First, we have no idea what's true and what isn't at this point. You and some others have taken the position that everything that props up Martin's side of the story has to be false while everything that props up Incognito's side must be true. We haven't heard the voicemails. We haven't seen the texts and the context surrounding them. We aren't privy to what players may say privately to the NFL investigators that they may not be willing to say publicly. We have no idea if the league is going to consider the things said simple locker room banter or if they're going to deem it unacceptable behavior.
The issue of the strip clubs still leaves questions unanswered. I have no issue with anyone going to a strip club, however, if those were actual meetings that were supposed to further some football related goal, that venue is a distraction and counterproductive to the task. If there were no football related goals to accomplish, then Incognito demanding payment for non-attendance amounts is extortion. Of further interest, if these were team sanctioned meetings, was all the money being collected in fines turned over to the team or was Incognito pocketing it?
Then there's the misconduct at the golf outing that was swept under the rug. I'm not sure if the league will make that part of their investigation or not, but it's certainly another reason to be leery of bringing this guy back on the team.
Finally, there's this fact all aglow in neon letters 10 miles high: Incognito is a bad risk. He was trouble in Nebraska; he was trouble in Oregon; he was trouble in St. Louis; he was trouble in Buffalo. He's been trouble everywhere he's been. And he's trouble that Ross can't afford. Ross is having enough trouble finding people to get behind his stadium proposal. It would be stupid of him to risk another Incognito story down the road, and there's no other player on the team more likely to get in trouble than him. If they bring Incognito back and he does something stupid yet again, Ross looks like a fool. People rarely bet their money on fools.
Anyway... since Incognito is the subject of this investigation, and since the Fins requested this investigation be conducted by the NFL, I don't see how they can bring him back before the league gives them the go ahead because if the report comes back and it buries Incognito, it's yet another piss-poor management decision on the part of the Dolphins organization. And that's probably the last thing Ross wants right now.
