Incognito? Not anymore!
in·cog·ni·toˌ inkäɡˈnēdō/ adjective & adverb 1. (of a person) having one's true identity concealed. synonyms: under an assumed name, under a false name, in disguise, disguised, under cover, in plain clothes, camouflaged, unidentified.
Has there ever been a more ironic name for an NFL player?
Incognito has garnered a lot of attention over the years for his dirty play. He has "allegedly"gouged players' eyes, punched players, and did other notorious things at the bottom of the pile. In 2009, NFL players voted Incognito as the dirtiest player in the league, according to a Sporting News poll.
He reminds me of another Buffalo Bill player - a teamate of mine back in 1980 - who was known as the dirtiest player in the NFL: Conrad Dobler. I called him the "Doblerman" (as in Doberman Pincer) because he would rip your throat out on command. That command was usually the whistle to start the game.
Like Incognito, Conrad had a bad reputation for going just a little above and beyond the call of duty, but when it came to protecting his QB (Joe Ferguson) and moving people out of the way for his RB (Joe Cribbs) the guy was second to none.
You would think that after the bullying incident in Miami, Richie would have wanted to don a disguise and go undercover. In a way, his one year suspension from the NFL achieved that goal. No one heard his name and he kept a very low profile.
I'm glad that the Buffalo Bills took a chance on Richie. I love a good comeback story and right now he has my vote for comeback player of the year.
Rex Ryan said he wanted his team to be a bully on the field - and what better way to show it then hiring the number one "percieved" bully in the NFL.
The term "Bully" is not the best way to descibe Richie or any other player in the NFL that does a good job of pushing weaker opponents around like they were on roller skates going downhill. That is what the game is all about - dominating your opponent both physically and mentally.
Yes, Richie has a way of getting into the head of other players - just like Conrad Dobler. If you can get your opponent thinking about how they can retaliate and get revenge, you have won half the battle. Is it morally right? Is it fair play? Is it good sportsmanship?
When you're in a battle to win a war, all that crap goes out the window real fast.
I think Richie Incognito has finally realized that his days in the NFL are numbered - even if he doesn't have another "off-field" incident - and that is what motivates him to stay strong and do what it takes to be in the best shape - both mentally and physically.
According to his Wikipedia page: Incognito has a reputation as a reliable lineman who works hard to stay healthy. His methods to stay off the injured list include core exercises like Pilates, weekly trips to the chiropractor, massage therapy, and other non-traditional forms of conditioning. "The main thing is longevity, but the real goal of these methods of training is just staying on top of the small stuff," he said. "The body is all interconnected. The main goal is to stay on the field and remain ready to deal with the grind of the NFL. It's a violent sport, it's a collision sport and I take pride in being a professional and being prepared mentally and physically to play."
No one can argue with the fact the Mr. Incognito is a good player - maybe on of the best offensive lineman in the NFL...... right now. I just hope he can find a way to contain the "Monster" that sometimes wants to get out. It's kind of like Bruce Banner trying to keep the "Hulk" in check. The Hulk's strength increases proportionally with his level of emotional stress - anger in particular. It's ok during a football game, but it's not that easy to turn off at the end of the game.
I don't want to make excuses for Richie or any player that has exhibited bad judgement or violent behavior off the field, but the fact is researches have found that the thousands of small subconcussive blows to the head that many offensive and defensive linemen have incurred during their time in Pop Warner, High School, College and the NFL can reduce impulse control and can lead to uncontrollable fits of rage and anger.
Beast Mode is ok on the field.............but not so good off the field.
Now that current players understand this, they need to make sure they are surrounded by the right people that can help them diffuse situations that could arouse the BEAST within. If Richie, or any other player goes out for a night of fun, they would also be wise to have a bodyguard next to them making sure they don't get personally involved in any altercations. As Chris Carter would recommend....."Get a Fall Guy"
No matter where Richie goes, people will recognize him........and some will taunt him and challenge him.
He will never be incognito again.
