[Trevmiesterj]

As a football fan and a youth football coach, this incident has made me think deeply about players, team psyche and the human condition.  The posts here on the Cardboard are relevant and thoughtful and take this matter beyond some of the current media scramble. 

Here is a quote from the well written USA Today article by Brent Schrotenboer.  I think it speaks to SUBuddha's excellent post about his personal experience with bullying and how it shaped him.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl...n/3439819/

In previous interviews with reporters, Incognito and his father indicated other students ridiculed him for being overweight as a child, especially during sixth grade in Glendale, Ariz. His father, Richie Sr., a Vietnam veteran, told NFL.com that he gave his son advice: "If you let anyone give you (expletive) now, you're going to take (expletive) your entire life."

It's a common cycle for victims of various kinds of abuse, including bullying. Those who suffered often repeat the abuse themselves, especially when they accumulate power over others when they get older.

What I find interesting is that while Incognito was most responsible for the intimidation, hazing and other negative behaviors perpetuated on Martin, I would suspect this wasn't a situation of man vs man. 

The entire offensive line got up from that table the day that Martin slammed down his tray and walked out.  If a young player was up against the entire Dolphin O-line and other veterans in the inner circle, it would be a formidable entity to stand up to. 

Couple that with a player that sticks outs because of their schooling and intelligence and they become an obvious and constant mark to pick on.  Players like Jonathan Martin are different because of their intelligence.  And having a keen intellect AND graduating from an institution like Stanford or Harvard brings with it an unspoken belief that these players have had an easy, pampered life and fit into this hazy category of "soft".

So they have little choice but to conform, endure abuse or be cast out.

[Trevmiesterj]

As a football fan and a youth football coach, this incident has made me think deeply about players, team psyche and the human condition.  The posts here on the Cardboard are relevant and thoughtful and take this matter beyond some of the current media scramble. 

Here is a quote from the well written USA Today article by Brent Schrotenboer.  I think it speaks to SUBuddha's excellent post about his personal experience with bullying and how it shaped him.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl...n/3439819/

In previous interviews with reporters, Incognito and his father indicated other students ridiculed him for being overweight as a child, especially during sixth grade in Glendale, Ariz. His father, Richie Sr., a Vietnam veteran, told NFL.com that he gave his son advice: "If you let anyone give you (expletive) now, you're going to take (expletive) your entire life."

It's a common cycle for victims of various kinds of abuse, including bullying. Those who suffered often repeat the abuse themselves, especially when they accumulate power over others when they get older.

What I find interesting is that while Incognito was most responsible for the intimidation, hazing and other negative behaviors perpetuated on Martin, I would suspect this wasn't a situation of man vs man. 

The entire offensive line got up from that table the day that Martin slammed down his tray and walked out.  If a young player was up against the entire Dolphin O-line and other veterans in the inner circle, it would be a formidable entity to stand up to. 

Couple that with a player that sticks outs because of their schooling and intelligence and they become an obvious and constant mark to pick on.  Players like Jonathan Martin are different because of their intelligence.  And having a keen intellect AND graduating from an institution like Stanford or Harvard brings with it an unspoken belief that these players have had an easy, pampered life and fit into this hazy category of "soft".

So they have little choice but to conform, endure abuse or be cast out.