Yep, the Jonathan Martin situation keeps getting weirder.
At a time when the Dolphins claim that tackle Jonathan Martin hasn’t alleged that he was bullied or harassed by any teammates and Incognito has demanded on Twitter that his name be cleared, Adam Schefter and Chris Mortensen of ESPN report that Martin hasn’t formally accused anyone of bullying or harassment because he fears retribution.
Per the report, Martin specifically fears retribution from guard Richie Incognito (pictured).
Schefter detailed a situation in which Martin was intimidated by Incognito to contribute $15,000 toward a trip to Las Vegas by the team’s offensive lineman. Martin, according to Schefter, didn’t want to go and ultimately didn’t go -- but he surrendered the money anyway.
If true, it’s the really rich guy example of someone stealing someone else’s lunch money.
Schefter also explained that there are text messages and at least one voice message proving harassment and justifying Martin’s fears for retribution. Schefter added that Martin’s recent comments to Incognito explaining that Martin doesn’t blame his teammates for harassment also arose from concerns by Martin that he’ll face retaliation if he accuses Incognito of doing anything wrong.
Until Martin makes a formal complaint of bullying, the Dolphins will be able to declare that everything is fine. Even if the truth is that everything is far from it.