Dolphins Suspend Richie Incognito After Bullying Allegations

For years we have thought the Miami Hurricanes were South Florida's bad boys. Turns out we were wrong. Those seemingly straight-arrow Dolphins are really a big-money fraternity gone wrong. The team suspended guard Richie Incognito Sunday for detrimental behavior. He is part of the Dolphins' six-player "leadership council" and was...

By Chuck Strouse

November 4, 2013

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For years we have thought the Miami Hurricanes were South Florida's bad boys. Turns out we were wrong. Those seemingly straight-arrow Dolphins are really a big-money fraternity gone wrong.

The team suspended guard Richie Incognito Sunday for detrimental behavior. He is part of the Dolphins' six-player "leadership council" and was named the second-dirtiest player in the NFL by the Sporting News before the 2012 season.

"We believe in maintaining a culture of respect for one another, and as a result we believe this decision is in the best interest of the organization at this time," the Dolphins said in a release late Sunday. "We reached out to the NFL to conduct an objective and thorough review. We will continue to work with the league on this matter."

The suspension is related to tackle Jonathan Martin, who left the team suddenly last week. Early accounts were that it was just player rudeness, but in the past few days, outlandish reports have made their way to print. Among them:

Martin paid $15,000 for veteran players' trip to Las Vegas, according to ESPN,. He didn't even go.

Rookies were compelled to pay for a $30,000 team dinner, according to the Miami Herald. Offensive lineman Jared Odrick tweeted this:

Everything tastes better when rookies pay for it pic.twitter.com/KGaisEfap2
— Jared Odrick (@JaredOdrick98) November 2, 2013

Then there was the incident in which Incognito and a bouncer at LIV got in a dustup. It wasn't clear who was to blame, but there were injuries.

Indeed, Incognito has a history of unpleasant dealings. He was suspended for off-field antics for the 2004 season from the University of Nebraska, where he played college ball.

Yesterday, he posted a rather strange comeback on Twitter:

Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth.

Buddha
— Richie incognito (@68INCOGNITO) November 3, 2013

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Chuck Strouse is the former editor in chief of Miami New Times. He has shared two Pulitzer Prizes and won dozens of other awards. He is an honors graduate of Brown University and has worked at newspapers including the Miami Herald and Los Angeles Times.

Contact: Chuck Strouse

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Twitter: @chuckstrouse