Going "Incognito": Bullying, Hazing, and the Problem of Masculinity in Sports

Jonathan Martin, Offensive Tackle for the NFL Miami Dolphins

Richie Incognito, Guard for the NFL Miami Dolphins

As a Sport Communication scholar, I've been following the Richie Incognito controversy with interest. For those who don't know, Incognito, a Guard with the Miami Dolphins, has been accused by teammate Jonathan Martin of bullying him, and leaving racist and otherwise threatening voice mails and texts.

Textbook Bullying Responses

Incognito's latest interview with FOX NFL Sunday echoes textbook defenses of bullying and hazing, including:

1. It was a joke.

2. It wasn't my intention and Martin misunderstood me.

3. The hazing was for Martin's own good (some reports state that Incognito was asked by Dolphins staff to toughen up).

4. Martin should have stood up for himself; and, from previous reports.

5. His status as an "honorary black man" gave him the okay to use the N-word.

Why the Discussion of Hazing in the NFL will Begin and End With This Incident: The Dilemma of Masculinity

Some reporters and players have argued that this sort of thing isn't new in the NFL; hazing is part and parcel of the NFL locker room culture. Masculinity scholars like Michael Messner and Michael Kimmel would likely agree. And items 1-4 above point to the "problem" of masculinity.

Martin is perceived as "weak" and "soft" by going public. Even if folks disagree with what Incognito did, whether it was on his own or at the behest of the Dolphins staff, Martin should have kept it "in house" and "handled his business like a man."

This speaks to what scholar Susan Bordo calls in her book The Male Body one of the dilemmas of masculinity: Like Tarzan, men are expected to be strong "savages" in control, taking what they want (for example, a woman who really just wants to be taken as his in the heat of passion), tough, and strong. Yet, like when Tarzan is taken to the city in the Edgar Rice Burroughs story, men are also expected to be sensitive (to women and social expectations. This, Bordo says, is the dilemma of masculinity.

What Happens Now?

I predict we'll see this story end with a whimper and not a bang. Regardless of how the media frames this story, Martin cannot win. He's a victim and therefore, in the eyes of many, "soft," or he "stands up for himself like a man," in which case we would never have heard of this. The most damaging part of this dilemma, in the context of the NFL and hazing, is that this dilemma ensures we won't hear from other players who may suffer as Martin did. They'll watch this story unfold, maybe they'll testify as part of Commissioner Roger Goodell's inquiry on the condition of anonymity.

But that's where the inquiry will end. Despite the NFL's status as, arguably, America's favorite sport, the NFL will not pursue this any further for fear of damaging its reputation. Maybe that's better for fans. As the saying goes, "Do you really want to see how the sausage is made?"