NFL
Players Confronted With the Question ‘What Makes a Man’? Dave
Zirin on
Nov 10, 2013
NYTimes: For the Want of Real Leaders NFL Culture Will Stay Lost
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/11/sports/football/for-the-want-of-real-leaders-nfl-culture-will-stay-lost.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit_th_20131111
NYTimes about Incognito's behavior
The
Chicago Bears: A Ray of Light in the Darkness of the NFL's Bully-palooza
by Dave Zirin
Every day it gets worse. Every day there is
more
news emerging from NFL locker rooms about racist, sexist, violent
harassment, otherwise known as "bullying", a term many are saying is
far too benign. Every day we also get more sports radio hosts – the football
version of the Iraq War chicken hawks - defending this status quo as a
necessity in a violent “manly” sport. KNBR sports radio host Damon Bruce, who I
suppose we can now call the “William Kristol” of this mess
said,
“There is a serious group of you fellas out there that have just been so
feminized by the sensitive types out there who continue to now interject their
ultra-feminine sensitive opinions into the world of sports…. This is guy's
stuff. This is men's stuff. And I don't expect women to understand men's stuff
anymore than they should expect me to be able to relate to
labor
pains.”
The only “labor pains" worth mentioning - trust me - is the pain
in having to listen to this guy’s show. To paraphrase something once said about
Homer Simpson, in any other country Damon Bruce would have starved to death
years ago.
But if there is one bright spot in this whole thing, it is the fact that–
thanks to courage of Dolphins whistleblower Jonathan Martin - the curtain has
been officially lifted on this horror-show of deeply destructive, macho
horseshit. It has also shed light on NFL players and teams who are not willing
to play these kinds of games.
An example worth far more attention than it is receiving is that of the Chicago
Bears. The team somewhat surprisingly is at the top of the NFC North division,
even with a new coach, Marc Trestman, at the helm. Maybe there is a reason the
team has stuck together through injuries and adversity. It turns out that
Trestman’s first act upon taking the job was outlawing any and all of this so
called “hazing”. He said to
CBS
Chicago’s Adam Hoge that this was the way it was going to be from his
"first night" as coach. . . .
read more at the link above
NYTimes: In Bullying Case, Questions on N.F.L. Culture
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/05/sports/football/for-the-nfl-a-question-of-hazing-or-abuse.html?_r=0
I think this is what you were describing in class last week --Dr. Cate
NFL and Hazing/Bullying
I think that first off what goes on in an NFL locker room is not what normal society or a workplace environment is. Second I think that what has happened in Miami is a case of someone who crossed the line when it comes to treating another teammate while at the same time I believe that the situation should have been handled differently. Finally although hazing does go on in the NFL I think that only in rare instances does it go to far and many things that we view as wrong and see them as how could that happen? are common place in the NFL and are not even thought about twice by most players.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Logan, I think that hazing goes on in every NFL locker room and I believe it goes on in every sport. For example, rookie pitchers in the MLB have to wear princess backpacks the whole year. This case in the NFL is unprecedented because of the publicity that this case has gotten. Players must know where to draw the line and in this case they went way overboard. At the same time, this matter could have been handled within the team and nobody would be talking about this right now.
ReplyDeleteThought this photo was pretty relevant to the incognito bullying case
ReplyDeletehttps://twitter.com/NFLRT/status/400094125154115584/photo/1
Some bullying can be known as a ritual in some sports. For example, in basketball the rookies have to do embarrassing things or acts throughout their first year. Blake griffin his rookie year had to carry a stuffed life-size doll to all his games. Bullying can be a funny gesture in some sports, but it can also reach extremes that don't need to be reached in the miami case. I feel like in this incident that even the term bullying is bad people do have freedom of speech to speak up and to be a 6'4 200 and something nfl player, you would think they would use that to step up.
ReplyDeletethe fact that this happens in professional american sports (except soccer) is beyond unacceptable. Rookies should carry pads and clean up. Do some laundry or something? not get verbally assaulted and their family threatened? Incognito should have to go to some sort of therapy. Next the dolphins should be punished because there are about 15 people in each organization that are hired to help players who may be depressed, or might have problems within the organization. The fact that nothing was recognized before a man had to leave the team for something to be said or done is unacceptable. The dolphins should be fined to set a standard and those people should be fired. Finally, jonathon martin should grow up a little. If you are being bullied by a man smaller than you, beat his ass. Send him a message that he went to far. He let it get so bad he brought it on himself.
ReplyDeleteNo matter what sport it is or what level, whether its highschool, college, or professional, you as freshmen or rookies, will be given a hard time. To me, this is all in good nature and allows to build a relationship with the team. When i say given a hard time, i mean that its not enough to tear you down to nothing, its a give and take relationship that shows how resiliant you are as a person and creates that bond with the rest of the team. As for this article about the dolphins, the hazing looks as if it was taken to far and has created an unstabble locker room atmosphere. I dont believe that it shoudl have made it as far as it did as into the publics knowledge, i think it shoudl have been handled within the organization and left along.
ReplyDeleteI did not realize what an issue bulling is in the NFL. If it is not exceptable in other professions and parts of life, it should not be tolerated in the NFL. If there is an issue of bullying or discrimination in any other workplace, the issue becomes a priority and needs to be handled by management. One should not have to take responsibility themselves to solve an issue of being bullied. As adults, we have a responsibility to our coworkers to treat them with respect. Therefore, if violated, someone in a power of greater authority needs to assign reprecussions. Minor hazing is not necessarily terrible if it is with the right intentions. However, if a white athlete with a history of racial discrimination takes hazing of african american athletes to the extreme, then the intentions are more likely malicious. This can no longer be handled "within" the team, but by someone who can seriously address the issue. I agree with how the player is being punished.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Nicole, bullying is not tolerated in other professional realms, why should the NFL be any different? I do agree that when you are a rookie or new to the team that it is normal to be picked on by veteran teammates, but when it gets to the extent that it did between Martin and Incognito, then it really should be addressed. I also agree with Matt, that if the hired Dolphins staff who are there for player support of issues such as this one and they did nothing to mediate it or settle it privately, then they should all be terminated. I think the Miami Dolphins and all of the other teams in the NFL should speak to their staff and players about issues such as these and make sure they are being handled appropriately to prevent a public debacle such as this.
ReplyDeleteI think bullying happens all over in sports and workplaces. You just hear about the sports more because sports are so commericalized today that you can't turn on the news, looking the paper without hearing something about sports good or bad. most workplaces if they have bullying they take care of it in a quit manor so that they don't get a law suit. In sports it seems that its a common practice and yes it can be funny simple harmless jokes. but there will always be that person that takes it too far and ruins the harmless intent of being funny. I think that yes it is taken to far in some cases but in others it brings the team together and become a family.
ReplyDeleteBullying may be a problem, but in the case of the Miami Dolphins each man is at fault. In an interview with Jay Glazer each guy sent text messages that were just as vulgar and crude. I agree with logan that the locker room is a whole different type of society. I do think that this problem does need to be looked into especially at the high school and college level where this problem of hazing starts, and moves into the culture of professional sports. I can see some of the necessary steps being taken as the Minnesota Timberwolves have banned hazing, as Shabazz Muhammad was caring a girlish backpack and this cause for the team to stop this. I believe this is a funny joke type of hazing, but if we are to stop all hazing, it needs to be stopped even at the most harmless and funny type of hazing.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Kevin and that bullying is probably quite common placed. I think the reason that people find it so shocking when they discover that bullying goes on quite regularly in team's locker rooms is because those athletes are claiming to be a team, a unified unit that works together to get the job done and protect each other's backs. Everyone can understand practical jokes and messing around but when a player verbally and physically abuses another and even threaten his family, that bullying individuals is not a member of the team because teammates by their very definition do not do that to each other.
ReplyDeleteIn each level of athletics whether it is middle school, high school, college, or the professional level the new guys will always get picked on and messed with a little bit. It is sort of like a right of passage or initiation into the group. However, there should be a limit to the type of behavior. In the case of Jonathan Martin and Richie Incognito which has blown up and been discussed week after week, the line of joking was crossed and had become malicious. Whenever people bring up racial slurs, and death threats that is something that should be taken seriously. That in fact itself is bullying and bullying should not be tolerated at any level. Especially the level of youth and high school bullying should be stressed as a no-no. Whether these professional athletes realize it or not they are role models to our youth and what they do their fans will want to do. So it is our job as a society to stress how bad bullying is and that it needs to be stopped.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, the whole Miami Dolphins case is just a simple matter of immaturity of adult professional athletes. I also believe that what happens in those locker rooms shouldn't be reported to the public to know about. After all, its a locker room, most people expect privacy when in a locker room. I also agree with some others in saying that professional athletes locker room is very different from a normal business boardroom or of any other profession. These guys get to play the sport they love and be paid for it, so they will more than likely have more fun doing their job. That being said, they are also men and football players, not that they are all this way because I don't believe I was, but being in a football locker room for six years, things happen. Guys joke with each other, wrestle, hang out. I think this whole thing happened because one person messed around with someone else who doesn't like joking around and took things too seriously.
ReplyDeleteI have to agree with Josh on this because this is just a case of immaturity of adults. First off, these guys as Josh mentioned joke, hanging out, etc. Second, these guys are professional athletes you are there to play a sport and get paid, not to take stuff personally. Third, there is an issue of cultural difference of being in a professional locker room and being in a top of the line college's locker room.
DeleteThese guys are adults.... stand up for yourselves... acting like you guys are in first grade jeez...
ReplyDeleteAmen Dexter!!! The truth finally gets spoken on a mater of being an adult in this situation.
DeleteHaving previously played football, I can say that there is definitely a presence in locker rooms of bullying in the lightest sense of the word. The uniqueness with the bullying I feel like in this situation was that it was 'mutual' being that when one person was 'giving shit' to someone, that person that was getting shit would give it right back to that person. Unfortunately this is sometimes taken too far and people cross the lines on deep personal issues or even physical altercations. A football locker room isn't like many other places, being that there is usually high testosterone levels leading to an 'alpha male' mentality. I feel like that atmosphere is present due to the tough competitiveness that is required in football and can lead to some of the present issues we hear about with bullying in the game.
ReplyDeleteAs for the case in the NFL, it is ridiculous to hear that these kinds of issues exist. These are grown men that WORK with each other. I can understand a few practical jokes here and there on teammates and even rookies during training camp, but to the point of making someone commit suicide or have to leave the team to seek counseling is completely unacceptable. If anything teammates should unite in situations like this and help ensure their teammate gets better or is put in a direction to get help.
I agree with Logan in the fact that football locker rooms are not like normal society. from personal experience I have been in football locker rooms for about fifteen years of my life. A football locker room is where you can go to be around the guys. Hazing has always been part of the locker room and it always will be. In saying this I firmly believe that there is a line that can be crossed but you really have to be persistent and really be a terrible person to reach that level. While in the locker room it is completely conmen to here jokes about someone and they usually respond with a joke back. With what happened in the NFL, I think that they line was crossed and then some. This whole situation was handled wrong and it should have been kept more private for the sake of the players.
ReplyDelete