Coaches told Incognito to toughen Martin up

[Brian Fein]

Anyone remember this story?

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/hard-knocks-jets-defensive-vernon-gholston-fighting-chance-article-1.205766

Coaches ask an o-lineman to pick a fight with a defensive player to see how he responds.

Better, different, or worse?

[EKnight]

Mike, you've downplayed every instance of this from the start. I don't need to be a fan of the team to see that some of the teams fans are out of touch with reality. -EK

[MikeO]

Not from the NFLPA's perspective, it isn't.  And that has to be the primary concern of the league right now: one of their coaches may have just handed the NFLPA a club to bludgeon them with.

It's a big deal, and Philbin is no Belichick or Payton or Williams.  He does not have the history in the league to get people to just overlook this kind of stuff.

Time will tell which one of us is right or wrong. Time will tell! We will see how this plays out

[MikeO]

Mike, you've downplayed every instance of this from the start. I don't need to be a fan of the team to see that some of the teams fans are out of touch with reality. -EK

I said CUT Incognitio the minute the story broke.  Don't re-write history now and make stuff up like you always do!

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

Worst case for the NFL (and I include the Dolphins in that) is that:

- NFLPA sues them for CBA violation (or whatever the appropriate recourse is... arbitration?)
- Martin sues Dolphins for several labor law violations (harassment & extortion, retaliation from management)

The first one gets settled for something in the 6 digit range.  (Chump change)
Second one gets settled by the Dolphins fully paying the remaining balance on his four deal (or at max double that) ($3-$6 million)  

[Spider-Dan]

Anyone remember this story?

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/hard-knocks-jets-defensive-vernon-gholston-fighting-chance-article-1.205766

Coaches ask an o-lineman to pick a fight with a defensive player to see how he responds.

Better, different, or worse?

Not really comparable.  There are two major factors at play now:

1) retaliation for missed voluntary workout
2) Martin had (reportedly) already come to management and complained about harassment

Those radically change the playing field.

[Spider-Dan]

The first one gets settled for something in the 6 digit range.  (Chump change)
Second one gets settled by the Dolphins fully paying the remaining balance on his four deal (or at max double that) ($3-$6 million)

I honestly have no context and could not even begin to put a number on the first.
As to the second, Martin would be able to argue, fairly, that his ability to get a job in the (monopoly) NFL has been irrevocably compromised.  Given the rather egregious nature of the situation (Philbin didn't just ignore the complaints; he ordered an increase in harassment, for illegal reasons even) I would see him cashing out at no less than $10M.  (Look at the average career length of tackles that start their first ~24 games, calculate career contract value based on that and draft position.)

This is all contingent on the order at which events took place.

[EKnight]

I said CUT Incognitio the minute the story broke.  Don't re-write history now and make stuff up like you always do!

And since then you've said that no one is getting fired, no one will be arrested, no Congress will never have any investigation, etc. All of which is just as speculatory as anything I said. -EK

[MikeO]

And since then you've said that no one is getting fired, no one will be arrested, no Congress will never have any investigation, etc. All of which is just as speculatory as anything I said. -EK

On Congress and nobody being arrested yes I did say that. And I am 100% right on that.

On the firing you are wrong. I said it will play a factor in his firing but it won't be the only reason why he is fired IF he is even fired.

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

Anyone remember this story?

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/hard-knocks-jets-defensive-vernon-gholston-fighting-chance-article-1.205766

Coaches ask an o-lineman to pick a fight with a defensive player to see how he responds.

Better, different, or worse?

By the time that training camp starts next year, that will be specifically prohibited, unless it already is.  

What we don't know is if that incident resulted in a response from Godell.  (e.g.  While I am not taking any action against the Jets at this time, I want it to be clear that coaches are to discourage fights, not encourage them.  Any future incidents will result in sanctions)

I would be shocked if it didn't.  

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

I would see him cashing out at no less than $10M.

Completely insane.  Best case he could hope for is around $10 if it goes to trial and gets a very generous jury.  But if it goes to trial he risks getting a jury with folks like CF DolFan on it and he gets nothing. 

So he settles in the middle. 

Particularly if the Dolphins act quick.  As in before next season they tell him here is the deal, "you release the team, NFL, Philban, all players other than Incongtigo etc from all liability, and we will fund the remainder of your contract AND you become a FA who can sign elsewhere with no offset."

OR in the off-season they offer to extend his contract.  Fully garreneetting the remaining balance of his current contract.   

[Phishfan]

Spidey, you are again making accusations without any evidence. Why do you have Philbin singled out as your only talking point. Incognito puts it on staff but never said Philbin said to toughen up Martin.

[Spider-Dan]

Completely insane.  Best case he could hope for is around $10 if it goes to trial and gets a very generous jury.

You think best case is $10 for a situation in which he was extorted for $15k?  That's completely insane.

The absolute minimum would be the remainder of his contract.  That's with zero punitive damages, which seems unlikely.

[Spider-Dan]

Spidey, you are again making accusations without any evidence. Why do you have Philbin singled out as your only talking point. Incognito puts it on staff but never said Philbin said to toughen up Martin.

Martin went to Philbin directly.  Philbin is the head coach.  If one of your coaches is ordering illegal retaliation via an issue you have personally received workplace harassment claims over, you are incompetent or complicit.

I don't remember anyone ever claiming that Sean Payton personally offered them a bounty.  So what is your explanation for why he was suspended?

[Phishfan]

Martin went to Philbin directly.  Philbin is the head coach.  If one of your coaches is ordering illegal retaliation via an issue you have personally received workplace harassment claims over, you are incompetent or complicit.

I don't remember anyone ever claiming that Sean Payton personally offered them a bounty.  So what is your explanation for why he was suspended?

Again you are back to your assumptions which I pointed out once. You do not know the timeline. How do you know the toughen Martin up statement did not happen first? You are assuming retaliation, you are assuming it was Philbin, you are assuming timelines, etc. None of this is known to us as the public.