Dein erstes Forum » Neither Ross nor Garfinkel addressed

TAMPA, Fla. -- Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross has broken his silence on the bullying scandal that has engulfed his team, saying hes appalled by Jonathan Martins allegations of daily harassment by teammates. Ross said he plans to meet with Martin on Wednesday at an undisclosed location and that he has been in touch with the tackle through text messages. "I look forward to that meeting. I think that can help us move forward," Ross said. "Id like to hear from him what had happened, why he felt that way and what we did and what we could have done to prevent something like this from happening. I want to hear the circumstances, the facts." The owner vowed before Monday nights game between the Dolphins and Tampa Bay Buccaneers to get to bottom of the allegations and create a locker room culture that "suits the 21st century." "It couldnt have been a worse nightmare," said Ross, who was joined at the press conference by team president and chief executive officer Tom Garfinkel. The NFL is investigating Martins allegations against teammates, including Richie Incognito. Martin, 24, is with his family in California to undergo counselling for emotional issues. Incognito, 30, has been suspended indefinitely. A special investigator for the league will determine whether Incognito harassed Martin, and whether the Dolphins mishandled the matter. "We simply dont know what happened or didnt happen yet," Garfinkel said. "We want to know the truth." Ross strongly endorsed second-year Dolphins coach Joe Philbin, saying he had the "utmost confidence" in the man he hired in 2012. The owner, however, did not express support for beleaguered general manager Jeff Ireland. "Joe Philbin is probably one of the most organized people Ive ever met," Ross said. "When I interviewed him that stood out, but what also stood out was his character. I dont think there is a better person, a more respected person, a more caring person in the National Football League than Joe Philbin." Ross said to he has formed an independent advisory group that includes Tony Dungy, Don Shula, Dan Marino, Jason Taylor and Curtis Martin to review organizational conduct policies and to make recommendations on areas for improvement. "We need to look at ourselves. We have to examine everything internally," Ross said. "This is so appalling to me. I know Im capable of overreacting. I want to get everybodys feedback because we all know the football locker room is a different workplace than most of us are accustomed to. I dont want to make any excuses." Neither Ross nor Garfinkel addressed an ESPN report that Martin is likely done for the season and feels he cannot return to the Dolphins. Martins agent Kenneth Zuckerman did not respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press. Ross said he will take an "open mind" going into his meeting with Martin. "I want to hear the facts," the owner said, adding that hed also like to meet with Incognito. "He deserves to be heard," Ross said of the suspended guard. The 6-foot-5, 312-pound Martin left the team two weeks ago. His attorney has alleged that Martin was harassed daily, and Incognito acknowledged leaving a voicemail for Martin in April in which he used a racist term, threatened to kill his teammate and threatened to slap Martins mother. Rosss reaction as the scandal mushroomed? "I was appalled," the owner said. "I think anybody would be appalled. When you first read that text that was reported, to me I didnt realize people would talk or text or speak that way to people." Incognito is white and Martin is biracial. Teammates both black and white have said Incognito is not a racist, and theyve been more supportive of the veteran guard than they have of Martin. The 6-3, 319-pound Incognito has long been labeled one of the NFLs dirtiest players with a reputation for out-of-bounds behaviour off the field. But this season he was a member of the player leadership council, raising questions about the role of Philbin, his staff and Miami management in the case. The scandal is the latest public-relations headache for Ross since he became majority owner of the Dolphins in 2009. Theyve endured four consecutive losing seasons, their longest such streak since the 1960s, and often play in a half-empty stadium, their local popularity eclipsed by the Miami Heat. Ross apologized to Dolphins fans "for being in this position. I know we will come out of this as a better organization." Fake Sneakers .40 metres at the Drake Relays. Drouin, from Corunna, Ont., bested his own record of 2.38 metres set in Aug. Fake Yeezy . "Opinion: Womens World Cup is the best Soccer of the year," Hanks tweeted to his 8.73 million followers on Friday. "Hey FIFA, they deserve real grass. Put in sod. https://www.fakeshoes.net/ . The person spoke on condition of anonymity because no announcement was made. By releasing Bailey, the Broncos would open up cap space with the 12-time Pro Bowl player scheduled to make around $10 million next season. Fake Shoes From China . On Saturday night, Winnipegs strong offense was again accompanied by some fantastic pitching which gave the Fish a commanding victory. Cheap Fake Shoes . -- Jay Haas and Peter Jacobsen took the second-round lead Saturday in the Champions Tours Legends of Golf, teaming for a 6-under 48 in windy conditions on the par-3 Top of the Rock course.TORONTO - R.A. Dickey learned many things in his first season with the Blue Jays, not the least of which is managing his own expectations, those of an organization which acquired him by trading promising youth and those of a fan base aware of that price and starved for a winner. "I won a Cy Young last year and I did not live up to what that year was last year," said Dickey. "So I have to do a good job, myself, of not putting so much pressure on myself. Its going to come. There was a big trade made, a lot of pieces were given up for me so theres an expectation that comes with that. I take that very seriously. I have to do a good job of making sure that I hold it in the right perspective as well." Dickey finishes 2013 with a 14-13 record, the second-highest win total of his career. His ERA of 4.21 is the highest since he became a full-time starting pitcher three years ago. Dickey pitched 224 2/3 innings, which will lead the club. He struck out 7.1 hitters per nine innings and walked 2.8 hitters per nine innings - averages that regressed from his Cy Young season with the Mets. "A snapshot of the season, for me, is a tad above average," said Dickey. "I ended up with but 14 wins and if thats a down year then Ill take a down year from time to time. I have a lot to improve upon and feel like Ive done a pretty good job of growing over the season as far as trying to identify what can make me better for next season. Ive got a lot of stuff written down. (Pitching coach) Pete (Walker) and I have got a list going and Im very optimistic about next year." Despite a comfortably seasonal night in Toronto, the roof was closed for Dickeys final start. The knuckleballer denied having direct involvement in the decision to have the game played indoors but its been clear, for a while, that both Dickey and the club are looking for ways to maximize the conditions for his special pitch. Make no mistake, its not an excuse, the knuckleball is affected by climate – specifically humidity – and wind. Dickeys Rogers Centre splits look like this: Roof closed – 5-2, 3.58 ERA, seven home runs allowed; Roof open – 3-4, 5.73 ERA, 17 home runs allowed. Bottom line, Dickey gives up more than two extra runs per start when the roof is rolled back. Each of Dickeys 10 starts at home between May 4 and August 11 was outdoors. "In truth, I need to be to pitch well no matter what the rooof is," said Dickey.dddddddddddd "It at least gives us a good sample size to be able to see, if we do have a day thats marginal, we can make a decision based on what the statistics show us." Dickey faced his share of adversity this season. He pitched through neck and upper back pain for most of the first three months of the season, an injury he described on Saturday as a torn rhomboid muscle. While he pitched through the discomfort, he was robbed of the ability to throw his high-velocity knuckleball. Complicating matters further, Dickey was tipping his fastball early in the season, which allowed hitters to sit on the pitch. After identifying the problem on video, he quickly corrected it. Dickey is pleased with the decrease in his walks total from about mid-June. He hasnt issued more than three free passes in a game since June 15. He blames the neck injury, in part, for an early season lack of control. "I remember having a conversation with you guys earlier in the year that it was a struggle to take speed off of it like I needed to to be able to pitch and throw strikes like Im used to throwing," he said. Dickey credits Josh Thole, who was recalled from Buffalo after Henry Blanco was designated for assignment in mid-June, with being a calming influence on him. Cynical and jaded Blue Jays fans, who view the season through a lens of frustration and disappointment, may not want to hear Dickey preach hope for 2014 so soon. The scars of this year havent healed yet. But Dickey is resolute in his confidence, both in himself and in the team, as he looks ahead to spring training in February. "Ive learned an awful lot having come from the NL East to the AL East and been able to identify the guys that I need to mix in my sequences a little better and work on that on the side," said Dickey. "Ive paid attention to who hits me well and who doesnt and what I need to do from a pitching standpoint to give myself the best chance to win. "Weve played a year together," Dickey said of the team. "Thats a big deal, guys. Like having all these pieces come into the fold at once that havent played together. Weve played together for a year now. Now we know what to expect out of each other. We know how to challenge each other. We know a little bit more about how to hold each other accountable. All of those things are very important on a team as you well know." ' ' '