So they had a big segment about this on this morning's pre-game show. Is it hazing/bullying, or good natured fun that finally someone couldn't handle? Where is the line between good-natured ribbing/team building and outright abuse?
Miami Dolphins offensive tackle Jonathan Martin isn't returning to the team anytime soon. Martin is expected to be placed on the non-football injury (NFI) list this week following his departure from the team for emotional reasons, and the Dolphins organization will deal with stories suggesting systemic issues of how their young players are treated.
The entire Martin issue will be looked at closely by the NFL Players Association in the coming weeks. NFL Media's Jeff Darlington spoke with NFLPA Executive Director DeMaurice Smith on Sunday.
"We believe our job at the NFL Players Association is to do our best to take care of all of our players," Smith said. "So we'll continue to look at the situation. I expect our players to be good men on the field and good men in the locker room."
The Dolphins could be answering questions on multiple fronts. Adam Beasley of The Miami Herald reports that a young defensive player has gone broke because of pressure to pay for older players. The veterans are using the younger players as "an ATM," according to Beasley.
"Now, more than ever, the illusions of division threaten our very existence. We all know the truth: more connects us than separates us. But in times of crisis the wise build bridges, while the foolish build barriers. We must find a way to look after one another as if we were one single tribe.” -King T'Challa, Black Panther
The truth is incontrovertible. Malice may attack it. ignorance may deride it, but in the end, there it is. ~Winston Churchill
