The Worst Kind Of Loser

A Big Piece Of Garbage

44-79.

That's the won-loss record of teams that have employed Richie Incognito, last employed by the Miami Dolphins to be an interior lineman and locker-room poison.

So it really does not matter if he's guilty (and, um, he is) of the ridiculously awful behavior cited in the NFL investigation and personal recriminations from the Jonathan Martin incident. It also does not matter that he made his first Pro Bowl last year, or that independent of being a remarkable scumbag, he might be actually kind of good at his job, at least in the remarkably limited frame of blocking the man in front of him.

See, there's a reason why Incognito's Rams, Bills and Dolphins teams underperformed. Mostly because they've employed guys like Incognito.

I don't know about you, but I've worked at a lot of places. I've worked continuously for 30-odd years, from menial labor as a youth to increasingly intellectual stuff over the years, at a variety of start ups and gigs, and I've also served as a consultant at a couple of dozen places. There's been one commonality in all of those gigs. Bad coworkers will end you.

Bad coworkers aren't even usually all that bad in their own duties. But what they do is demotivate others from trying their all, foster an environment of non-innovation, fight turf battles and engage in paperwork, processes, blame-throwing and clock-watching. They don't go the extra mile, and they keep others from doing the same. And if you've ever been one of these people, you really need to go somewhere else and be someone else, and to realize that even the worst managers on the planet can't force you to be the same way.

The bigger question to me is whether the NFL will wise up and (a) not employ Incognito after this sorry incident, and (b) work to prevent future Incognitos. Rookies paying for veterans is some lame nonsense, especially in a profession where there is no guarantee that minimum contract young players will become relatively prosperous veterans. (And, well, given that NFL contracts are not guaranteed and future health issues are, not saving every penny is an utter disaster.)

And while it seems to be a lot to ask to change the culture in the NFL just because one career loser got caught and will lose his future earnings... well, um, losing your job for the thrill of being an asshat isn't an exchange that even remarkable asshats generally make.

Incognito is the biggest story in the NFL today, and he shouldn't be the last person in the Dolphin organization to lose his job over this.

Oh, and they get to play on Veteran's Day next Monday night, against the similarly horrific Buccaneers. Think ESPN wants to start flexing out Monday night games in the next contract?