We, as fans of the NFL, have always known that rookies are victims of petty crimes like carrying the team equipment, getting ridiculous haircuts or washing uniforms after a game.

It’s unfair, but not uncommon.

Rookies that come out of college as superstars are hazed by their team as a right of passage, a way to earn the respect of their veteran teammates and understand how things work in the professional ranks. If a new player can survive a season of teasing and ridicule, they will have passed the test.

However, this past week has brought to light what happens when a veteran can’t let go of the power held over a rookie and how a lack of authoritative presence morphed an internal situation to national news.

The Richie Incognito-Jonathan Martin bullying scandal has divided many current and former players on where to draw the line between hazing a teammate and inappropriately demeaning them. Some former players, like ex-Chicago Bear linebacker Hunter Hillenmeyer, have come out in defense of Martin by recounting his own experience with a teammate’s constant pestering and how it made his time in the NFL miserable.

On the other hand, current Miami Dolphins players, who were teammates of both Incognito and Martin, tried to explain that the whole team viewed the horrific message left by Incognito on Martin’s phone as a twisted joke. This could be a way to deter attention from the Dolphins’ franchise, or it could be a glimpse into the locker room culture in Miami and possibly other teams around the league.

One thing is for sure: football is a game of bullies.

The entire purpose of the game is to push the opposing team up and down the field for 60 minutes. The line of scrimmage is a constant battle to be won by whomever is bigger, stronger and more physical. It’s not a game meant for nice people, which leads to plenty of character issues.

The personalities of the players are part of the management of the team, which means they should be handled by the management. Head coaches are not only responsible for what happens on the field, they are responsible for building a championship culture.

Take a look at the New England Patriots over the past decade. There have been players in that organization that were considered locker room “cancer” before their tenure with the Patriots. However, as soon as they arrive, their egos disappear. Randy Moss, Chad (Ochocinco) Johnson, Aquib Talib and even Albert Haynesworth were silenced because they had no choice but to fall in line with the Belichick regime.

I realize that Joe Philbin is a rookie coach, but it is his duty as the leader of the team to make it clear that hostility between teammates is unacceptable. Rookie hazing is one thing, but for Philbin to let one of his players consistently harass a younger member of the team under his nose is a huge error in team management.

Philbin was not able to control his squad, and now the whole country has their eyes fixed squarely on Miami.

mfreter@mavs.coloradomesa.edu