DAVIE, Fla. Phillies Victor Arano Jersey . -- In a culture that fosters conflict, Jonathan Martin sought to avoid it. Upset by treatment he considered abusive, the Miami Dolphins tackle let the situation fester for months before leaving the team last week. Martins agent then complained to the Dolphins, who suspended guard Richie Incognito. The NFL is investigating whether Incognito harassed or bullied Martin, and whether their teammates and the organization mishandled the matter. Some say Martin, a Stanford graduate who went about his business quietly, handled the situation well. But pro football is a macho world, and some players believe Martin should have responded more firmly. "Is Incognito wrong? Absolutely. Hes 100 per cent wrong," New York Giants safety Antrel Rolle said. "No individual should have to go through that, especially in their workplace. "But at the same time, Jonathan Martin is a 6-4, 320-pound man. I mean, at some point and time you need to stand your ground as an individual. Am I saying go attack, go fight him? No. I think we all understand we can stand our ground without anything being physical." Dolphins players have robustly defended Incognito, long considered among the NFLs dirtiest players. Hes now a notorious national villain, but teammates praise his leadership and loyalty. Theyve been less passionate in their support of Martin, saying he and Incognito behaved like best friends. "They did a lot of stuff together," tackle Tyson Clabo said. "So if he had a problem with the way he was treating him, he had a funny way of showing it." Martin is with his family in California to undergo counselling for emotional issues. A senior partner in a New York law firm was appointed by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to investigate possible misconduct and prepare a report. DeMaurice Smith, executive director of the NFL Players Association, said Thursday that he continues to be in touch with those involved. "The NFLPA has taken steps to ensure that every one of our affected members is represented," Smith said in a statement. "It is our duty as a union to learn the full facts, protect the interests of players involved and hold management accountable to the highest standards of fairness and transparency." The alleged bullying saga engulfing the Dolphins has shed a light on how damaging perceptions can be in the violent world of the NFL. A Pittsburgh native, Martin is the son of Harvard graduates and his great grandfather also graduated from the school in 1924. At Stanford he protected Andrew Lucks blind side, and also majored in the classics. Taken in the second round of the 2012 draft, Martin has what it takes physically to be an NFL player -- size, skill, athleticism, intelligence. He won praise from the Dolphins for his diligent study of game and practice video. But while has been a starter since the first game of his rookie season, Martin developed a reputation in the NFL for lacking toughness. That impression might have been reinforced by the way he handled his issues with Incognito, current and former teammates acknowledge. "A lot of people might look at Jonathan Martin and think that hes soft because he stepped away from the game, and say, Why dont you just fight him?" said Seattle Seahawks receiver Doug Baldwin, who played with Martin at Stanford. "Well, if you look at it with common sense and being logical, what options did Jonathan Martin have? "He could fight Richie Incognito. He could go and tell on the players, which we know in the football locker room doesnt go over too well. Or he could remove himself from the situation and let the proper channels take care of itself. And I think he made the intelligent, smart choice without putting himself or Richie Incognitos physical abilities in danger." Houston Texans Antonio Smith, who has accused Incognito of dirty play since they went against each other in college, said Martin should have responded more forcefully. Smith drew a three-game suspension this year for taking Incognitos helmet and hitting him during an exhibition game. "I dont think that in my opinion a grown man should get bullied," Smith said. "And I think that if youre realistically getting bullied, theres only one way my mom taught me and my dad taught me how to get rid of bullies. They used to always say, You hit a bully in the mouth. It will stop him from bullying, no matter what you hit him with." Incognitos harassment of Martin included text messages that were racist and threatening, two people familiar with the situation have told The Associated Press. Incognito is white, while Martin is biracial. Two other people familiar with the situation have said Martin talked of quitting football earlier in his pro career before leaving the Dolphins. One person said Martin considered giving up the sport because of the way he was being treated by other offensive linemen on the team. The person added that Martin now wants to continue his football career. The Dolphins (4-4) play for the first time since the scandal broke Monday night at Tampa Bay (0-8). At least 75 reporters and cameramen tracking the case were in the locker room after Thursdays practice, but receiver Brian Hartline said the scrutiny wont prevent the team from playing well. "It almost heightens your awareness," he said. "You know its going to take away from your focus, so it does the exact opposite. You overcompensate to make sure you stay aware of the game." Phillies Pete Rose Jersey . Louis, MO (SportsNetwork. Phillies Asdrubal Cabrera Jersey .C. -- Carter Ashton had a pair of goals and added an assist as the Toronto Marlies downed the Charlotte Checkers 5-2 on Saturday in the American Hockey League. http://www.cheapphilliesjerseysauthentic.com/?tag=phillies-john-kruk-jersey . Listen to the Raptors vs. Jazz live tonight on TSN Radio 1050 at 9pm et/6pm pt. The Raptors are 1-1 so far on the five-game junket after defeating Denver and losing to Portland.LONDON -- Chelsea scored four goals in the second half to thrash 10-man Tottenham 4-0 and provisionally move seven points clear in the Premier League on Saturday. Jose Mourinhos side was unconvincing before halftime but Samuel Etoo sparked a stunning revival by taking advantage of Jan Vertonghens slip and ill-judged back pass to nip in and score in the 56th minute. Etoo was then felled by Younes Kaboul in the area, earning the defender a straight red card, and Eden Hazard converted the 60th-minute penalty. Substitute Demba Ba completed a crushing win with two late goals in the space of 75 seconds. Chelsea has played a game more than second-placed Liverpool and third-placed Arsenal, who are both seven points adrift and not in league action this weekend. Fourth-placed Manchester City is nine points behind with three games in hand. This was meant to be one of Chelseas toughest matches of its run-in and a win -- coming despite a poor first half -- can only strengthen belief inside Stamford Bridge that the title could be theirs in Mourinhos first season back in charge. Chelsea has Arsenal at home and Liverpool away in its final nine matches; otherwise the schedule looks straightforward. And although City is in striking distance, points on the board are what matter at this stage. Chelsea has had the knack this campaign of winning without necessarily playing well and this was another case in point, taking its unbeaten run in the league to 14 games in the process. Phillies Jerseys China. Spurs had drawn or lost on their previous 26 visits to Stamford Bridge, dating back to February 1990 when Gary Lineker scored the winning goal, but they looked in good shape to end that dreadful record in a first half that they edged. Hazard may have missed an open goal in the fifth minute after rounding goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, but most of the action was at the other end where Nabil Bentaleb dragged a shot wide, Sandro had a superb volley saved and Tottenhams fluid midfield caused all sorts of problems. But the visitors failed to make their dominance count and the inevitable happened at the start of the second half -- Chelsea took full advantage. The first goal can be put down to Vertonghens unfortunate slip, although the Belgium defender compounded his error by trying to hook the ball back to Lloris while scrambling on the ground. Etoo intervened and slotted a low finish into the corner. Etoo, who was only playing because Fernando Torres was injured in the warmup, was then bundled into by Kaboul from behind as he latched onto Hazards square ball. Kaboul was shown a straight red card and Hazard rolled home the penalty. From then on, it was damage limitation for Spurs and they resisted until the final two minutes. Ba tucked home a finish after Sandro made a mess of clearing Oscars cross and then Kyle Walkers strange headed backpass was pounced on by Ba, who finished under Lloris. cheap falcons jerseys cheap ravens jerseys cheap bills jerseys cheap bears jerseys cheap bengals jerseys cheap cowboys jerseys cheap lions jerseys cheap texans jerseys cheap colts jerseys cheap jaguars jerseys cheap chiefs jerseys cheap rams jerseys cheap dolphins jerseys cheap vikings jerseys cheap saints jerseys cheap giants jerseys cheap jets jerseys cheap eagles jerseys cheap steelers jerseys cheap 49ers jerseys ' ' '