Despite his surname, it's a miracle that Richie Incognito managed to fly under the radar for so long. Despite accumulating a sizeable list of misdemeanors throughout this career, the news of Incognito's bullying of second-year tackle Jonathan Martin has still been a surprising revelation.
Surprising because, since his arrival in Miami in 2010, the number of open complaints about his behaviour have dwindled. Prior to that season, however, Incognito had a well-deserved reputation as a dirty player on the field - in his first four seasons he led the league in 'unnecessary roughness' penalties - and an unlikeable bully off it.
His contemporaries have been damning:
"He didn't know where to draw the line" - David Kowalski, Ex-Nebraska Cornhuskers centre. While at Nebraska, Incognito was convicted of assault and twice suspended from the team. He later transferred to Oregon, but the Ducks cut him before he could participate in a single practice.
"Hate is a strong word but I've always hated Incognito. Just for perspective, he's the guy that makes you want to spit in his face...Incognito is way worse than anybody I ever played against" - Lawrence Jackson, Ex-Seahawks and Lions defensive end
"If he is a leader in your locker room, that is a problem...what this shows me is there is some void of leadership somewhere within the Miami Dolphins locker room, because if there are issues like this, generally the head coach or the general manager is going to know something about this...I didn't want him coming out, and I don't want him now" - Scott Pioli, Ex-Patriots and Chiefs general manager
Pioli's words are perhaps the most revealing. He accurately described the current situation as a 'disaster' and, given that this saga has unfolded right in the middle of the season, the title seems apt.
The Dolphins have rightly suspended Incognito but there will be further consequences for the team following the news that other linemen may be implicated in the enforcement of a 'rookie tax' scheme. 'Rookie tax' is widespread and largely harmless, but the alarming reality is that the Dolphins appear to have taken it to the extreme - Jonathan Martin was forced to pay $15,000 towards a trip to Las Vegas...despite not going himself.
Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald first reported that an unnamed rookie had to pay $30,000 for a team dinner and that veterans were consistently using younger players (Martin is a second year player, not a rookie) as 'ATM's'.
The Dolphins are already down two starting linemen already, but if more allegations are made - and other members of that unit wind up suspended - Miami's promising season could be undone completely.
‘Lockeroom Distraction’ is a buzzword banded around almost as much as ‘Elite’ is nowadays, but compared with prima donna receivers and pious third-string quarterbacks, the potential loss of an entire offensive line in the middle of the season would be catastrophic.
Incognito is in the final year of his contract, and his suspension could mean the end for him in Miami.
Agree? Disagree? Let me know in the comments section or on Twitter: @TomMacFootball
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