The announcement came late on a busy Sunday, in which new details of the alleged abuse suffered by Martin came to light, and in which a potential new controversy was just beginning.
The latest twist:
Young Dolphins players are under pressure to dig deep into their pockets to pay for veterans’ social outings, a phenomenon that has put strain on their finances and locker room chemistry, according to a source with direct knowledge of the situation.
One young defensive player, whose privacy the Miami Herald is protecting, is on his way to going broke because he has been unable to say no to the older players, the source said.
“Everything tastes better when rookies pay for it,” veteran defensive end Jared Odrick wrote on Twitter this weekend. “Yes, the bill would make you sick.”
Younger players were handed the tab for a $30,000 team dinner, according to a source. The rookie minimum this year is around $400,000.
Will Davis, a rookie cornerback, tweeted Sunday: “The bill was definitely split. ... They would never put that on one man to pay for it all. Haha now that would be crazy...”
Every team has a rookie dinner outing, which is what Odrick was referring to in his tweet, but these are instances that extend far beyond a onetime deal.
The source characterized Dolphins veterans using younger players as ATMs to finance their nightlife whims. These older players have been caught up in the fast-paced Miami lifestyle without the burden of having to pay for it, the source continued.
Multiple sources plugged into the organization agree that it’s happening in Miami — but it’s not just a Dolphins issue. It happens league-wide, and organizations and the players’ union know all about it. They simply don’t care, another source said.
These allegations come on the heels of ESPN’s report Sunday morning that Incognito pressured Martin into paying $15,000 for an unofficial team vacation to Las Vegas — a trip Martin didn’t even attend.
Read more here:
http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/11/...dolphins-push-back-against.html#storylink=cpy