Living here in South Florida, you are likely no stranger to the Richie Incognito and Jonathan Martin situation playing out in the Miami Dolphin’s organization.  Recently, it has dominated not only the sports news but also the national news.  It seems that the conflict has raised more questions than answers, questions not only about the specific incident, but also about the culture of sports.

Several weeks ago, second year Miami Dolphins’ offensive lineman, Jonathan Martin, left the team.  Later, veteran lineman Richie Incognito, who does not have the “prettiest” reputation to say the least, was accused of bullying and hazing Martin.  Details about Incognito’s behavior, including racial and abusive language toward Martin, threats toward his family, and a demand to pay a huge bill, became public.

At first glance, it seems that Jonathon Martin was the victim and Richie Incognito the culprit, yet many players on the Miami Dolphins have defended Incognito.  While the situation is currently under investigation, a more important debate arises pertaining to the role of bullying and hazing in sports.  The situation takes the role of a propeller that has led to a new perspective in sports culture.

The Martin-Incognito saga has portrayed a seemingly distinct and unique culture in the football locker room.  NFL legend Brett Favre said, “My initial reaction was, you’ve got to be kidding me. Pro football bullying? We’re playing the toughest sport, most violent…  I’m not defending or condoning, all I’m saying is my initial reaction was, a grown man who’s 320 pounds is getting bullied?”

Is fighting and bullying the norm in an NFL locker room?  Are moral and verbal standards different in the NFL locker room than in a more traditional work environment?  The questions develop.  Hazing rookies by an NFL team has become a part of the league, such as making young players carry bags or dye their hair.  However, the bullying described in Incognito’s case crosses the line.

Deon Dyer, who played in the NFL and is currently an assistant coach at Pine Crest, stated, “Bullying should not happen in the NFL, an adult setting.  It is disappointing that because of this scandal, bullying is being associated with the NFL.”

PC Administrator David Clark, who played college football at Dartmouth and was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals, added, “When I played, there was hazing—I had to carry the shoulder pads or helmets or sit in ice.  It was fun play, but nothing more.  In the Incognito-Martin situation, it seems that the locker room became a jungle room and that bullying was continuous.”

The game of football is competitive, violent, and popular at all levels.  Does the hazing and bullying that seems to occur at the professional level have a home in high school football locker rooms as well?  What about here at Pine Crest?  Sophomore center Jacob Schaffer said, “There is some slight hazing in our PC locker room, but it is all in good fun.  We are all a brotherhood in the end.”

Bullying or hazing in all sports, whether at the professional or high school level, needs to be decreased and, hopefully in time, eliminated.  Athletic competition is one of the greatest institutions in society, and although sports can be extremely competitive and even violent, bullying has no place in ruining the joy, competition, and excitement that sports bring to the world.