USA TODAY International Edition
Finally, the right message
Dolphins owner Ross steps up in Martin case
Now that seemed sincere. Stephen Ross finally addressed the drama that has surrounded his football team with the Jonathan Martin situation, and the Miami Dolphins owner passionately demonstrated Monday that, yes, there is some proactive leadership at the top.
Sure, Ross should have spoken to the public in the flesh — rather than through the statements issued by the team last week — way before now.
What he strongly declared during a news conference before the Dolphins’ nationally televised game at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers could have been said when the issue first hit the fan.
This situation begged for it, and crisis- management pros will tell you it’s advisable to get in front of a scandal ASAP. Better late than never. Ross said that, like me, he was appalled by the use of the racial slurs — not only in the voice mail from suspended guard Richie Incognito but in the workplace environment that is the Dolphins locker room.
He didn’t jump to conclusions, stating the need to collect more facts, which will include a private meeting with Martin on Wednesday.
Martin, a second- year tackle from Stanford on whom the Dolphins invested a second- round pick, has been with family and sought counseling.
Ross pledged there would be changes, including the formation of an advisory committee with some of the most respected people in the NFL community: Don Shula, Tony Dungy, Dan Marino, Jason Taylor
and Curtis Martin.
That doesn’t strike me as some sort of PR move. It is a humble and can- do act of someone seeking assistance, genuinely trying to grasp input that can help formulate long- term solutions that include creating the right environment.
Ross apologized to his fan base for the mess and explained why he sought input from the NFL to launch an independent investigation.
He gave coach Joe Philbin props ... and even mentioned Hard Knocks, the HBO series in which the Dolphins appeared this year.
But it was one of the first things
There’s hope for the Dolphins. With such high- profile attention cast toward how they will respond to this episode, Ross put his name and reputation on the line.
Ross said that resonated the most. He said he cared about Jonathan Martin, who apparently was so troubled by the environment that he did what football players rarely do on their own — he walked away.
“Every voice, every person needs to be heard,” Ross said. “Obviously, there was a voice that wasn’t being heard.”
Ross had the proper response that countered Incognito’s incomplete attempt during his damage- control interview with Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer.
Dolphins players — including the weak, would- be leaders who painted Martin as a teammate unworthy of sympathy and expressed no such remorse about the racial insensitivity attached to the case — dictated narrative that cast Incognito as a sympathetic figure with their comments last week.
Well, that also has been turned on its head.
There’s hope for the Dolphins. With such high- profile attention cast toward how they will respond to this episode, Ross put his name and reputation on the line.
He insists they will learn and grow from this.
Better yet, he has the power to demand that the culture changes.
So the buck won’t stop with Philbin or embattled general manager Jeff Ireland.
The accountability will cross the desk of the man whose opinion matters most within the Dolphins organization, the man who committed $ 200 million during an offseason free agent spending spree.
This also has the potential to send a powerful message, given the NFL’s expansive platform, about the social leadership that teams have within their power to demonstrate.
Ross is to be applauded for finally stepping up to put his face on the issue. He sounded genuine enough. Now let’s see how he ensures that others are held accountable — and that the changes he promises result in an NFL workplace environment that reflects a progressive society.