Jump to content

Jonathan Martin AWOL, Incognito suspended


uncle flap

Recommended Posts

Wow, really funny...make fun of a guy that has some sort of mental illness...this is what passes as comraderie in Miami? No wonder they are in full Chan Gailey implosion mode after a 3-0 start...

Edited by matter2003
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 763
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

That Hard Knocks segment with his teammates calling him "Big Weirdo" was the first thing I thought of when I heard about this. (I believe Incognito was heavily involved.) When I first saw that, I predicted that Martin's time in Miami wouldn't go well, because it was immediately clear that:

 

1.) Martin did not find this kind of teasing to be good-natured or funny, and was quite upset by it;

 

2.) His teammates seemed to be completely oblivious to Martin's discomfort, and thought they were being cool.

 

The fact that the teasing/bullying/whatever was coming not just from his own teammates, but his O-line mates, probably made things even worse. Football, like almost any team sport, is very very "team" oriented. The players usually have an intense camaraderie, almost to the point of brotherhood. (Even our crappy Bills teams have been very close in the locker room this past decade.) Now, men often fight, or tease each other, or find other ways to give each other a hard time. But when they're close, like teammates or close friends or brothers, it's usually coming from a place of love. My friends bust my balls all the time, but never in a way that cuts deep or makes me feel uncomfortable.

 

What Martin's teammates were doing on Hard Knocks was not good-natured ribbing or ball busting. They might just be emotionally clueless and can't read a teammate to see that he's not okay with you calling him a weirdo. (Also, "Big Weirdo"? That's such a lame nickname. At least be funny if you're going to make fun of someone.) Or they might be a-holes who decided to keep riding him for the sake of it. Aka, bullies. Maybe they'd never before had a sensitive/thin-skinned/mood-disordered/whatever teammate like Martin.

 

I don't know, but I do know that if the coaching staff was smart, they would've seen the same thing I saw and put a stop to the teasing/bullying. Whether they're bullying Martin or he's being a baby is irrelevant from a coach's perspective. The bottom line is that Martin is a valuable resource (2nd-round pick, starting OT, seemed fairly promising as a rookie) and can't be wasted. Sorry for being so long-winded on this, but that's ultimately the point I wanted to make -- the coaching staff needs to be held accountable for what's going on in their locker room, too. And for the record, I tend to think that the Bills wouldn't stand for that kind of thing if it was happening here.

Good post. I feel bad for the guy (even though he is a Dolphin). He went to Stanford and presumably is a bright kid. Part of being on a team (and especially members of the O-line) is to have each other's back. The team chemistry with the Dolphins has got to be pretty bad and only getting worse. I hope Martin gets the help he needs and is productive at and where he chooses to be (preferably not the Dolphins).
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wow, really funny...make fun of a guy that has some sort of mental illness...this is what passes as comraderie in Miami? No wonder they are in full Chan Gailey implosion mode after a 3-0 start...

 

I did not realise that this board had so many psychology experts that can diagnose someone having mental issues. Give me a break.

 

I see that this has become a discussion on mental illness. Maybe I missed something but was there any mention of mental illness in the report? Maybe he's just "as mad as hell" at some of his teammates and "not going to take it anymore." Being an athlete you could easily see how his reaction might be a little juvenile.

 

Thank You!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Holy crap get a life people!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Aren't we all kind of jumping to the mental health conclusion? This could just as easily be a case of a quitter, things get a little rough he gets teased too much and is paid millions already so what matters more? Jonathan Martin or the Dolphins?. Not all of these guys have great attitudes and thick skin some just wanna go home relax and be rich at the end of the day. If I'm Miami I'd be much more concerned about the type of message that action sends to the locker room, your rookies and what it says about the coaching staff. On the other hand does the AFC East seriously have another circus going already? Sit back pop some popcorn and watch the explosion!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Seems like the other O-linemen trying to blame their crappy play on him via bullying. Great TEAM atmosphere over there. If that happened here, my guess is that Marrone would stop it asap.

 

Hope Martin addresses whatever mental issues he may have, and comes back to play for a team that isn't full of a-holes.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think the part about him seeking treatment, coupled with the reaction he had, is leading most to believe there MAY be a mental illness factor involved.

 

I, too, commend the majority on their interactions in this thread. It reminds me why I still hang around here.

I saw the seeking treatment part and I don't want to sound cynical, but these days anyone who commits a public faux-pas and has a publicist seeks treatment as a means to rehabilitate his reputation. People who cheat on their wives get sex addiction therapy. People who flip out and fly off the handle get anger management therapy. People who get drunk and do something stupid or get a DWI get substance abuse therapy. So to me, just hearing that he is getting treatment doesn't necessarily mean that he has mental health issues. If how he was treated on Hard Knocks is typical of how he has been treated in general then I can see snapping and telling your teammates off without some type of disorder.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Rough story all the way around. As someone who has worked with people with mental illness, it's nothing to joke about. My brother went to Penn and played football there. A kid on his team had everything: smart, athlete, popular, great family etc. He ended up killing himself. You never know and I think people are too ashamed to get help. Personally, I think every person should get counseling.

 

I also suspect the people who think bullying is just a part of life are the same ones who think everything is too PC now. I never got the need to offend and insult people if you're happy with yourself. I don't know what happened but it doesn't sound like it was just one thing.

 

I also will admit that I thought Martin was a very solid prospect. Obviously once Miami got him, I'm happy that he has struggled. But not if this is the reason. Hope he gets the help he needs.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Rough story all the way around. As someone who has worked with people with mental illness, it's nothing to joke about. My brother went to Penn and played football there. A kid on his team had everything: smart, athlete, popular, great family etc. He ended up killing himself. You never know and I think people are too ashamed to get help. Personally, I think every person should get counseling.

 

I also suspect the people who think bullying is just a part of life are the same ones who think everything is too PC now. I never got the need to offend and insult people if you're happy with yourself. I don't know what happened but it doesn't sound like it was just one thing.

 

I also will admit that I thought Martin was a very solid prospect. Obviously once Miami got him, I'm happy that he has struggled. But not if this is the reason. Hope he gets the help he needs.

Lest we not forget Demetrius Underwood: http://articles.latimes.com/1999/oct/09/sports/sp-20443

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'll try to keep cool because this is a sensitive issue for me.

 

The profession is irrelevant. Maybe hitting people has been his outlet. Maybe because he was good at it he was able to "hide" his anxiety/ depression behind his talent.

 

Mental illness strikes anyone, no matter size, strength, talent or what have you. You could have all the advantages in the world, but if the brain chemicals are not firing correctly, they are not firing correctly. I've dealt with these issues myself. It doesn't make any sense. The biggest issue for people on the outside is attempting to rationalize irrational behavior. Even if you are dealing with it, you may be fully aware that your thoughts and behavior are irrational. I personally wouldn't wish a mental illness on anyone. Depression (in my case) is awful. Try to imagine feeling weak, cold, pounding headaches, blurred vision, feeling a million miles away from people just a few inches away and anytime someone speaks it either is mumbled and impossible to understand or sounds like thousands of screaming voices directly in your ear. Food loses taste, you can't feel anything. Your world just feels bleak, like no hope exists. On top of that, you are fully aware that nothing is wrong. There is no reason to feel this way. But you do, and it doesn't go away.

 

Its truly an awful awful place to be. Try locking yourself in a dark closet for 24 hours and you'll get a small taste of what its like. Then stretch that out for a few weeks or months in really severe cases.

 

Took me over a year of once a week therapy before I was able to deal with many problems. It may not make sense to you but its no joke and frankly, I one of the lucky ones to have had the support I did. Not everyone has that and they end up in far worse places than I ever was.

 

Late to the thread, but thank you for posting this. I have a good buddy who battled/battles depression and anxiety - he did many irrational things growing up that were not quite normal, and no one could understand. Just got up and walked out of school, walked home (a long way) and went to bed, missed football practice, did not tell anyone including his g/f anything ... that kind of thing.

 

Over time as we grew up, we got more into trying to help him rather than just telling stories of his irrationality (as young kids are wont to do). Your description of what it all feels like is almost exactly how I remember him describing it to us.

 

Smart, funny, great looking guy ... (women literally fawn over him) ... none of it ever made any sense to us ... people who are lucky enough to be without a chemical imbalance.

 

I certainly hope Jonathan Martin can get the help he needs.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A good reminder that these guys are people too. I hope he gets the help he needs.

 

And if there was/is real bullying going on, I wonder if the Dolphins—or Roger Goodell?— will hand out some discipline? But probably not, bullying is not nearly as egregious as a choreographed dance with a teammate in the end zone, right?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

×
×
  • Create New...