In the wake of the shocking bullying and racism allegations against Miami Dolphins offensive lineman Richie Incognito, several of his teammates have said they have no issues with the 30-year-old.
The Miami Herald yesterday reported quotes from several of the Dolphins' black players saying they have no problem with Incognito and do not believe he is a racist.
Among the quotes was an incredible description of how Incognito is viewed by his black teammates. Armando Salguero wrote:
"Richie is honarary," one player who left the Dolphins this offseason told me today. "I don't expect you to understand because you're not black. But being a black guy, being a brother is more than just about skin color. It's about how you carry yourself. How you play. Where you come from. What you've experienced. A lot of things."
On the other side of things, Salguero writes that Jonathan Martin, the bi-racial victim of Incognito's alleged abuse, was not accepted by the other black members of the team.
Another former Dolphins employee told me Martin is considered "soft" by his teammates and that's a reason he's not readily accepted by some of the players, particularly the black players. His background -- Stanford educated and the son of highly educated people -- was not necessarily seen as a strength or a positive by some players and it perpetuated in the way Martin carried himself.
Elsewhere, Florida newspaper the Sun Sentinel reports that Dolphins coaches asked Incognito to "toughen up" Jonathan Martin last spring, before he sent the abusive messages which will be investigated by the NFL.
The paper cites unnamed sources who believe Incognito "may have taken those orders too far".
