08-24-2020, 10:28 AM
(08-24-2020, 01:22 AM)jason Wrote: While I agree with a lot of this ( I remember hearing of text messages from Incognito to Martin saying hey man... You need to set the record straight on this... They're really coming after me) Turner came with a shitty reputation, and unless I'm missing something (I may well be) doesn't have a super impressive resume.
Ok, YES, great comment and thing to bring up. So, I was not kidding when I said I read literally the ENTIRE chain of txt conversations submitted as evidence from that case. If you just took what Incognito said in a snippet quote like what you referenced it looks like Incognito is asking Martin to repent as a favor or to bail him out. Only, he really wasn't. Not in that kind of way....
So, in the conversations between Incognito & Martin, they chatted normal guy stuff. Incognito invited him to events, to hang out, asked how he was, etc. Was nice and cool to him - virtually all the time. Teased him.... but in a way normal guys and jocks do. Nothing... NOTHING like in the way Martin was alleging and nothing super bully about it if you read everything to understand the way they txt and communicated. The conversations were plain and normal leading up to the exact moment (you can tell in the txts when that was by the comment you referenced) Martin went and made up these allegations against Incognito, Turner, and the Dolphins to the press and the NFL. So, when Incognito said that, it was directly after he was ambushed with all of Martin's claims (which were clearly invented out of thin air by Martin if you read the txts). So, Incognito was basically still being cool and asking him like "Hey, come on man, be honest and tell them the truth". Which, Martin never did and it blew up because Martin's not mentally stable. Turner and Incognito ended up taking the fall in a PR move by the NFL.
As far as Turner goes, he is definitely... DEFINITELY from an old school, hard nosed, Heartbreak Ridge, Full Metal Jacket Drill Sgt. era. He treated Martin like his Private Pile... to a degree. He wanted to toughen him up to bring out Martin's best (that's how Turner would view it, I would characterize). But, that's the NFL, right? Like, do the job or get cut. So, Turner, instead of ignoring Martin, letting him fail on his own, and cutting him, he asked a leader on the team, Incognito, to toughen him up to see what he's made of and bring out the best in him. Obviously, NOT the right approach with Private Pile (Martin). But, it would be with 99% of the other players there.
IMO, having been in environments like that, most high level and hard working players in a lot of team sports appreciate (ASSISTANT/POSITIONAL) coaches like Turner to a degree. Those guys don't let people be lazy bums. As a head coach, I don't think it works. But, especially team sports where guys have to work together, a lower ranking "bad cop" is not a bad thing. If one guy is being a lazy, weak $#% slouch, they all suffer during games. So, I get what Turner was doing. Did Turner actually hate Martin at the time this all went down and want him to fail or be bullied? Probably not. I doubt it. There's no benefit to Turner if Martin fails (hell, Jonathan Martin was a 2nd round pick! You KNOW Turner interviewed him, studied him, and wanted him on the team). I think Turner did what he thought was right and try to get Martin to push past his mental blocks and reach his potential by toughening him up. Nobody knew Martin was nuts at the time, so, it didn't work.
Turner's just from a different era and Martin is (not kidding) mentally unstable, as evidenced by his post career arrests and episodes. Personally, I don't mind that kind of coach. I 100% get it. But, times change and the style of the coaching has to change. We'll see if Turner can turn water into wine this year or not. I think that's unfair to the coaches. I think the Bengals need to provide him with more grapes (good players) before expecting wine.
