Dolphins fine, suspend Don Jones from offseason program

[Just Passin' By]

Just as the Dolphins were watching the Jonathan Martin/Richie Incognito mess fade into the distance, another member of the team has created a situation with which the team dealt swiftly and decisively.

The Dolphins announced that cornerback Don Jones has been fined by the team and excused from offseason workouts “until such time that he undergoes and completes educational training for his recent comments made on social media during the NFL Draft.”

Specifically, Jones posted disapproving comments on Twitter after the Rams drafted defensive end Michael Sam — and after ESPN showed an on-air kiss between Sam and another man who wasn’t his twin brother. Jones said “omg” after the kiss was televised, and later called the moment “horrible.”

“I want to apologize to Michael Sam for the inappropriate comments that I made last night on social media,” Jones said in a statement released by the team. “I take full responsibility for them and I regret that these tweets took away from his draft moment. I remember last year when I was drafted in the seventh round and all of the emotions and happiness I felt when I received the call that gave me an opportunity to play for an NFL team and I wish him all the best in his NFL career. I sincerely apologize to Mr. Ross, my teammates, coaches, staff and fans for these tweets. I am committed to represent the values of the Miami Dolphins organization and appreciate the opportunity I have been given to do so going forward.”

“We were disappointed to read Don’s tweets during the NFL Draft,” coach Joe Philbin said. “They were inappropriate and unacceptable, and we regret the negative impact these comments had on such an important weekend for the NFL. We met with Don today about respect, discrimination and judgment. These comments are not consistent with the values and standards of our program. We will continue to emphasize and educate our players that these statements will not be tolerated.”

While Jones’ comments were inappropriate and merit scorn from the general public, it’s tricky to punish a player for views expressed on his own time via his own Twitter page while away from the workplace regarding someone who isn’t even on his team. Plenty of NFL players have made homophobic remarks over the years on Twitter and elsewhere; those comments often are ignored by their teams. Why does the fact that Jones’ remarks — which were far more tame than some of the stuff other NFL players have said about homosexuals — related to a player on another NFL team make them automatically worthy of punishment?

That’s not a rhetorical question. If the arrival of an openly gay man on an NFL team is going to subject players to punishment for saying things that reflect intolerance of homosexuality, all players deserve the benefit of clear guidance as to what will trigger adverse action from their employer.

If the NFL isn’t going to provide it voluntarily, the NFLPA needs to demand it.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com...eason-program/

[jd1020]

Originally Posted by Mr. Laz

truth

Really no truth to that.

['Hamas' Jenkins]

Such a harsh rebuke risks a backlash. This could have been better handled by the GM calling him into his office, explaining the microscope the team is under thanks to Incognito, telling him that he's free to have his thoughts, but beware that he is always acting as an employee of the team given his public stature.

Oh, and calling him a dumb mother****er.

[CoMoChief]

This is what bugs me about the whooooole ****ing thing surrounding Michael Sam. He

You want to be taken as nothing more than your average teammate who helps you win games and just a football player and not having your sexuality be a factor in who you're perceived as and what you're about.

Well, to most people that sounds a lot like just wanting to come out and not making a giant deal about it. This had been a rumor around Columbia for a couple years of Sam being gay. All of his teammates knew about it. Why "publicy" come out? Does he have some righteous selfish goal of wanting to be the NFL's first known openly gay player? To me that's not keeping things on the down low. That's allowing people like ESPN to whore themselves all over you and TV for ****ing weeks. It allows CNN to cover interviews about your sexuality. It's blows it up into everyone's face and it's covered over and over and over non stop.

Someone's sexual preference should not matter in football. He has every right to be gay. But keep it to yourself and others you want knowing. No different than someone dating, marrying, ****ing someone of another gender. No one cares. I don't want someone to know anything about my personal life unless I let or want them to.

He should have come out in front of his football teammates and coaches. I'm sure close friends and family already knew beforehand. Should have been handled completely internally. And if word got out. He should have just said "yeah, so what".

Instead what Sam does is hides behind the dress of the media whores that are promoting/shoving race baiting and sexual preference into everyone's faces 24/7, and demonizing those who are against that way of lifestyle. If Sam ever answers the question are you gay, outside of football all he has to do is say yes and that's it.


He should have never had ESPN post up at his house all weekend....being that he was a later round prospect that even many around the NFL had him going undrafted. And Some media outlets try to use the fact that Sam, being the SEC co-DPOTY not being drafted, or when's the last time that happened, then implying that him being gay dropped his status, trying to point the blame on something/someone.

Obama should have never opened his mouth....never should have came to that to begin with. **** him though he had to open his god damn mouth.

If Obama had a sexual preference it'd be like Michael Sam's.

This could have all been handled way differently, the proper way, and Id respect Sam a lot more for it. But he's a ****ing attention whore who basically pulled some politician bait n switch stunt right before the election (draft) and came out, saying he just wants to be recognized as Michael Sam the football player, but then he purposely wants to get caught up in god damn circus clowns from mainstream media, locked and loaded ready to shit bomb on absolutely everything we read online and watch on TV.

Well instead congrats Michael Sam, you're going to be remembered as the gay football player for MU, who kissed a man on live ESPN feed with cake in your mouth. What a hero you are to 12yr olds everywhere.

[Chiefshrink]

Originally Posted by OnTheWarpath58

Intolerant of intolerance. Interesting.

My thoughts exactly

[Mr. Laz]

Originally Posted by jd1020

Really no truth to that.

sure it is

If they really start suspending players for every stupid,random comment they are opening quite the can of worms.

[jd1020]

Originally Posted by Mr. Laz

sure it is

If they really start suspending players for every stupid,random comment they are opening quite the can of worms.

He was suspended by his team, not the league.

He's their employee. They can do w/e they ****ing want if they find something that they feel hurts their business.

[CaliforniaChief]

Originally Posted by OnTheWarpath58

Intolerant of intolerance. Interesting.

Bingo.

[Dante84]

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

Such a harsh rebuke risks a backlash. This could have been better handled by the GM calling him into his office, explaining the microscope the team is under thanks to Incognito, telling him that he's free to have his thoughts, but beware that he is always acting as an employee of the team given his public stature.

Oh, and calling him a dumb mother****er.

I imagine they've had many team meetings explaining this same thing, prior to this weekend.

[htismaqe]

Originally Posted by Dante84

I imagine they've had many team meetings explaining this same thing, prior to this weekend.

They don't have team meetings this time of year. In fact I'm not sure league rules even allow it. They lift weights and stuff on their own but that's about it.

[Dante84]

Originally Posted by CoMoChief

This is what bugs me about the whooooole ****ing thing surrounding Michael Sam. He

You want to be taken as nothing more than your average teammate who helps you win games and just a football player and not having your sexuality be a factor in who you're perceived as and what you're about.

Well, to most people that sounds a lot like just wanting to come out and not making a giant deal about it. This had been a rumor around Columbia for a couple years of Sam being gay. All of his teammates knew about it. Why "publicy" come out? Does he have some righteous selfish goal of wanting to be the NFL's first known openly gay player? To me that's not keeping things on the down low. That's allowing people like ESPN to whore themselves all over you and TV for ****ing weeks. It allows CNN to cover interviews about your sexuality. It's blows it up into everyone's face and it's covered over and over and over non stop.

Someone's sexual preference should not matter in football. He has every right to be gay. But keep it to yourself and others you want knowing. No different than someone dating, marrying, ****ing someone of another gender. No one cares. I don't want someone to know anything about my personal life unless I let or want them to.

He should have come out in front of his football teammates and coaches. I'm sure close friends and family already knew beforehand. Should have been handled completely internally. And if word got out. He should have just said "yeah, so what".

Instead what Sam does is hides behind the dress of the media whores that are promoting/shoving race baiting and sexual preference into everyone's faces 24/7, and demonizing those who are against that way of lifestyle. If Sam ever answers the question are you gay, outside of football all he has to do is say yes and that's it.


He should have never had ESPN post up at his house all weekend....being that he was a later round prospect that even many around the NFL had him going undrafted. And Some media outlets try to use the fact that Sam, being the SEC co-DPOTY not being drafted, or when's the last time that happened, then implying that him being gay dropped his status, trying to point the blame on something/someone.

Obama should have never opened his mouth....never should have came to that to begin with. **** him though he had to open his god damn mouth.

If Obama had a sexual preference it'd be like Michael Sam's.

This could have all been handled way differently, the proper way, and Id respect Sam a lot more for it. But he's a ****ing attention whore who basically pulled some politician bait n switch stunt right before the election (draft) and came out, saying he just wants to be recognized as Michael Sam the football player, but then he purposely wants to get caught up in god damn circus clowns from mainstream media, locked and loaded ready to shit bomb on absolutely everything we read online and watch on TV.

Well instead congrats Michael Sam, you're going to be remembered as the gay football player for MU, who kissed a man on live ESPN feed with cake in your mouth. What a hero you are to 12yr olds everywhere.

Gay teens kill themselves because they are bullied; this is less about attention whoring and more about saying "It gets better, you can be anything you want to be. You aren't less of a person."

You bet your ass he is a hero to 12 year olds everywhere. Gay 12 year olds.

[Xanathol]

Hope he sues the shit out of them. Showing two mentally ill men kissing is ****ing sick. Stating so is just calling water wet.

[Dante84]

Originally Posted by Chiefshrink

My thoughts exactly

"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing."

[Dante84]

Originally Posted by htismaqe

They don't have team meetings this time of year. In fact I'm not sure league rules even allow it. They lift weights and stuff on their own but that's about it.

I'm saying post-Incognito, last season.

He was on the team during all of that.

['Hamas' Jenkins]

Originally Posted by Xanathol

Hope he sues the shit out of them. Showing two mentally ill men kissing is ****ing sick. Stating so is just calling water wet.

And this is why this was an important story.

This is also why responses to statements of intolerance are necessary: saying/doing nothing is a tacit acceptance of the status quo.

[htismaqe]

Originally Posted by Dante84

I'm saying post-Incognito, last season.

He was on the team during all of that.

Do you honestly think they talked about Michael Sam, gay players, or any of this?