If your last name is Martin and you live in Florida...

[nordictruce]

This whole Jonathan Martin debacle with the Miami Dolphins. This entire thing gets under my skin. Not because of bullying; how you can bully a 300 pound grown man I have no idea. Not because of racist men.

Seriously.

Let's break down the 2 different "Martin in Florida" instances.

One Martin, was shot and killed basically for appearing to be a thug kid in a white neighborhood who looked suspicious at night.

The Other Martin, was harassed, bullied to the point of a mental breakdown for basically, not being black enough.

So I want you to look at this and tell me how an African American is supposed to win in this game? IF I'm too black, white men will be scared of me. If I'm too "white", black men and ignorant rednecks in general, will look down at me and harass me.


No one in america gets the short end of the stick like the Intelligent Black Male. He's too "white" for his black counterparts. He's to black for his white counterparts. Black women aren't attracted to him because he "forgot where he came from" but then when, if he can, date outside of his race, the same black women who didn't want him now are mad at him for not dating them.

I've been Martin. I'm not 300 pounds (I'm barley half that lol), but I'm intelligent, I'm black and I've had to deal with stuff like this my entire life. I don't even so much blame white people as much as I blame black people. Everyone tells you growing up to stay in school and make something of yourself and when you do they hate you for it. I wish black men, would praise and accept intelligent black men instead of calling them oreos and shaming them.


Martin was harassed by his teammates because he didn't fit in. He didn't fit in, not because he was a homosexual, not because he had an odd religious belief. He didn't fit in because he was smart. They didn't like the fact that he wasn't a dumb jock, and set out to make him feel inferior because of it, and succeed.

[Bauce]

Thanks for this post. Can't really contribute much to this topic from my own experience for obvious reasons but I really appreciate the perspective.

[Stratego]

He wasn't taunted because he was smart, there are plenty of black pro football players from Stanford.

[Mr.Bill]

Very good post. And the proof that what is in the OP is correct all one has to do is look at the Incognito mess.

Most(not all) of the Black players on the team are backing Incognito. Which means they have more of a problem with Martin than they do with the idiotic, vicious, moron, bully Incognito. I'm not saying the black players should automaticly back Martin just because he's black, but so far the reasons we've been hearing on why Martin wasn't liked was what the OP's mentioned, he was smart, he was shy, and because he didn't behave and talk like a tough Black guy..

That's not good.

[The Dharma Bum]

If the guy making fun of you calls himself something ridiculous, like Incognito, I wouldn't worry about it too much.

Stick and stones

[Professor]

Which Martin was killed for "basically for appearing to be a thug kid in a white neighborhood who looked suspicious at night". The only one I know of was Treyvon, and he was killed for attacking an armed Hispanic guy.

[The Dharma Bum]

Hispanic is an ethnicity, not a race.

Zimmerman is a white hispanic.

[The Dharma Bum]

I just read a little bit about this story and it appears that this guy Incognito (his real name go figure) was tasked by the coaching staff with toughening this guy up.

Sounds like he committed extortion and a few other crimes in doing so.

da fuq?

This is why pro sports no longer interest me. You may as well watch wrestling or something. What a joke.

[Mr.Bill]

From what I'm reading the unwritten rule that every team goes by is you haze a rookie during his 1st year training camp.. After that it's over..

With Martin this went on through his 1st year of training camp, and then into his 1st year of playing(last year).. Then it continued through this years' TC, and into this year..

This went much deeper than hazing and initiations, or boys club fun, etc..

[The Comrade]

tribalism is a terrible thing. the second you don't conform you're purged from the group for not being pure enough.