NFL players are pinning Martin partially responsible for the situation with Incognito

Miami Dolphins offensive lineman, Richie Incognito, is getting a lot of negative attention for his bullying of fellow player Jonathan Martin. However, NFL players are now calling out Martin, saying that his behavior may have made the situation worse. Denver Broncos Defensive tackle Terrance Knighton said: “Everybody in the NFL knows that when you’re a young guy and when you’re with the O-line you’ve got it the hardest. I mean, that’s been going on for a while… I don’t know where they crossed the line at; maybe [Incognito] said something personal. I feel like, as players, when it is player-to-player, it can be handled as players. It can be addressed. I don’t think [Martin] should have gone outside the team and expressed how things are going in the locker room.”

Professor of sports psychology and sports ethics at Duke, Greg Dale, also commented on the issue. “I was teaching my class at Duke to a group of undergrads, and we were talking about this very thing in class,” Dale said. “And the comments from several of the young men were, ‘Well, he really needs to man up. He’s a man, and you’ve got to handle that on your own. He shouldn’t have walked away.’ And that’s the core of the problem right there.”