DAVIE, Fla. Chicago White Sox Gear . -- In a culture that fosters conflict, Jonathan Martin sought to avoid it. Upset by treatment he considered abusive, the Miami Dolphins tackle let the situation fester for months before leaving the team last week. Martins agent then complained to the Dolphins, who suspended guard Richie Incognito. The NFL is investigating whether Incognito harassed or bullied Martin, and whether their teammates and the organization mishandled the matter. Some say Martin, a Stanford graduate who went about his business quietly, handled the situation well. But pro football is a macho world, and some players believe Martin should have responded more firmly. "Is Incognito wrong? Absolutely. Hes 100 per cent wrong," New York Giants safety Antrel Rolle said. "No individual should have to go through that, especially in their workplace. "But at the same time, Jonathan Martin is a 6-4, 320-pound man. I mean, at some point and time you need to stand your ground as an individual. Am I saying go attack, go fight him? No. I think we all understand we can stand our ground without anything being physical." Dolphins players have robustly defended Incognito, long considered among the NFLs dirtiest players. Hes now a notorious national villain, but teammates praise his leadership and loyalty. Theyve been less passionate in their support of Martin, saying he and Incognito behaved like best friends. "They did a lot of stuff together," tackle Tyson Clabo said. "So if he had a problem with the way he was treating him, he had a funny way of showing it." Martin is with his family in California to undergo counselling for emotional issues. A senior partner in a New York law firm was appointed by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to investigate possible misconduct and prepare a report. DeMaurice Smith, executive director of the NFL Players Association, said Thursday that he continues to be in touch with those involved. "The NFLPA has taken steps to ensure that every one of our affected members is represented," Smith said in a statement. "It is our duty as a union to learn the full facts, protect the interests of players involved and hold management accountable to the highest standards of fairness and transparency." The alleged bullying saga engulfing the Dolphins has shed a light on how damaging perceptions can be in the violent world of the NFL. A Pittsburgh native, Martin is the son of Harvard graduates and his great grandfather also graduated from the school in 1924. At Stanford he protected Andrew Lucks blind side, and also majored in the classics. Taken in the second round of the 2012 draft, Martin has what it takes physically to be an NFL player -- size, skill, athleticism, intelligence. He won praise from the Dolphins for his diligent study of game and practice video. But while has been a starter since the first game of his rookie season, Martin developed a reputation in the NFL for lacking toughness. That impression might have been reinforced by the way he handled his issues with Incognito, current and former teammates acknowledge. "A lot of people might look at Jonathan Martin and think that hes soft because he stepped away from the game, and say, Why dont you just fight him?" said Seattle Seahawks receiver Doug Baldwin, who played with Martin at Stanford. "Well, if you look at it with common sense and being logical, what options did Jonathan Martin have? "He could fight Richie Incognito. He could go and tell on the players, which we know in the football locker room doesnt go over too well. Or he could remove himself from the situation and let the proper channels take care of itself. And I think he made the intelligent, smart choice without putting himself or Richie Incognitos physical abilities in danger." Houston Texans Antonio Smith, who has accused Incognito of dirty play since they went against each other in college, said Martin should have responded more forcefully. Smith drew a three-game suspension this year for taking Incognitos helmet and hitting him during an exhibition game. "I dont think that in my opinion a grown man should get bullied," Smith said. "And I think that if youre realistically getting bullied, theres only one way my mom taught me and my dad taught me how to get rid of bullies. They used to always say, You hit a bully in the mouth. It will stop him from bullying, no matter what you hit him with." Incognitos harassment of Martin included text messages that were racist and threatening, two people familiar with the situation have told The Associated Press. Incognito is white, while Martin is biracial. Two other people familiar with the situation have said Martin talked of quitting football earlier in his pro career before leaving the Dolphins. One person said Martin considered giving up the sport because of the way he was being treated by other offensive linemen on the team. The person added that Martin now wants to continue his football career. The Dolphins (4-4) play for the first time since the scandal broke Monday night at Tampa Bay (0-8). At least 75 reporters and cameramen tracking the case were in the locker room after Thursdays practice, but receiver Brian Hartline said the scrutiny wont prevent the team from playing well. "It almost heightens your awareness," he said. "You know its going to take away from your focus, so it does the exact opposite. You overcompensate to make sure you stay aware of the game." White Sox Jerseys China . Despite Barcelona showing the same vulnerability in defence, Messis best performance since returning from a lengthy injury layoff ensured that his side bounced back from a defeat by Valencia in the previous round. Chicago White Sox Pro Shop . - No matter the lineup or location, the San Antonio Spurs are rolling through the NBA again this spring, just the way they have for most of the last two decades. https://www.cheapwhitesox.com/ . A player confirmed to TSN on the condition of anonymity that he received his ballot yesterday. Another confirms hes been told to expect his shortly. "The unions executive committee insists a strike vote does not mean were pushing away from the table," the player said. "But we want the league to know were serious about our position.SAN ANTONIO -- Early Sunday evening, LeBron James will gather his Miami Heat teammates around him and offer a few final words of wisdom before they try to extend their reign as NBA champions. James never rehearses the speech, but already knows what the gist will be. "It would be in the range of, Why not us?" James said Saturday. "Why not us? History is broken all the time. And obviously we know were against the greatest of odds." Against the greatest of odds, against maybe the greatest of San Antonio Spurs teams, too. Both are very much against the Heat now, and both are winning. The Spurs are a victory away from their fifth championship, and will go for it at home Sunday night in Game 5 of the NBA Finals. The Spurs are the 32nd team in NBA history to hold a 3-1 lead in the finals. All 31 of the previous teams have won the title. "History is made to be broken, and why not me be a part of it? That would be great," James said. "That would be a great story line, right? But well see what happens. Ive got to live in the moment, though, before we even get to that point." The Spurs have the same way of thinking. They took command of the finals in stunning fashion by not just winning in Miami, but winning twice -- and winning big. San Antonio won Games 3 and 4 on the road by a combined 40 points, never trailing by more than two in either contest and running out to 25-point leads in each. "Weve got to act like were coming into it like its a road game," Spurs guard Danny Green said. "Its a mentality thing. We have to come up with the same mentality we do on the road and try to protect home court and play with desperation." There was no talk from the Spurs on Saturday about closing in on a title, or anything remotely close to that topic. They thought they had it wrapped up with 28 seconds left in Game 6 last season against Miami and saw it slip away -- so even with a 3-1 lead and being at home instead the road for this potential clinching situation, its pretty clear that San Antonio isnt willing to leave anything to chance. "Theyre going to come out and give us their best punch possible," Spurs star Tim Duncan said. "We know that theyre back-to-back champs and theyve been in this situation before and they have all the confidence in the world thaat they can win these games. White Sox Jerseys 2019. So we have to do just the same. Come out there and say, hey, were going to take it little by little, quarter by quarter, and see what happens." That all sounds good, and he meant every word. Thing is, the Heat -- these Heat, anyway -- havent been in this situation before. Since James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh teamed up, the Heat have never trailed 3-1 in a series. Until now. "Were not so entitled or jaded that were above having to fight for it, and thats what it is right now," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "Its competition. So weve got to find a way to fight and get this next game, and thats what its all about." Miami took a day off Friday. Mario Chalmers played with his son, James watched some film and rested at home, Udonis Haslem tried to relax with family. Wade, who missed nine of his first 10 shots -- raising questions about his health -- went a different way. He went into the gym, by himself, looking for answers. "I have very good reason that everything could change," Wade said. "As I continue to say throughout the season, its a game-to-game thing." Wade was down 2-0 in the 2006 finals, and trailed by 13 points in the fourth quarter of Game 3 of that series against Dallas. The Heat won that championship in six games. "You have to pull from your experiences," Wade said, "and know where you came from to know where youre trying to go." That also applies to the Spurs. Losing the last two games of the finals last year still stings San Antonio. That series was portrayed widely as the Spurs last hurrah -- an aging team with old stars, theres no way they could come back from something as devastating as letting the 2013 championship slip away, right? Wrong. The Spurs finished with the best record in the regular season, and are one win shy of just being the best team, period. "Whatever success anyone has is due to a lot of factors," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "Some of it is not even your doing. Sometimes things just happen. So success is a pretty complicated thing." So are comebacks. But James is eager for the chance. "For me, its like you either dont make the playoffs or you win a championship," James said. "Theres no in-between." ' ' '