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 Wells' findings were released Friday. He began his investigation
Nov. 6 after being hired by commissioner Roger Goodell to look into
the Dolphins' workplace environment.
Wells, co-chair of the Litigation Department at Paul, Weiss,
Rifkind, Wharton and Garrison LLP, led the investigation. The law
firm said in a press release that it reviewed thousands of
voluntarily-produced documents, including text messages, emails and
team policies, and interviewed more than 100 witnesses, including
Dolphins players, coaches, key front office personnel, and owner
Stephen Ross.
"The Report finds that the assistant trainer repeatedly was the
object of racial slurs and other racially derogatory language; that
the other offensive lineman was subjected to homophobic name-calling
and improper physical touching; and that Martin was taunted on a
persistent basis with sexually explicit remarks about his sister and
his mother and at times ridiculed with racial insults and other
offensive comments," Wells said in a statement.
"The Report rejects any suggestion that Martin manufactured claims
of abuse after the fact to cover up an impetuous decision to leave
the team. Contemporaneous text messages that Martin sent to his
parents and others months before he left the Dolphins — which have
never before been made public — corroborate his account that the
persistent harassment by his teammates caused him significant
emotional distress.
"The Report concludes that the harassment by Martin's teammates was
a contributing factor in his decision to leave the team, but also
finds that Martin's teammates did not intend to drive Martin from
the team or cause him lasting emotional injury."
The report also claims that offensive line coach Jim Turner was an
active participant in the harassment of a player.
___ Former NFL defensive back Darren Sharper was charged by the Los
Angeles County district attorney's office of drugging and raping two
women.
Sharper was arrested Jan. 17 and released on $200,000 bail.
The felonies relate to incidents in October 2013 and January.
Sharper met the women at a nightclub in West Hollywood and invited
them to a party but stopped at his hotel room, where the crimes
allegedly took place, according to prosecutors.
___
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NFL commissioner Roger Goodell earned $44.2 million in compensation
during a 12-month span that ended March 31, 2013, according to
Sports Business Daily.
However, that amount includes $9.1 million in deferred pension and
bonuses earned the previous year.
Goodell's reported compensation a year ago was nearly $30 million.
He had not made more than $11.5 million in a season before the 2011
lockout.
The amount likely makes Goodell the highest-paid executive in
sports. Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig made $22
million in 2012, according to ESPN. However, other sources indicated
the figure may have actually exceeded $30 million. In recent years,
MLB changed its tax status to for-profit, so it is not required to
publicize its earnings.
___ Former Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel is trying to rebrand
himself as he prepares for this year's NFL Draft, and that process
includes distancing himself from his "Johnny Football" moniker.
"I was a kid who made some goofball decisions," Manziel said this
week in interviews with the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and Houston
Chronicle. "That's been part of my journey. Maybe it's part of the
whole Johnny Football deal that I'm trying to get away from. I feel
like if I don't put myself in any of those situations, then I can't
get blamed for it. If I'm not in the neighborhood, and I'm in the
house, nothing can be said about me."
Manziel still holds out hope of being taken No. 1 overall in the
draft.
(Editing by Gene Cherry)
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