Beech Tree News Network

There are a lot of stories being written about this Richie Incognito-Jonathan Martin bullying story.  Dan Patrick brought up the question of what is hazing and what is tradition.  This is not tradition.  If it is, the NFL has a massive problem.  If this is rookie hazing, well the guy is not a rookie anymore.  On November 5 at 6 am on Twitter, FOX analyst and former player Tony Siragusa asked “whatever happened to mental toughness”? So, he thinks people who get picked on are weak? I disagree.  It is my belief that the bullies are the weak ones.
Jonathan Martin is being portrayed as the bad guy, which is wrong.  The more manly thing to do, as Patrick “Seton” O’Conner said, is to stick up for the guy being bullied.  He says, “We get a lot of email and a lot of tweets of gross, disgusting things written by people …it’s a good little glimpse into what some people think.  It’s kind of scary”. 
Incognito had a lot of character issues.  He was kicked out of Nebraska.  Football Night In America’s Tony Dungy said, when he was coach “we had the category DNDC-Do Not Draft Because of Character.  Richie Incognito was in that category”.  He continued with “it (bullying) doesn’t happen everywhere.  It happens where you allow it to happen”. 
Tony Siragusa thinks Incognito is 100% wrong, but adds “people don’t know what it’s like (in the locker room)”.  He brought up Twitter, but that’s a faceless entity.  Siragusa said he was surprised no one stood up to Incognito and said “this is wrong”.  One of the things Incognito said was “I’m going to kill you”.  He threatened him, among other things.  Siragusa says to “be a man.  Face your problems”. 
Some say it’s about trying to understand a culture we’re not involved in.  I say that’s a load of crap.  Bullying is bullying.  I don’t care if it’s in elementary, high school, college or the workplace.  It hurts and is wrong just the same.  As Todd Fritz said “bullying is bullying at any age, any level and any workplace”. 

Hello.  My name is Andy Sullivan.  I received my bachelor’s degree in business from Mid-Continent University in June 2009.  I began writing for Beech Tree in July 2009.  I enjoy writing, photography, watching basketball and football, and playing guitar.  I also write a blog that encompasses sports and entertainment, called Sports and More, at http://andyuk79.tumblr.com If you have any comments, please leave them in the space below.  Thanks for reading!