Miami's Martin leaves team after 'emotional breakdown'

[Mr. Laz]

Jonathan Martin leaves Dolphins after 'breakdown'

By Dan Hanzus
Around the League Writer
Published: Oct. 30, 2013 at 06:39 p.m. Updated: Oct. 30, 2013 at 07:00 p.m.
An unusual situation is unfolding in Miami, where Dolphins right tackle Jonathan Martin has left the team after suffering an "emotional breakdown" this week.

NFL Media's Jeff Darlington reported Wednesday that Martin is currently seeking help with his family after an incident at the team's cafeteria, according to team sources.

Martin is listed on the team's injury report with an illness, and is doubtful to play Thursday against the Cincinnati Bengals. Fox NFL insider Jay Glazer reported that Martin was the victim of a prank at the cafeteria, becoming enraged enough to "smash his food tray on the ground."

The second-year pro has not been with the team since that time. Darlington reports that Martin immediately sought treatment at a local hospital. He has since left the hospital and is now spending time with his family, according to team sources.

Martin opened the season as the Dolphins' replacement for Jake Long at left tackle. He was moved to right tackle when the team acquired Bryant McKinnie via trade last week. Tyson Clabo is expected to start in Martin's place on Thursday.

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[Cephalic Trauma]

Originally Posted by BIG_DADDY

Just another towel boy who got a job in the media and is trying to tell athlete's how they should act. There is a clear line throughout this entire ordeal between athlete mentality and what the media is trying to dictate should happen in that arena. Does anyone really give a rats ass about what towel boy thinks should happen there? Only another towel boy.

What is your opinion about the problem with suicide in former NFL players? Should we continue to look at the mentally unhealthy as weak, or should we call it like it is and support them by giving them the needed help?

[chiefzilla1501]

Originally Posted by Cephalic Trauma

What is your opinion about the problem with suicide in former NFL players? Should we continue to look at the mentally unhealthy as weak, or should we call it like it is and support them by giving them the needed help?

Yeah, keep in mind that deadspin had a pretty good trail to suggest that incognitos dad believed martin tried to commit suicide multiple times. If there is truth to that, the questions you have to ask is why would incognito be tough on him, did incognito press martin against incognitos will (team forced him to toughen martin up) , and how the organization either didn't respond to it or didn't recognize.

Again... This is going off the assumption that deadspin was right.

[Cephalic Trauma]

Originally Posted by chiefzilla1501

Yeah, keep in mind that deadspin had a pretty good trail to suggest that incognitos dad believed martin tried to commit suicide multiple times. If there is truth to that, the questions you have to ask is why would incognito be tough on him, did incognito press martin against incognitos will (team forced him to toughen martin up) , and how the organization either didn't respond to it or didn't recognize.

Again... This is going off the assumption that deadspin was right.

I saw that, too.

But the grantland article was right on the money. And the most explicit, obvious, salient point that is very hard to argue for even the manliest of posters, is the mental health issue in the NFL (and in this country, for that matter) and our view of mental instability as a weakness.

[patteeu]

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

That's the voicemail, first and always referred to as a voicemail, not a text message.

OK, so I take it that you don't know what was homophobic about the texts?

[ToxSocks]

Originally Posted by Cephalic Trauma

I saw that, too.

But the grantland article was right on the money. And the most explicit, obvious, salient point that is very hard to argue for even the manliest of posters, is the mental health issue in the NFL (and in this country, for that matter) and our view of mental instability as a weakness.

Mental Instability IS weakness. Do they need help? Absolutely. But it's still weakness anyway you wanna slice it.

And regarding the NFL suicide rate, someone posted an article yesterday stating that the suicide rate in the NFL is right in line with the suicide rate in the rest of the country.

[Cephalic Trauma]

Originally Posted by Detoxing

Mental Instability IS weakness. Do they need help? Absolutely. But it's still weakness anyway you wanna slice it.

And regarding the NFL suicide rate, someone posted an article yesterday stating that the suicide rate in the NFL is right in line with the suicide rate in the rest of the country.

It's a weakness in the sense that it is pathological, without a doubt.

But being portrayed as soft, a coward, and a weakling, is immensely insensitive and wrong. And many in the "well now the facts are coming out" crowd are spinning it as if there are both sides to the story and Incognito's role in this matter was less of an issue than originally thought. After all, Martin was weak to begin with.

[BIG_DADDY]

Originally Posted by Cephalic Trauma

What is your opinion about the problem with suicide in former NFL players? Should we continue to look at the mentally unhealthy as weak, or should we call it like it is and support them by giving them the needed help?

Is it really higher than anywhere else in the country just because towel boy said it was?

I believe in treating it the same way we treat it when it happens to somebody else unless there is something I am missing.

[Cephalic Trauma]

What post has that study, detoxing? I would be interested to see if they controlled for confounding factors such as access to healthcare and lifestyle.

[Cephalic Trauma]

Originally Posted by BIG_DADDY

Is it really higher than anywhere else in the country just because towel boy said it was?

I believe in treating it the same way we treat it when it happens to somebody else unless there is something I am missing.

Meaning what? Is it appropriate to berate those with known mental issues? Why do his mental issues provide "the whole story" for some of you?

['Hamas' Jenkins]

Originally Posted by patteeu

OK, so I take it that you don't know what was homophobic about the texts?

Aside from the fact that it was repeatedly reported that he called him a pillowbitergot and a pussy in those texts, no I don't.

Since you apparently love to argue about stories without actually reading information about them, here it is:

Multiple sources confirmed to ESPN that the following is a transcript of a voice message Incognito left for Martin in April 2013, a year after Martin was drafted:


"Hey, wassup, you half n----- piece of s---. I saw you on Twitter, you been training 10 weeks. [I want to] s--- in your f---ing mouth. [I'm going to] slap your f---ing mouth. [I'm going to] slap your real mother across the face [laughter]. F--- you, you're still a rookie. I'll kill you."
Sources tell ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter that officials from both the NFL and the Dolphins have heard the tape and have copies of the message.


Sources familiar with the tapes say these are terms Incognito used over time and were not isolated incidents, including the use of the racial epithet multiple times.


Sources also say Martin received a series of texts that included derogatory terms referring to the female anatomy and sexual orientation.

[ToxSocks]

Originally Posted by Cephalic Trauma

It's a weakness in the sense that it is pathological, without a doubt.

But being portrayed as soft, a coward, and a weakling, is immensely insensitive and wrong. And many in the "well now the facts are coming out" crowd are spinning it as if there are both sides to the story and Incognito's role in this matter was less of an issue than originally thought. After all, Martin was weak to begin with.

It might be insensitive, but it's the truth.

Someone who is dealing with depression, and by the sound of it, Martin is, is typically dealing with confidence issues.

Lacking confidence in yourself can certainly make you "soft" and "weak". If you don't have confidence in yourself, you won't stand up for yourself.

Players have already stated that Martin was quiet, kept to himself, wouldn't look people in the eye when talking to them. Reports are coming out that Incognito had to step up and defend him because he wouldn't defend himself.

In a culture full of overconfident, huge men, he'll absolutely be viewed as soft.

You may not like the terminology being used because you have sympathy for his condition, but that doesn't change the reality of what he is right now.

You can't go around in life being PC about everything. Sometimes you have to call it for what it is.

In a culture where you're constantly on the hot seat, coaches are constantly nitpicking at you, the media is ripping you apart, thousands upon thousands of fans are calling you a failure and your teammates are giving you a hard time and making you the butt of their jokes, it's very easy for someone to lose it.

And I think that's what happened here.

[ToxSocks]

Originally Posted by Cephalic Trauma

What post has that study, detoxing? I would be interested to see if they controlled for confounding factors such as access to healthcare and lifestyle.

No idea, it was a quick blurb about 5 NFL myths or some shit. It was posted just yesterday or the day before.

[ToxSocks]

Originally Posted by Cephalic Trauma

What post has that study, detoxing? I would be interested to see if they controlled for confounding factors such as access to healthcare and lifestyle.

http://e.nfl.com/PS!uQeqPqDxHRUFBgIA...c2OTYKBUZBQ1RT

[Cephalic Trauma]

Originally Posted by Detoxing

It might be insensitive, but it's the truth.

Someone who is dealing with depression, and by the sound of it, Martin is, is typically dealing with confidence issues.

Lacking confidence in yourself can certainly make you "soft" and "weak". If you don't have confidence in yourself, you won't stand up for yourself.

Players have already stated that Martin was quiet, kept to himself, wouldn't look people in the eye when talking to them. Reports are coming out that Incognito had to step up and defend him because he wouldn't defend himself.

In a culture full of overconfident, huge men, he'll absolutely be viewed as soft.

You may not like the terminology being used because you have sympathy for his condition, but that doesn't change the reality of what he is right now.

You can't go around in life being PC about everything. Sometimes you have to call it for what it is.

In a culture where you're constantly on the hot seat, coaches are constantly nitpicking at you, the media is ripping you apart, thousands upon thousands of fans are calling you a failure and your teammates are giving you a hard time and making you the butt of their jokes, it's very easy for someone to lose it.

And I think that's what happened here.

But is it justified to prod these people to toughen them up?

If you want my answer, it would be no. Instead of being a full on dickbag to toughen him up, Incognito (or someone with slightly more common sense) should have told him to seek medical help for his mental illness.

It's very easy tell someone to be confident and mentally strong, but the reality is mental illness is a disease. Though it isn't tangible, and we can't measure it on a blood panel, MRI, CT, etc., it should be treated like cancer, heart disease, diabetes, or any other illness. Mental illness has predispositions (genetics, environment) just like any other disease we perceive as serious, and the consequences can be as profound.

What Incognito did was the equivalent of giving a diabetic increasing glucose injections, and the final one sent him into a hyperglycemic diabetic coma.

[Cephalic Trauma]

Originally Posted by Detoxing

http://e.nfl.com/PS!uQeqPqDxHRUFBgIA...c2OTYKBUZBQ1RT

Just as I suspected. They compared them to the entire population. Thanks.