Richie Incognito and Sports Culture BEYOND the Field

As a huge sports fan, I found the documentary that we watched in class to be entertaining as well as extremely informative. I've always viewed sports as more of a way of life than an actual game. There is so much more to sports than the competition on the field, court, diamond, etc. Because professional athletes are part of such an elite group, their career is treated as just that: a career, not just a game to play. Athletes of all skill levels are put under the microscope the day they strap on the pads and the jersey; their behavior as well as every move they make are closely monitored, even when they're not on the clock. One prime example in the spotlight right now is the case involving former Miami Dolphins offensive lineman Richie Incognito.

Earlier this month, Incognito was thrust into the national forefront after a series of reports described highly graphic harassment against fellow Dolphins lineman Jonathan Martin. According to reports, Incognito had threatened Martin in the months leading up to Martin's departure from the team for "emotional" reasons. It was later reported that Incognito made demeaning and derogatory remarks toward Martin, who is biracial, and his family. This all stemmed from Richie's efforts to fulfill a request made to him by the Dolphins' strength and conditioning staff, and that was to "toughen up" Martin, who had allegedly been playing soft and not to the rugged NFL standards. All of this ultimately led to Incognito's dismissal from the team. Martin also plans to sit out the rest of the season

So, how does this tie back to sports as popular culture and my point about it being bigger than what we see on the field and on TV? There is so much that goes on behind closed doors, when the national spotlight isn't focused on the actual competition. Because every aspect of an athlete's life is micromanaged, it's almost impossible to say that it's "just a game." Richie Incognito's actions caused a 6'4'' 300-pound professional offensive lineman to leave a team because he was being so severely bullied, hazed and harassed. This is why sports reach SO far beyond the playing field. Athletes are treated as royalty and celebrities. If they screw up, it becomes something that garners lots of negative national attention, such as the Incognito-Martin incident in Miami.