Dolphins guard has been suspended indefinitely
Dolphins guard has been suspended indefinitely
By STEVEN WINE
The Associated Press
DAVIE, Fla. — Suspended Miami Dolphins guard Richie Incognito sent text messages to teammate Jonathan Martin that were racist and threatening, two people familiar with the situation said Monday.
The people spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the Dolphins and NFL haven’t disclosed the nature of the misconduct that led to Incognito’s suspension.
Martin, a tackle, remained absent from practice Monday one week after he suddenly left the team. Also missing was Incognito, suspended indefinitely late Sunday by Miami for his treatment of Martin.
The team and NFL continued their investigation into allegations by Martin’s representatives that he was bullied, and Dolphins coach Joe Philbin said it was Miami owner Stephen Ross who asked league commissioner Roger Goodell for assistance with that probe. The NFL Players Association also planned to look into the matter.
“Since April 10, 2012, when the players first came here and I was the head coach, every decision I’ve made, everything we’ve done in this facility has been done with one thing in mind,” Philbin said Monday. “That’s to help our players and our organization reach their full potential. Any type of conduct, behavior that detracts from that objective is not acceptable and is not tolerated.”
The 319-pound Incognito, a ninth-year pro, is white. The 312-pound Martin, who is in his second NFL season, is black.
It’s unclear whether Dolphins coaches and management had any inkling of harassment between players before Martin left the team, and Philbin declined to answer a question about the locker-room culture because of the ongoing investigation. Recent rumblings of locker-room dissension have also included complaints by young players that they’re pressured to pay more than their share when team members socialize together.
Philbin also said he was unaware of hazing incidents that involved Incognito — such as hacking into a teammate’s Facebook page — on the HBO series “Hard Knocks,” which chronicled the Dolphins’ training camp in 2012. Philbin said he never watched the show.
“If the review shows that this is not a safe atmosphere, I will take whatever measures are necessary to ensure that it is,” Philbin said. “I have that obligation to the players that I coach on a daily basis and I will do that.”
Before being suspended, Incognito posted several tweets saying he wanted his name cleared.
“Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth,” Incognito tweeted, quoting Buddha.
Agents for the two players didn’t respond Monday to requests for comment. Martin is with his family in Los Angeles for counseling.