A Mess in Miami

“I also know it’s not an isolated incident. It’s unfortunately the culture of the NFL.” — Brandon Marshall, Chicago Bears Wide Receiver.

I have probably watched more Chicago Bears games over the last two years than any hard core Denver Broncos fan in the country. Confused? Don't be. It's just that I love the players that were important to the Broncos to the point that I tape Bears games while I'm at church so I can watch Jay Cutler and Brandon Marshall, two key pieces from the Mike Shanahan era for the Broncos.

When Marshall played for the Broncos, he had problems. He had off-field distractions, and it was a concern. But somewhere along the way — as he journeyed from Denver to Miami and then Chicago, he grew and matured. He has become a thoughtful and insightful player.

So it came as no surprise that Marshall offered one of the most fascinating takes on the story that has dominated the NFL landscape for two weeks — hazing, the lock room culture, and the battle for the soul of the Miami Dolphins.


“Look at it from this standpoint. Take a little boy and a little girl. A little boy falls down and the first thing we say as parents is ‘Get up, shake it off. You’ll be OK. Don’t cry.’ A little girl falls down, what do we say? ‘It’s going to be OK.’ We validate their feelings. So right there from that moment, we’re teaching our men to mask their feelings, to not show their emotions. And it’s that times 100 with football players. You can’t show that your hurt, can’t show any pain. So for a guy to come into the locker room and he shows a little vulnerability, that’s a problem. That’s what I mean by the culture of the NFL. And that’s what we have to change. So what’s going on in Miami goes on in every locker room. But it’s time for us to start talking. Maybe have some group sessions where guys sit down and maybe talk about what’s going on off the field or what’s going on in the building and not mask everything. Because the (longer) it goes untreated, the worse it gets.” — Brandon Marshall, Chicago Bears Wide Receiver.

No matter what comes out as a result of the investigation of the Dolphins locker room — and the NFL has promised complete transparency in its findings — this exposes something most people don't want to think about when it comes to the NFL. In fact, to all sports. The locker room is a weird and crazy place, and part of that is a reflection of our cultural values.

I remember in youth sports, playing little league baseball, more than once I thought to myself no parent would like to be a fly on the wall and here what is said in the dug out. And this is young men in a very amateur environment. Or consider the stories of what it's like to be in a unit in the military? When the film "Jarhead" came out, most were upset because of the way it portrayed the life of our soldiers. It's different than the image we like to keep in our head, and it bothered us.

We can continue to pretend these things don't happen, but they do. And often the past few years, fans of football have been forced to realize the real costs of playing football. Whether its the injuries and damage done to the quality of life of players, the idea that football is a violent game and many of those who reach the highest level revel in that violence, or the culture in the locker room, professional football has flaws. That doesn't make it any less exciting to see a miracle comeback or a perfectly played game on Sundays, but it does mean we have to acknowledge reality.

Some have said the last few years have ruined their enjoyment of football. That might be true. But isn't it better to shine a light on reality than live in ignorance. If not for fans, at least for the men who play the game.