| The Dolphins' Richie Incognito has been accused of spitting on the Cardinals' Nick Eason. (US Presswire) |
Another week, another accusation that Dolphins guard Richie Incognito plays dirty. This time, Cardinals defensive end Nick Eason said Incognito spit in his face when Eason was with the Steelers during a 2010 game. Miami and Arizona meet this Sunday.
“I’ve never had a player or person in my life spit in my face,” Eason told FoxSports.com's Alex Marvez and his Sirius XM co-host, Gil Brandt, earlier this week. “It took everything in my power to restrain myself.”
Incognito was in the news following the Dolphins' Week 1 loss to the Texans. Houston defensive end Antonio Smith accused Incognito of trying to injure his ankle.
“A dirty player being let to play dirty … Ricky Incognito,” Smith said at the time. “Everything that's illegal that can be done on the football field, he does it. But mainly, he was hitting people after the play, sliding down on your leg grabbing your ankle and trying to twist to break your ankle. And he was doing it right in front of the referees, and he was still in the game.”
Ironically, the league fined Smith $21,000 for kicking Incognito, presumably in retaliation for Incognito's aforementioned antics.
“He basically tried to break Antonio’s leg,” Eason told Marvez and Brandt. “Antonio got fined because he had to kick the guy off of him, and [the NFL] did nothing to him. Usually players who do that are the non-athletic guys who really can’t block people, so they play dirty.”
Incognito was unapologetic after the dust-up with Smith.
I will never apologize for the way I play football. Physical- Hard Nose football from snap to whistle.Get with it or get run over by it.
— Richie incognito (@68INCOGNITO) September 10, 2012
“I think I’ve evolved as a person,” Incognito said following the incident with Smith. “Every so often, there’s someone on the opposing defensive line that calls me a dirty player. I understand it."
For Eason, this isn't about vigilante justice. It's bigger than that.
“They’ll be no retaliation,” he said. “I don’t do that, bringing selfish motives into the game because I’m all about winning. Retaliating and getting a 15-yard penalty is not going to help us win. We’re 3-0 right now, and I want to continue to be 4-0.”
Somebody should explain to Incognito how this works.
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