Incognito admits he was the one who screwed up in Buffalo

[Big Turk]

Incognito being candid and admitting he fell back into drinking and drugs during the 2017, saying he was showing up to team functions high, was overweight, unmotivated and that he put up a lot of red flags which led to the Bills requesting he take a pay cut...full story below(looks like its behind a pay wall, but for those that have a BN subscritpion appears like it will be a good read).

 

At least this gives some more background as to what was going on...at the time I remember Incognito acting in ways that seemed to indicate mental health problems may be arising or at least some form of cry for help, and now we may know what caused it or at least greatly contributed to it.

 

http://buffalonews.com/2019/09/23/hey-listen-im-ok-incognito-addresses-his-mistakes-and-his-time-with-bills-on-real-sports/

Edited September 24, 2019 by matter2003

[YoloinOhio]

Interesting 

 

At that point, it would have been nice to know if the Bills were aware of Incognito’s drinking and drugging during the 2017 season that led him to being asked to take a pay cut. No Bills executive is interviewed.

“Incognito says that after leaving the team, he began using even more drugs … and was exhibiting wild mood swings,” reported Goldberg. “And those who came into contact with him during that time … often knew that something wasn’t right with Richie Incognito

[H2o]

You worry about people like this when they don't have things like football to occupy their time anymore. Hopefully the guy keeps his life together, but one day football will no longer be an option. The question is what will he do when that day comes? 

[ALF]

I had no idea he fell back into bad habits in 2017 , oh well. Hope he is back on track now.

 

Wonder if Castillo at OL coach had a bad effect on him . 

Edited September 24, 2019 by ALF

[Pine Barrens Mafia]

Sounds like certain posters owe the organization an apology. Remember a LOT of people here castigating beane for the Incognito situation.

 

Shows the true professionalism of the organization that they kept quiet about it.

 

[K-9]

Glad to see he’s being accountable for his actions while here. There was no shortage of posts in these parts suggesting the Bills were at fault and screwed RI by asking him to take a pay cut. 

3 minutes ago, Joe in Winslow said:

Sounds like certain posters owe the organization an apology. Remember a LOT of people here castigating beane for the Incognito situation.

 

Shows the true professionalism of the organization that they kept quiet about it.

 

Just posted similar thoughts.

[BringBackOrton]

Just now, K-9 said:

Glad to see he’s being accountable for his actions while here. There was no shortage of posts in these parts suggesting the Bills were at fault and screwed RI by asking him to take a pay cut. 

Just posted similar thoughts.

Even worse.

 

There were some posters who blamed the Bills for Richie’s meltdown after the pay cut.

[atlbillsfan1975]

Richie is seems like an amazing guy when he is ‘right’. Richie could have a future In public speaking or maybe even broadcasting. Well spoken and has great insight. I hope for his sake he can stay on the straight and narrow path.

[Big Turk]

3 minutes ago, atlbillsfan1975 said:

Richie is seems like an amazing guy when he is ‘right’. Richie could have a future In public speaking or maybe even broadcasting. Well spoken and has great insight. I hope for his sake he can stay on the straight and narrow path.

 

He has personal demons like many others...he will need to figure out how to handle them if he wants that...id say its 40/60 that he does.

Edited September 24, 2019 by matter2003

[stony]

Eric Wood seems like he kept RI in check while in Buffalo.  Sounds like things were already starting to spiral, but guessing Wood's retirement didn't help.  The front office might have even know that w Wood gone, the issue was bound to get worse.  

[NoSaint]

8 minutes ago, stony said:

Eric Wood seems like he kept RI in check while in Buffalo.  Sounds like things were already starting to spiral, but guessing Wood's retirement didn't help.  The front office might have even know that w Wood gone, the issue was bound to get worse.  

 

Seems a bit stretch-y to look at wood or the previously mentioned Castillo here. The dudes always been incredibly erratic, regardless of coach, teammate, etc... 

 

two things here though -

 

if he was out of shape and showing up high I’m surprised they even offered the pay cut 

 

if this is what he’s owning, I’m curious what if any more is left unsaid. 

[MR8]

This reeks of NSA cover up... 

[Magox]

49 minutes ago, BringBackOrton said:

Even worse.

 

There were some posters who blamed the Bills for Richie’s meltdown after the pay cut.

It was inspired by the anti Beane peeps of this board.   Thankfully, they are a dying breed round here.

[billsfan_34]

1 hour ago, matter2003 said:

Incognito being candid and admitting he fell back into drinking and drugs during the 2017, saying he was showing up to team functions high, was overweight, unmotivated and that he put up a lot of red flags which led to the Bills requesting he take a pay cut...full story below(looks like its behind a pay wall, but for those that have a BN subscritpion appears like it will be a good read).

 

At least this gives some more background as to what was going on...at the time I remember Incognito acting in ways that seemed to indicate mental health problems may be arising or at least some form of cry for help, and now we may know what caused it or at least greatly contributed to it.

 

http://buffalonews.com/2019/09/23/hey-listen-im-ok-incognito-addresses-his-mistakes-and-his-time-with-bills-on-real-sports/

Substance abuse always leads to mental health problems. I hope he stays clean.

[Mr. WEO]

Those posts saying that the Bills "screwed" Incognito and that's what set him off were always ridiculous at the time.  Even more so now.

 

 

[colin]

i understand the desire to be forgiving/see the best in people, but it always shocks me how people seem almost surprised when a repeat offender offends again.  richie, as much as i like him, is a drug addict and not exactly a good guy.  the surprising thing should be when they keep clean, not when the fall back, to be honest.

 

 

[JohnC]

26 minutes ago, NoSaint said:

 

Seems a bit stretch-y to look at wood or the previously mentioned Castillo here. The dudes always been incredibly erratic, regardless of coach, teammate, etc... 

 

two things here though -

 

if he was out of shape and showing up high I’m surprised they even offered the pay cut 

 

if this is what he’s owning, I’m curious what if any more is left unsaid. 

In this case I think the organization was hedging its bets. When Incognito was focused he was arguably our best lineman. However, when he started to show signs of trouble the team was willing to risk keeping him on with the hope of a return to normalcy. If it didn't work out then  the cost of a release would have been less costly. Everyone knew about his mental health issues and his intermittent erratic behavior. Under control he was a good player. Not under control he was disruptive. The organization wanted to protect itself with a smaller contract. It was a wise thing to do. 

[DefenseWins]

I just wanna wish Richie the best. Hope he is able to put this behind him and stay straight.

[Beast]

Incognito is one of those guys that continually screws up and, down the road, admits to it being his fault and a lot of people then think he is then on the right path.

 

 

Edited September 24, 2019 by Binghamton Beast

[Matt_In_NH]

I wish him well.....in my opinion he should stop playing football, it seems like a trigger for reckless behavior in him and he should stop banging his head into others....

[Cripple Creek]

1 hour ago, Joe in Winslow said:

Sounds like certain posters owe the organization an apology. Remember a LOT of people here castigating beane for the Incognito situation.

 

Shows the true professionalism of the organization that they kept quiet about it.

 

Yes, he was treated unfairly was the narrative.

[GunnerBill]

1 hour ago, Joe in Winslow said:

Sounds like certain posters owe the organization an apology. Remember a LOT of people here castigating beane for the Incognito situation.

 

Shows the true professionalism of the organization that they kept quiet about it.

 

 

I was never in that camp. I was anti signing Richie in the first place because to me the guy has bigger things to get right in his life than football. I was always of the view that what we heard publicly was likely never the full story on the paycut that he agreed to, signed off on and then objected to and retired. He is complicated character to say the least. 

[Gugny]

Ideally, he would get the help he clearly needs and use his celebrity to help urge others suffering from mental illness to do the same.  At the same time, he could help bring to light how this country continually fails people with mental illness and those facing problems with addiction.

 

Instead of continuing to employ him, I feel that the NFL should instead focus on getting him the help he needs.  Is that their obligation?  Perhaps not.  But it would be a lot more responsible/ethical than letting teams continue to sign him. 

 

His problems are bigger and far more significant than any football team's need for an offensive lineman.

[apuszczalowski]

Funny how this offseason, Incognito ended up not being the biggest nut job on his team.......

[DrDawkinstein]

1 hour ago, ALF said:

I had no idea he fell back into bad habits in 2017 , oh well. Hope he is back on track now.

 

Wonder if Castillo at OL coach had a bad effect on him . 

 

It wasnt a well kept secret. Anyone could hang out with Richie at anytime. Just go down to the Casino/Cobblestone District and you would find him drunk almost every night.

 

I ran into him a bunch down there. I will say, always a super nice dude among the people and fans. Always willing to talk to folks, shake hands, hang out, and with a smile. At least the times I saw. For whatever it's worth.

[4BillsintheBurgh]

12 minutes ago, Gugny said:

Ideally, he would get the help he clearly needs and use his celebrity to help urge others suffering from mental illness to do the same.  At the same time, he could help bring to light how this country continually fails people with mental illness and those facing problems with addiction.

 

Instead of continuing to employ him, I feel that the NFL should instead focus on getting him the help he needs.  Is that their obligation?  Perhaps not.  But it would be a lot more responsible/ethical than letting teams continue to sign him. 

 

His problems are bigger and far more significant than any football team's need for an offensive lineman.

Why wouldn't the NFLPA get him the help he needs? Seems a lot closer to what they should be doing than the league.

[eball]

I'm so glad this came out, because I was tired of hearing about how Beane was an idiot for asking one of our best OL to take a pay cut and damaging the relationship.

[Gugny]

1 minute ago, 4BillsintheBurgh said:

Why wouldn't the NFLPA get him the help he needs? Seems a lot closer to what they should be doing than the league.

 

You are correct.  I should have said NFLPA and NFL working together.

[4BillsintheBurgh]

3 minutes ago, Gugny said:

 

You are correct.  I should have said NFLPA and NFL working together.

No worries, just a point of emphasis for me, it seems like the NFLPA is just a notch above the ncaa when it comes to the well being of their member athletes.

[Chandler#81]

Whatever drug or alcohol concoction makes you want to threaten a funeral home for not letting you cut your Dads’ head off and take it,

 

I want some!

 

Otherwise, I’m done with him and his long, sordid story. As long as he doesn’t help Oakland/LA/Vegas beat us, I couldn’t care less about him. He’ll never get my money for a speaking engagement and I won’t buy him a beer if I meet him.

But that’s just me.

[Don Otreply]

1 hour ago, atlbillsfan1975 said:

Richie is seems like an amazing guy when he is ‘right’. Richie could have a future In public speaking or maybe even broadcasting. Well spoken and has great insight. I hope for his sake he can stay on the straight and narrow path.

Don’t think broadcasting is in his future, he has little self control, every couple of years he implodes, certainly not professional enough for that world,  at least imo.

 As said above Beane deserves credit for his handling of the loony tune that is RI, a bit of crow for the Beane critics. Wish RI well, hope he saved some money over the years, he’s gonna need it. 

[Mr. WEO]

55 minutes ago, Gugny said:

Ideally, he would get the help he clearly needs and use his celebrity to help urge others suffering from mental illness to do the same.  At the same time, he could help bring to light how this country continually fails people with mental illness and those facing problems with addiction.

 

Instead of continuing to employ him, I feel that the NFL should instead focus on getting him the help he needs.  Is that their obligation?  Perhaps not.  But it would be a lot more responsible/ethical than letting teams continue to sign him. 

 

His problems are bigger and far more significant than any football team's need for an offensive lineman.

 

 

The country didn't fail him, unless you are talking about not doing a Mental Health Arrest at some point.  It is up to him to seek help. 

[muppy]

1 hour ago, Binghamton Beast said:

Incognito is one of those guys that continually screws up and, down the road, admits to it being his fault and a lot of people then think he is then on the right path.

 

 

being manipulative and in denial are traits of substance abusers coming clean is a start...If he can stay off drugs and alcohol that will be key ...I do think talk is cheap in other words  he needs to walk the walk and not just talk the talk...I haven't read any more TMZ type reports on the guy lately which is a step in the right direction. 

[Punching Bag]

59 minutes ago, 4BillsintheBurgh said:

No worries, just a point of emphasis for me, it seems like the NFLPA is just a notch above the ncaa when it comes to the well being of their member athletes.

 

In my opinion the NFLPA does more for bad boys and troubled players than players who follow rules on and off the field.

 

If I was playing I'd talk to my NFLPA representative on team asking that like people in flood zones that players with multiple infractions would need to increase dues.  

[Jauronimo]

58 minutes ago, Chandler#81 said:

Whatever drug or alcohol concoction makes you want to threaten a funeral home for not letting you cut your Dads’ head off and take it,

 

I want some!

 

Otherwise, I’m done with him and his long, sordid story. As long as he doesn’t help Oakland/LA/Vegas beat us, I couldn’t care less about him. He’ll never get my money for a speaking engagement and I won’t buy him a beer if I meet him.

But that’s just me.

 

This again?? You guys just do not understand the warrior spirit. Not like me, @Gugny and @Paulus anyway.

[Jerome007]

3 hours ago, Joe in Winslow said:

Sounds like certain posters owe the organization an apology. Remember a LOT of people here castigating beane for the Incognito situation.

 

Shows the true professionalism of the organization that they kept quiet about it.

I certainly am one of those posters. And I don't feel that bad about it with this stuff coming out TBH. Imagine ALL the issues we don't know about with players? Current and past. Just look at AB texts & emails...

 

In the end, you can only judge behavior at the training facilities, meetings, and of course, production at game time! And even with his admission of substance use and lack of motivation, he paved the way for Shady like no one else. He produced. Too late now anyway. He's a nut case for sure but to me it's "cut him, send him to rehab, or keep it the same". Not ask him to take a paycut so he fires himself... 

 

I have a friend that is like him. Well except for the millionaire part. Those guys can be an adventure to be around, and yep, you never know when the cops can show up...

[Gugny]

5 minutes ago, Jauronimo said:

 

This again?? You guys just do not understand the warrior spirit. Not like me, @Gugny and @Paulus anyway.

 

He's one of "them."

[Chandler#81]

4 minutes ago, Gugny said:

 

He's one of "them."

?BWAHAHAHAHAHA! That’s Right, Dammit!

[BillsFan4]

 

1 hour ago, Binghamton Beast said:

Incognito is one of those guys that continually screws up and, down the road, admits to it being his fault and a lot of people then think he is then on the right path.

 

 

 

That’s exactly how it seemed to me, too. He’s repeated this behavior enough times now that it’s fair to wonder if he’s just following the same pattern of old. 

 

 

He’s on his best behavior while he knows he has no other choice. The way he is acting now is just like his first year in Buffalo. He knows he’s on a very short leash.

If he plays well this year and solidifies a spot in Oakland, unfortunately I would not be at all surprised to see him start reverting back to his old ways again.  

 

I legitimately hope, for the sake of Richie and those around him, this time is different. I hope he’s getting real help to learn how to change and deal with his mental health and addiction issues. Because, if he can’t manage these issues now, while we under strict NFL + team policy + a strict, regimented schedule, and surrounded by all the support you could probably ever ask for, I don’t have high hopes for him after he retires. 

[BuffaloBill]

4 hours ago, Joe in Winslow said:

Sounds like certain posters owe the organization an apology. Remember a LOT of people here castigating beane for the Incognito situation.

 

Shows the true professionalism of the organization that they kept quiet about it.

 

 

 

My guess is they also tried to get him help.