster child: 6’5” tall and over three hundred pounds. His name is Jonathan Martin, who until last week played for the Miami Dolphins. He walked away from the team—possibly his career—for “emotional issues.”  Allegedly bullied by teammate  Richie Incognito. Nasty stuff: racial epithets. Texts. Phone calls. Death threats.  Now reports coaches might have encouraged it to toughen Martin up. It’s putting a spotlight on football culture—and workplace bulling beyond the gridiron.  Up next On Point: adult bullying in sports and more.

Andrew Abramson, NFL reporter at the Palm Beach Post. Writes the Daily Dolphin Blog. (@AbramsonPBP)

Kevin Blackistone, sports journalist and college professor. Frequent panelist for ESPN's Around The Horn. (@ProfBlackistone)

Amanda Nickerson, associate professor in the department of counseling, school, and educational psychology at The University at Buffalo and the director of the Alberti Center for Bullying Abuse Prevention.

New York Times: In Bullying Case, Questions On N.F.L. Culture — "Martin, a classics major who attended Stanford and is the son of two Harvard graduates, left the Dolphins last week after an episode in the cafeteria in which teammates stood as Martin sat, the last in a string of perceived slights. Incognito, a 30-year-old veteran with a reputation for dirty play and a history of rough behavior, was suspended indefinitely by the Dolphins late Sunday while the team and the league investigated the matter."

Palm Beach Post: Source: Coaches told Incognito to ‘toughen up’ teammate Martin -- "Dolphins guard Richie Incognito, now suspended by the club for tormenting teammate Jonathan Martin, had been told by at least one coach to help “toughen him up,” a source close to the organization told The Palm Beach Post this morning. The source said there was a general understanding among coaches, including head coach Joe Philbin, that Martin, a second-year player from Stanford, was 'too soft.'"

Grantland: The Tumultuous Timeline of Richie Incognito — "Since arriving in Miami, Incognito has been involved in several incidents with opposing players, but he has a history of off-field issues that date back to his time at the University of Nebraska. As new details about the case with Martin and the Dolphins emerge, here is a collection of Incognito’s past transgressions that probably warrant mentioning, considering the news from this past week."