Professional sports have been put in the crosshairs of people with political ambitions.
That’s why sports leagues have been perpetuated with political messaging in recent years.
And the NFL has egg on its face after one giant hoax was exposed.
Bullygate a hoax
The NFL has had to deal with multiple scandals in recent years.
From concussions to bad officials to the anti-American anthem protests to the George Floyd slogans, the NFL has been in the middle of several media storms.
But one scandal that had been swept under the rug was the alleged bullying of former Miami Dolphins offensive lineman Jonathan Martin.
In 2013, Martin claimed that he was viciously bullied by teammate and fellow offensive lineman Richie Incognito.
Incognito was suspended for a season and a half, and the incident was part of a wider anti-bullying campaign that was being pushed across the nation.
However, Martin recently admitted that he was never bullied.
He told ESPN, “I never believed for a second I was being bullied.”
The Miami Herald reported that “Jonathan Martin lied because it was easier than telling the truth. Usually, that’s why most humans lie. We’re selfish creatures, and it’s human nature. So much so that toddlers tell fibs naturally. It’s innate in us, not even learned behavior. The biggest issue, problem, gripe, frustration I have about Martin’s recent admission to ESPN that he lied about being bullied by his Miami Dolphins teammate in a saga that’s infamously known as Bullygate, and led to a 144-page report done by an independent investigator, is that lives were ruined in the process. Seasons were spoiled, and careers were tarnished all because Martin couldn’t be honest with himself, his family members, and the world, until now.”
Martin was looking for a way out of the league, but he did not want to appear to be a quitter.
That’s when his mother came up with the idea to blame bullying.
Bullying excuse
The Herald added that “Martin wanted to quit football because of his own demons, and personal struggles, on and off the field. . .Martin admittedly let his mother make a convenient excuse for him, claiming he was in a hostile work environment. That’s fiction. He was on a football team. That excuse not only ruined lives and careers, but it changed the NFL, if not all of sports.”
Perhaps even infuriating about the hoax was that Incognito was actually Martin’s best friend and protector on the team.
Miami Herald reporter Omar Kelly explained, “Incognito was Martin’s best friend on the team, a mentor, his protector. I witnessed that with my own eyes. Their teammates testify to that for [Ted] Wells’ report. Incognito once asked me to go easy on Martin with my criticism of his performance, and I did.”
Martin was showered with praise for his courage in speaking out.
Meanwhile, Incognito was treated like a monster.
Incognito recently wrote on social media, “He couldn’t cut it in the NFL so he quit and his mom blamed me. Legacy media pushed this narrative long and far. Too bad it was all a lie!”
The media had a narrative that was too good to pass up.
Stay tuned to Unmuzzled News for any updates to this ongoing story.
