Incognito's Bullying Brought Into Public Eye

By now the news has spread all over the internet that Miami Dolphins guard Richie Incognito has been banned due to the senseless and downright offensive bullying of now former teammate Jonathan Martin. Proof of racial slurs and multiple threats have been presented via social media and TV news and most if not all of us, sports fans or not, are not quite sure which question to ask first:

1. What caused the bullying?

News of Incognito's bullying has dominated headlines

 We've all been through elementary and middle school and we've all heard the preconceived reasons as to why bullying happens. The bully is mistreated at home which translates to aggression towards other or they don't have friends and choose to channel their anger into being mean. The thing about this situation is that Incognito is a grown man and a millionaire at that. He's obviously got a job he loves and the only reason that comes to my mind is that he got a real kick out of being an idiot to a younger teammate. A guy like Incognito strikes me as a guy who would look at this situation and simply say "Oh come on, you guys know I was joking." Joking or not, it doesn't matter. You don't treat an individual like that and you sure as heck don't speak to another individual as he did. There's a fine line to be drawn where joking becomes hurtful and it's not hard to see that Incognito crossed that line. There may not even be a specific reason as to what caused this sudden uproar, but no reason, in my mind, will ever justify the emotional damage Incognito has caused.

2. Where were Martin's teammates?
The threats and racial slurs were mostly made via text and voice mail which obviously means that it would have been a one-on-one interaction between Martin and Incognito. With that being said, Martin clearly felt so affected by what was going on that he left the team. To me that means that he must have at one point or another shown a hint or two that he wasn't doing so well. I may be wrong, maybe he carried himself just as he would if he wasn't being bullied and nobody could tell he was hurting. But if he willingly left the team then that shows that Martin wasn't exactly bottling this up. Where were Martin's teammates? We refer back to those elementary school lessons at this point and ask where was that one person who was willing to stand up for a hurting friend? The professional locker room is not like a junior high or high school locker room. This is a job for these athletes meaning they spend much more time around each other than younger athletes do. SOMEBODY had to know what was going on and yet we haven't heard whether or not any Dolphins' players attempted to step in and end Incognito's actions.

That's not how a team works and honestly I feel as if the teammates that potentially knew about this are guilty as well. Obviously Incognito is the main bully, but everybody (if anybody) who knew what was going on and didn't say anything is just as guilty and clearly doesn't understand what being on a team is about. You're supposed to have each others backs and look out for each other whether you get along or not. Like Denzel Washington says in Remember the Titans: "I don't care if you don't like each other, but you will respect each other." Jonathan Martin left his job because he was being disrespected by a teammate who was verbally abusing him. In my eyes, the guys that stood idly by and didn't help were only contributing to the abuse.

3. Where does "Hazing" go from here?

"Hazing" is something every rookie goes through.

If you've ever been to a Major League Baseball game you've probably seen a rookie pitcher carrying a girly book bag to the  bullpen. I've seen plenty of different examples from Dora the Explorer to Hello Kitty. It's funny and it's something that's become a bit of a tradition. There's even a little "Hazing" that goes on at the high school and college levels as well. More often than not the youngest guys on the team are in charge of the equipment. It's something that comes with the age you're at the paying your dues. Nobody means harm by it, it's simply an expectation that you as a player need to meet until the next wave of guys comes in.

All of that is simply good fun. Never in a million years would I think that professional sports would take away the "Hazing" experience that rookies and new guys go through because, at the end of the day, they're all grown men and women who are expected to be mature and handle themselves professionally. Yet one has to wonder what sports will be like after the news of Incognito's actions. Not only is this heartbreaking, but you're downright foolish if you think that Incognito's the only guy who has acted like this towards a younger player. This kind of thing is probably happening more often than we care to know which is exactly why I think professional sports will be keeping a much closer eye on what goes on. The fun won't be ruined, but I'd be shocked if the leagues didn't crack down on things that may cross the line into bullying.

I've never been bullied. I always had the luxury of being bigger than everybody else so I never felt the pain of being picked on relentlessly. Quite frankly, this story breaks my heart. As a kid, we all look up to these athletes and put them on a pedestal that can't be reached by anyone else. How as a parent do you explain to your son or daughter that their favorite athlete was a bully and verbally abused a teammate? That doesn't set a good example for the youth of this world whether they strive to be athletes or not. I'm all for joking around with a teammate and throwing sarcastic comments in every now and then, but Incognito clearly took this much too far and deserved to be banned. There's never a time or place for bullying. Ever. Here's to putting a stop to bullying not only in sports, but in the everyday world as well.

Derrick Rose Just Isn't The Same...For All The Right Reasons

It was exactly what the Chicago Bulls had lacked all last season. It was the problem that they could not find a solution for on a consistent basis. It was the issue that cost the Bulls a handful of wins simply because they had no one to fill the role. That role was the role of a finisher. A guy who you could give the ball to with five minutes to go in a close game and say "Here. Take us home." And while last night's game didn't go exactly as the Bulls would have liked, former MVP Derrick Rose proved that when it came time to close out a game, he was one of the best in the business.

The floater said it all: DRose is back

With Rose's baseline floater over Raymond Felton and former Defensive Player of the Year Tyson Chandler, the Bulls snagged their first win of the season on Rose's regular season Homecoming to the United Center. Yet the floater itself, though as pretty as it was, doesn't quite do Derrick Rose's comeback to basketball justice. Everyone has noticed that his game is coming back to him and coming back quickly. He's just as quick (if not quicker), his shot has improved, and his work ethic is as noticeable as ever.

However, his overall performance and athleticism is something that fans and players expected to eventually change for the better. What people have not seemed to notice is how Derrick Rose's attitude as a whole has changed for the better. After hitting that floater on the night of Halloween, Rose was quoted saying "If I'm going to miss the shot, I'm going to miss it. If I'm going to hit it, I'm going to hit it. I just love taking it." Love him or hate him, you have to admire his confidence.

That's exactly what has changed since he suffered the infamous knee injury over a year and a half ago. Coming into the league as the number one draft pick, the native son of Chicago, and the 19 year old kid who was the first piece of the puzzle in raising a seventh banner into the rafters of the Madhouse, Derrick Rose had the weight of an entire city on his shoulders. And he knew it. Through the first two or three years of his career we saw Rose shy away from the media and keep a low profile. He even admitted to not being a fan of the media simply because he didn't want the attention. God only knows what life for him was like knowing that every eye in Chicago was on him, and continues to be.

But then came the MVP season. DRose quickly established himself as one of the best in the league by being the youngest player to ever accomplish the feat. Just as the expectations grew and began to become realistic, Rose fell to the ground on the baseline during game one of the first round in 2012. The city was deflated and Rose went unheard of until he sent out a video on YouTube during his recovery phase.

Rose was emotional at the release of his new shoe last year

Amidst all of the physical therapy and work outs, Rose released a new shoe through Adidas. Even though he wasn't on the court, the hype was through the roof simply because Rose was once again in the public eye. Yet it was at the release of his shoe that we saw the human aspect of the All-Star point guard. While being interviewed, he visibly teared up saying how thankful he was for the support and continually emphasizing that he felt he didn't deserve all of it. That's the humble Derrick Rose that Chicago fell in love with. The kid who grew up in the same city he now plays for was taking the time to appreciate those that were pulling for him. In the days of guys like Dwight Howard, who could care less about loyalty, Rose was showing his appreciation for his fans, and meaning every word of it.

Now let's fast forward the clocks to these past few weeks. Derrick Rose is back. He's healthier than ever. He's quick as hell and is on a mission. Somewhere along the line, the old Derrick Rose vanished and we are now witnessing a drastic change in attitude. The once quiet kid has now become a demonstrative man. It shows in his answers to reporters' questions, it shows in how he conducts himself on the court, and it shows in how he speaks about the improvements he has made. Derrick Rose is no longer going to shy away from the media, rather he's begging everyone to watch what he does. Rose wants your attention, he wants you to criticize him, and he wants you to doubt him and his teammates.

All the hype about the Heat winning their third consecutive championship and LeBron claiming his third straight MVP have been all over ESPN since last June. And while Rose once said just a little over a year ago that he didn't deserve anything that he had, his mindset has quickly changed into "Screw it, that MVP trophy is mine and I'm going to prove it."

Rose now expects to be the best and expects to have a championship ring on his finger at the end of this season. You could see it in the way he reacted after he hit the game-winner last night. He didn't pump his fist or beat his chest like he did after he buried a game-winner in the face of Brandon Jennings a few years back, he simply jogged to the bench. That's when you knew that Derrick Rose expects to be great and won't stop until he is. He wants the ball in his hands and wants everyone to watch closely. Chicago's quiet and unassuming native son is gone. It's now time for the new and improved Windy City Assassin to take the stage.

Get to Know Florida State's Jameis Winston

While you were busy watching Johnny Manziel down in College Station, or marveling at the way Oregon puts up points with hardly any effort, or worrying about how voters could put eight SEC teams in the latest poll, you may have missed one of the greatest stories and talents in this 2013 edition of college football.

His name is Jameis Winston and he is the quarterback of the fifth-ranked Florida State Seminoles.

The definition of a stud, Winston has propelled Florida State back to the glory days of the Bowden era and also made a few highlight reel plays in right field for the FSU baseball team this past spring.

Winston and the 'Noles are fresh off a 63-0 beat down of  #25 Maryland, the largest defeat of a Top 25 team ever. Now, they take their 5-0 record into Death Valley to face a Clemson team that has already knocked off #5 Georgia in Memorial Stadium. It's the biggest test yet for the redshirt freshman quarterback who is vying for the Heisman after his torrid start.

FSU has hardly been challenged this season with an offense that scores the third-most points and a defense that gives up the third-fewest points. That's a combination better than peanut butter and jelly. However, Florida State is about to be challenged more than ever tomorrow night in one of the nation's toughest stadiums to play in.

Winston must be at his best. What is his best? Okay, let's pick one of these stat lines and determine it.

September 2 @ Pitt: 25-27 - 356 yards - 4 TD - 0 INT
September 28 @ Boston College: 17-27 - 330 yards - 4 TD - 1 INT
October 5 vs. Maryland: 23-32 - 393 yards - 5 TD - 0 INT

He has had no problem chucking the pigskin around the yard and after the Maryland game even said it felt like a little league game. It has come that easy to him. Yet he is facing a defense tomorrow night that is ninth in the nation and surrenders just 16 points per game. This is where Heisman moments are made.

Florida State has not won in Death Valley since 2001 and Winston will be looking to solidify his Heisman candidacy and also put his Seminoles firmly in the national title picture. Should he win college football's most prestigious award, he would be the second freshman to do so. We all know the first: Manziel.

There is little reason to question why Winston couldn't win the Heisman. After all, his numbers through five games are better than Manziel's were last year. Manziel was 104-150  (69% completion percentage) with 1,285 yards, 11 touchdowns and two interceptions. Winston is currently 90-123 (73% completion percentage) with 1,441 yards, 17 touchdowns and two interceptions. Winston doesn't run the ball like Manziel, nor does FSU run the same up-tempo offense as A&M which would allow him to, but he has rushed for 135 yards and two scores.

Despite all of that, a game like Saturday's is where a freshman can get lost. The crowd will be loud and the lights will be bright, but these are the situations where stars are made. Jameis Winston has all the makings of being a star. Time to recognize.

Dissecting the National League Playoff Bracket

Four teams with one dream and four teams with four different stories. That's what fans are looking at in the National League playoff bracket today as the postseason really gets underway. The Wild Card games are in the books and the final four NL teams are set. St. Louis and Pittsburgh will meet in a divisional showdown while Atlanta and Los Angeles will square off in a highly-anticipated series filled with young stars.

You want history? You got it. The four National League teams left have all been in existence since the 1880s. There is a combined 25 World Series victories among the four and plenty of Hall of Fame legends. More recently, the NL has belonged to the Braves and the Cardinals. St. Louis won a dramatic World Series in 2011 and also was victorious in 2006. Atlanta dominated the 90s and has remained the beast of the NL East with a fresh crop of talent.

Los Angeles enters the playoffs as the hottest team over the second half. At the beginning of the season, fans and analysts were discussing Don Mattingly's job, but LA turned it around and finished with 92 wins and ran away with the West Division. Yasiel Puig took the nation by storm with his you-gotta-see-this theatrics on the field and on the base paths, but it was Hanley Ramirez who really acted as the catalyst for LA's run.

LA's matchup with Atlanta is intriguing for multiple reasons. While the Dodgers were the focal point of the second half, Atlanta flew under the radar for much of the season. If it's possible, the Braves somehow won 96 games quietly. To make it even more impressive, Atlanta got nothing out of B.J. Upton and Dan Uggla during the regular season. Uggla batted .179 and was left off the playoff roster.

Still, the Braves lineup is potent with Justin Upton, Jason Heyward, Freddie Freeman and Chris Johnson. However, they are going to be facing a pitching staff headlined by Clayton Kershaw. Runs won't come easy for the Braves in this series. Kershaw finished the season with a miniscule 1.83 ERA and is one of the most decorated pitchers in the game today.

In the other series, the Cardinals and Pirates face off in a familiar matchup. The two teams played 19 times with Pittsburgh winning 10 games. While the matchup is familiar, the setting is not for one team. Pittsburgh hasn't been in the playoffs since 1992 when the lost in the NLCS. Still, there are players on the roster that do have playoff experience. A.J. Burnett and Justin Morneau are no strangers to postseason baseball, but for a star like Andrew McCutchen this is all new.

St. Louis finished with the best record in baseball behind little-known stars such as Matt Carpenter and Allen Craig and a pitching staff led by Adam Wainwright. The Cardinals are better than any team in baseball with runners in scoring position and that will come in handy during the playoffs when every run matters.

So who moves on? Count on the Cardinals to defeat the Pirates due to their experience and timely hitting. It's a toss up in the Braves-Dodgers series, but I'll take LA.

Legends are made in October and the team that gets that timely hit, run-saving catch or shutdown pitching performance is the team that wins. Let the games begin...

Cubs Desperately Need Girardi

In terms of historic futility there is not a team in the world better than the Chicago Cubs. Frequently regarded as the "Lovable Losers," the Cubs aren't as cuddly as they once were. Over the last four years there have been three different managers and attendance has declined for the past five seasons. The front office continues their efforts to rebuild the franchise, but the results thus far have been horrid. As another managerial search begins, Chicago must do anything to make Joe Girardi their man.

The Cubs recently put a bow on their 66-96 season which was good for last place in the National League Central division. The team lost 50 games at the Friendly Confines and it all concluded with Dale Sveum being shown the door on Monday. Now, the Cubs look to be going after New York Yankees' manager Joe Girardi. Girardi is an Illinois native who graduated from Northwestern and played for the Cubs.

His contract with the Yankees doesn't end until October 31 and New York is hesitant to allow him to meet with the Cubs. Theo Epstein and the Chicago front office better have their best sales pitch ready if/when they do meet with Girardi because he's about the only respectable candidate out there for Chicago.

There are reports that if the Cubs don't land Girardi then they will go after A.J. Hinch. You might ask, "Who is A.J. Hinch?" Well, let me tell you. He played seven years in the league and has managed 212 for the Arizona Diamondbacks. During that short stint he went 89-123 and currently works in the San Diego Padres front office. That is not the kind of guy the Cubs need at this point.

If we're honest then even the most faithful of Cubs fans can admit that the manager doesn't matter much at this point. The Cubs stink. That's what it really comes down to. This is a young, inexperienced team with a star player that is all sorts of confused with his approach at the plate and forgot how to hit the ball. Whether the next manager is Girardi, Hinch or someone else they will all be given the same tools and let's just say the tool shed is pretty bare.

Yet the Cubs need Girardi because he is proven, he is a man of discipline and he knows winning. The former Cub was the Manager of the Year in 2006 while with the Marlins and then led the Yankees to their 27th World Series title in 2009. He's the only man with any credibility that is available and would be a great manager for the young Cub team.

Chicago will still be rebuilding and will probably still endure some rough seasons with Girardi, but they will make progress. Improvement is the key to rebuilding and the lack of improvement is why Sveum is gone. Girardi is the man for the job and the Cubs must do whatever it takes to lure him away from the Big Apple.

If they can't then don't expect the current situation to improve any time soon.   

Road is Difficult for Bulls as Rose Returns

Jimmy Butler and Rose appear to be the future for Chicago

The Return is finally upon us ladies and gentlemen. Derrick Rose will make his return to the court this Saturday in Indianapolis when the Bulls take on the Pacers in their first preseason game. The last time we saw Rose on the court he was lying on the hardwood grabbing his knee in the 2012 playoffs. Saying it was a hold-your-breath moment is an understatement and last year's will he or won't he play saga is well-chronicled. However, in 2013-14 it is all business for D.Rose and the Bulls.

The expectations are high for a healthy Bulls team this season. "Healthy" and "Bulls" are two words that aren't normally said in the same sentence due to the frequent injuries to star players. But Rose, Noah, Boozer and Deng are all healthy as Chicago starts the preseason and the time is now for this group.

The Eastern Conference is no walk in the park with Miami sitting atop the league, but the problems are greater than that. Indiana looks like a serious contender after pushing the Heat seven games in the Eastern Conference Finals last season and they also have a healthy Danny Granger to go along with Roy Hibbert and Paul George. Brooklyn's roster is a lot older with the acquisitions of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Jason Terry, but they figure to be a contender as well. Add in the Knicks and the Bulls and the East is a beast.

For Chicago, this is a huge year. The Bulls were close in 2011, but found out how difficult it will be to dethrone the Heat. In 2012 they fell in the first round after Rose's injury and last year they put up a valiant fight while bruised and battered, but were ousted by Miami in the semi-finals. Is this a championship team?

That's the question as the year begins and it needs to be answered by year's end. There are decisions that lie on the horizon for the Bulls and they involve some of their biggest stars. Luol Deng will become a free agent at the end of the season and Carlos Boozer's future is up in the air. If Chicago fails to make, at minimum, the conference finals then it would seem that the team should go in a different direction.

Much of the team's successes or failures will fall on Rose. The Bulls sorely missed his playmaking ability last season and he will surely free up open looks for others with his hard drives to the basket. All reports from camp are that his jump shot has drastically improved and his peers say he looks better than ever. That's all fine and good, but can he live up to the MVP-form of 2011? Fair or not, the bar is set that high, if not higher, for Chicago's brightest star.

Championship windows aren't open very long and the Bulls haven't exactly been handed the best situation. When this team was built no one could have predicted all the injuries or that the Heat would put together a superpower. However, this group is still capable of a deep postseason run and fans are hoping and expecting one this season.

For a team that will rely heavily on it's superstar, The Return is a big step in the right direction.