Jonathan Martin's Threatening Text Message To Richie Incognito Was This Meme, Claims His Lawyer

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota
Miami Dolphins guard Richie Incognito (68) and tackle Jonathan Martin (71) stand on the field during practice in Davie, Fla. on July 24, 2013.

Attempting to provide context for his treatment of teammate Jonathan Martin, Richie Incognito claimed he also received a threatening text message. The suspended Miami Dolphins guard made this revelation when he sat down with Jay Glazer of FOX Sports to discuss the Dolphins' bullying scandal involving him and Martin. A second-year offensive tackle, Martin abruptly left the Dolphins on Oct. 28 to receive treatment for emotional distress. Incognito, once named the NFL's dirtiest player in a poll of his peers, was subsequently suspended by the Dolphins on Nov. 2 for unspecified misconduct related to alleged mistreatment of Martin.

"People don't know how John and I communicate to one another," Incognito explained to Glazer. "For instance, a week before this went down, Jonathan Martin texts me on my phone: 'I will murder your whole effing family.' Now, did I think Jonathan Martin was going to murder my family? Not one bit. I knew it was coming from a brother. I knew it was coming from a friend. I knew it was coming from a teammate."

Hours after the interview aired on FOX on Sunday afternoon, David Cornwell, an attorney for Martin, shared a profane Internet meme featuring a smiling woman and a dog on Twitter and indicated this was the message that Incognito mentioned to Glazer.

WARNING: Image Below Contains Strong Language

JMart's text 2 Richie Incognito. U decide..... pic.twitter.com/IrgdNnhGe2

— David Cornwell (@wmdavidcornwell) November 10, 2013

Is that what viewers had in mind as Incognito recalled the text message?

Incognito referenced the text from Martin when asked about the threatening voice and text messages he had reportedly sent that included racial slurs. Speaking with Glazer, Incognito confirmed leaving the following voicemail for Martin, who is bi-racial.

“Hey, wassup, you half n—– piece of [expletive] . . . I saw you on Twitter, you been training ten weeks. [I want to] [expletive] in your [expletive] mouth. [I'm going to] slap your [expletive] mouth. [I'm going to] slap your real mother across the face (laughter). [Expletive] you, you’re still a rookie. I’ll kill you.”

Although he did expressed embarrassment over the voicemail, Incognito cited the text from Martin as evidence that both players traded similar threats in jest. He portrayed a locker room culture where such language was acceptable.

"When I see that voicemail, when I see those words come across the screen, I'm embarrassed by it," Incognito said after he was presented with a transcript of the offensive voicemail he left for Martin. "I'm embarrassed by my actions. But what I want people to know is, the way Jonathan and the rest of the offensive line and how our teammates, how we communicate it's vulgar. It's not right."

[H/T Deadspin]

Spain stunned by Messi tax avoidance claims

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AppId is over the quota

Lionel Messi's spotless image as the world's greatest footballer and a humble man has taken a stunning blow with accusations that he cheated on his taxes, the Spanish media said on Thursday.

Newspapers reacted with shock to news that the Barcelona star and Argentina international has been accused of defrauding the Spanish tax authorities of more than four million euros ($5 million, £3.4 million).

"A symbol under suspicion," blared the front page of the country's biggest sports daily, Marca, saying in an editorial that he had cast doubt on his image as an exemplary sportsman.

"He has not been condemned, just accused, but the tax authority's account of a supposed fraud is hair-raising," the paper said, adding that the revelations were a surprise.

Madrid-based daily El Mundo said the claim "smears his image" and if proven would be "extraordinarily serious" and should be doubly condemned because of the 25-year-old's high income.

The four-time world player of the year and his father Jorge Horacio Messi have fiercely denied wrongdoing.

"We are surprised about this news because we have never committed any infringement," the striker said in an English-language statement released on his Facebook account on Wednesday.

In a written filing lodged with a court in Catalonia, northeastern Spain, where Messi is a resident, a financial crimes prosecutor accused him and his father defrauding the state of more than four million euros in taxes related to income from the use of his image from 2006-2009.

The striker and his father aimed to "deceive" the taxman by ceding Messi's image rights to companies based in tax havens such as Belize and Uruguay, the prosecutor's complaint said.

The court has yet to decide whether to proceed with the case, however.

The Barcelona-based daily Sport cautioned that the player had not been found guilty and should not be tried by the media.

"Messi does not deserve the injustice of parallel trials," the paper's director Joan Vehils said an opinion piece.

"Investigating him is fine but that he be condemned already without being given a chance to defend himself and without a trial is unacceptable."

Messi's achievements on the field have made him one of the most marketable sportsmen in the world.

The Argentine was ranked 10th amongst Forbes' list of sports stars' incomes this month with an annual $21 million from endorsements alone.

But the complaint lodged with the court in Gava, near Barcelona, accused Messi and his father of defrauding the state of 1.06 million euros in 2007, 1.57 million euros in 2008, and 1.53 million euros in 2009.

Spain stunned by Messi tax avoidance claims

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

Lionel Messi's spotless image as the world's greatest footballer and a humble man has taken a stunning blow with accusations that he cheated on his taxes, the Spanish media said on Thursday.

Newspapers reacted with shock to news that the Barcelona star and Argentina international has been accused of defrauding the Spanish tax authorities of more than four million euros ($5 million, £3.4 million).

"A symbol under suspicion," blared the front page of the country's biggest sports daily, Marca, saying in an editorial that he had cast doubt on his image as an exemplary sportsman.

"He has not been condemned, just accused, but the tax authority's account of a supposed fraud is hair-raising," the paper said, adding that the revelations were a surprise.

Madrid-based daily El Mundo said the claim "smears his image" and if proven would be "extraordinarily serious" and should be doubly condemned because of the 25-year-old's high income.

The four-time world player of the year and his father Jorge Horacio Messi have fiercely denied wrongdoing.

"We are surprised about this news because we have never committed any infringement," the striker said in an English-language statement released on his Facebook account on Wednesday.

In a written filing lodged with a court in Catalonia, northeastern Spain, where Messi is a resident, a financial crimes prosecutor accused him and his father defrauding the state of more than four million euros in taxes related to income from the use of his image from 2006-2009.

The striker and his father aimed to "deceive" the taxman by ceding Messi's image rights to companies based in tax havens such as Belize and Uruguay, the prosecutor's complaint said.

The court has yet to decide whether to proceed with the case, however.

The Barcelona-based daily Sport cautioned that the player had not been found guilty and should not be tried by the media.

"Messi does not deserve the injustice of parallel trials," the paper's director Joan Vehils said an opinion piece.

"Investigating him is fine but that he be condemned already without being given a chance to defend himself and without a trial is unacceptable."

Messi's achievements on the field have made him one of the most marketable sportsmen in the world.

The Argentine was ranked 10th amongst Forbes' list of sports stars' incomes this month with an annual $21 million from endorsements alone.

But the complaint lodged with the court in Gava, near Barcelona, accused Messi and his father of defrauding the state of 1.06 million euros in 2007, 1.57 million euros in 2008, and 1.53 million euros in 2009.

Spain stunned by Messi tax avoidance claims

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

Lionel Messi's spotless image as the world's greatest footballer and a humble man has taken a stunning blow with accusations that he cheated on his taxes, the Spanish media said on Thursday.

Newspapers reacted with shock to news that the Barcelona star and Argentina international has been accused of defrauding the Spanish tax authorities of more than four million euros ($5 million, £3.4 million).

"A symbol under suspicion," blared the front page of the country's biggest sports daily, Marca, saying in an editorial that he had cast doubt on his image as an exemplary sportsman.

"He has not been condemned, just accused, but the tax authority's account of a supposed fraud is hair-raising," the paper said, adding that the revelations were a surprise.

Madrid-based daily El Mundo said the claim "smears his image" and if proven would be "extraordinarily serious" and should be doubly condemned because of the 25-year-old's high income.

The four-time world player of the year and his father Jorge Horacio Messi have fiercely denied wrongdoing.

"We are surprised about this news because we have never committed any infringement," the striker said in an English-language statement released on his Facebook account on Wednesday.

In a written filing lodged with a court in Catalonia, northeastern Spain, where Messi is a resident, a financial crimes prosecutor accused him and his father defrauding the state of more than four million euros in taxes related to income from the use of his image from 2006-2009.

The striker and his father aimed to "deceive" the taxman by ceding Messi's image rights to companies based in tax havens such as Belize and Uruguay, the prosecutor's complaint said.

The court has yet to decide whether to proceed with the case, however.

The Barcelona-based daily Sport cautioned that the player had not been found guilty and should not be tried by the media.

"Messi does not deserve the injustice of parallel trials," the paper's director Joan Vehils said an opinion piece.

"Investigating him is fine but that he be condemned already without being given a chance to defend himself and without a trial is unacceptable."

Messi's achievements on the field have made him one of the most marketable sportsmen in the world.

The Argentine was ranked 10th amongst Forbes' list of sports stars' incomes this month with an annual $21 million from endorsements alone.

But the complaint lodged with the court in Gava, near Barcelona, accused Messi and his father of defrauding the state of 1.06 million euros in 2007, 1.57 million euros in 2008, and 1.53 million euros in 2009.

Spain stunned by Messi tax avoidance claims

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

Lionel Messi's spotless image as the world's greatest footballer and a humble man has taken a stunning blow with accusations that he cheated on his taxes, the Spanish media said on Thursday.

Newspapers reacted with shock to news that the Barcelona star and Argentina international has been accused of defrauding the Spanish tax authorities of more than four million euros ($5 million, £3.4 million).

"A symbol under suspicion," blared the front page of the country's biggest sports daily, Marca, saying in an editorial that he had cast doubt on his image as an exemplary sportsman.

"He has not been condemned, just accused, but the tax authority's account of a supposed fraud is hair-raising," the paper said, adding that the revelations were a surprise.

Madrid-based daily El Mundo said the claim "smears his image" and if proven would be "extraordinarily serious" and should be doubly condemned because of the 25-year-old's high income.

The four-time world player of the year and his father Jorge Horacio Messi have fiercely denied wrongdoing.

"We are surprised about this news because we have never committed any infringement," the striker said in an English-language statement released on his Facebook account on Wednesday.

In a written filing lodged with a court in Catalonia, northeastern Spain, where Messi is a resident, a financial crimes prosecutor accused him and his father defrauding the state of more than four million euros in taxes related to income from the use of his image from 2006-2009.

The striker and his father aimed to "deceive" the taxman by ceding Messi's image rights to companies based in tax havens such as Belize and Uruguay, the prosecutor's complaint said.

The court has yet to decide whether to proceed with the case, however.

The Barcelona-based daily Sport cautioned that the player had not been found guilty and should not be tried by the media.

"Messi does not deserve the injustice of parallel trials," the paper's director Joan Vehils said an opinion piece.

"Investigating him is fine but that he be condemned already without being given a chance to defend himself and without a trial is unacceptable."

Messi's achievements on the field have made him one of the most marketable sportsmen in the world.

The Argentine was ranked 10th amongst Forbes' list of sports stars' incomes this month with an annual $21 million from endorsements alone.

But the complaint lodged with the court in Gava, near Barcelona, accused Messi and his father of defrauding the state of 1.06 million euros in 2007, 1.57 million euros in 2008, and 1.53 million euros in 2009.