We see everyone calling for the heads of this person or that, and the talking-heads on ESPN et al feigning outrage and disbelief over the "racism" and "harassment." But what do you think of the whole situation in your opinion? Not necessarily who should get fired and what should happen next, but what do you think is REALLY happening here? Is Martin honest? Is Incognito a bigot? My 2 cents: Again, just my opinion, I could be entirely wrong, but it looks to me Martin is a guy with emotional issues, who does not love football, trying to collect as much money as possible before leaving the game. Is Richie Incognito abrasive? Certainly seems that way, but locker room talk taken out of context can seem pretty terrible to outsiders and the talking heads love to create controversy. Also, we get the transcript, no audio of the voicemail from Martin's camp, which seems like it could be, albeit crass, joking in manner. I play minor league lacrosse and the voicemails and texts my teammates and I send each other would seem appalling to outsiders. Race, family, weight, looks: nothing is out-of-bounds, but we are all BROTHERS laughing together. (PG-13 ex. "Hey you filthy ginger mick, tell your wife not so much fabric softener next time she washes my jock strap, I'm chafing" "You got it you fat dago. Tell your mother the ravioli was great Sunday, I'll see her tonight when your Dad goes to sleep." "LOL see you at practice a**hole" And these are my closest friends! I have their backs and they have mine. If someone wanted break that bond and sue our team or at the least quit and still get their paycheck, they could cite something out of context and make it seem pretty awful to anyone not directly involved in the conversation. That TMZ video is not a "Drunken Rage" as they titled it, but more like a "drunken joke" and Pouncey is laughing about it. Just a brash guy with a marked past being painted like a racist jerk in the media. I feel the team does not want to, but rather has to, distance itself from Incognito because of the trial by media going on 24/7 and the already frail reputation of our team, at least from an organizational standpoint. Losing him is not a good thing, but I don't feel it's the end of the world, plus few have mentioned that Garner played well in relief this past Thursday. Once more, just my speculation, we will see what the league's investigation brings to light. Through all of this we can only hope it is bringing the men still in the locker room closer together and they will play with an "Us vs. the World" mentality the rest of the season. I know the Bucs are winless, but they are still a dangerous team, an emphatic win in Tampa on Monday Night Football would be a huge statement for us! FinsUp!
