Nov 09, 2013 19:37
I just finished nearly two days worth of work - now my real weekend can begin! So I thought I'd get out some of the stuff that's been tumbling around in my brain.
Even if you don't follow football, you've probably heard a little bit about the Miami Dolphins bullying scandal involving a younger player Jonathan Martin, and a more seasoned player and one of the team leaders, Richie Incognito; if you don't know the details, it's all over the Internet. While I'm sad that this has to be happening to my home team that I've always rooted for, it's also interesting to me because of the reactions it's gotten. The comment sections in the articles seem to be fairly divided between "Bullying is wrong at any level and Incognito (who was suspended indefinitely) deserved to be kicked off the team," to "Martin is a wuss and doesn't belong on the field." Those in the second camp are pretty adamant that that's "just the way it is" in football locker rooms, and think it's ridiculous that a 300+ pound guy could bully another 300+ pound guy. While I think the last point is fairly ridiculous - bullying has as much if not more to do with psychological tormenting as physical violence, if there was any - it does make me wonder if quiet, sensitive athletes can fit in with the typical loud, vulgar behavior of the other jocks. Martin is reportedly a bit of a "nerd," raised by two Harvard grad parents, and he is said to be on the quiet side. Incognito appears to be pretty much the polar opposite, the kind of jock who has team meetings in a strip club. Now anyone who knows me knows I'm on the nerd's side , but this got me to wondering, too - does Martin really belong in that environment? The players who have spoken out are strongly in support of Incognito, and if you've ever gotten a popular classmate in trouble, you can imagine how well it will go for Martin if and when he returns to the team. So just how does a brainy, sensitive jock fit in? This can't be the first time this has happened, so I wonder if other players who are or who have been in Martin's situation will speak out. Personally, I think the kinds of "pranks" and vulgar threats Incognito and possibly other Dolphin players are accused of has no place at the professional sports level. Like my dad said, "Shula (the Dolphins' greatest coach) would never put up with it." Anyway, I'll be curious to see how this whole thing plays out.
Looking forward to writing tomorrow and Monday - so glad I still have two days off! Hope everyone enjoys the rest of the weekend.
Love,
"Kay"