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Future of Dolphins Lineman Incognito; Cleveland Kidnap Survivor Speaks Out; Virginia Voters Head to Polls
Aired November 05, 2013 - 10:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. I'm Carol Costello. Thanks so much for joining me.
Miami Dolphins lineman, Richie Incognito now suspended over bullying allegations. Now ESPN and NFL.com report Incognito left a threatening voicemail message for teammate Jonathan Martin. It was chock-full of profanity and racial slurs, and it raises the question, are Incognito's playing days over. Martin says the bullying had gone on for more than a year until he couldn't take it anymore and he left the team.
John Zarrella is in Miami this morning with more. Good morning John.
JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning Carol.
Well you know the last time the Miami Dolphins played here at Sunlight Stadium was on Halloween night. And I want you to take a look at this Twitter page that a fan put up. And on that Twitter post it shows the inside page from the game night program where several of the Dolphins players were asked questions about Halloween like what's your favorite candy.
And of course under Richie Incognito's name and picture appears a picture of Jonathan Martin when Incognito was asked the question who is the easiest person to scare.
Now, this all comes as the Dolphins, particularly Incognito and Martin are in the midst of a heated issue over bullying that has the Dolphins' organization reeling.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ZARRELLA (voice over): This is Miami Dolphin Richie Incognito from a team promo.
RICHIE INCOGNITO, LINEMAN, MIAMI DOLPHINS: On the field, players have called me overly aggressive.
ZARRELLA: Now it may be that Incognito was not only overly aggressive on the field but off it as well leading to his indefinite suspension. The NFL is launching an investigation into the Dolphin's workplace environment and whether Incognito bullied another player, Jonathan Martin, so badly that Martin left the team. According to ESPN and NFL.com, this is a text of a voicemail sent from Incognito to Martin. Quote, "Hey, what's up you half blank piece of blank. I saw you on Twitter. You've been training 10 weeks. I'll blank in your blank mouth. I'm going to slap your real mother across the face. Blank you. You're still a rookie. I'll kill you."
The text has come out a week after an incident in the Dolphin's lunch room involving Martin and other offensive lineman. Martin left and hasn't been back. At a press conference Dolphin's head coach Joe Philbin said he spoke several times over several days with Martin following the incident.
JOE PHILBIN, HEAD COACH, MIAMI DOLPHINS: In all of my discussions with Jonathan and members of his family at no time were there any accusations or allegations of misconduct by any members of this team or this organization.
ZARRELLA: But Sunday, a Martin representative contacted Philbin and the Dolphins with concern over what Philbin called player conduct. That led to Incognito's suspension. Calls to Incognito, Martin and their representatives haven't been returned. As the HBO Hard Knocks video of the New York Jets shows, hazing seems part of the rite of passage for NFL rookies.
In this hard knocks clip from a Dolphins show Incognito talked about a Facebook insult he didn't post after he said he broke into another player's iPad by figuring out the password.
INCOGNITO: I was going to put something up there rude, but then I saw a picture of your girlfriend and I felt bad.
ZARRELLA: Dolphins players insist theirs is a locker room with a healthy not hurtful dose of fun. Not hazing.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I always felt the guys in here are great and since I've been here, and I'm here kind of feeling I came to a good team. And I don't know how it's around the league, but I said now I got lucky this team's locker room is fun.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I got a lot of respect for Richie. I love playing with Richie and I wish he was here right now.
ZARRELLA: Neither Incognito or Martin are with the team. And it's unclear when or if either will be back.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ZARRELLA: Now a 2012 sporting news survey found that Incognito was, quote, "The second dirtiest player in the league." And there are tweets out there supposedly from Incognito where he is demanding that his name be cleared -- Carol.
COSTELLO: I think he has since deleted one of those tweets. I just want -- how is -- how are fans reacting to all of this?
ZARRELLA: Well listen, I was listening to sports talk radio all morning, and it is a broad spectrum. There are many saying, "Listen Incognito deserves his day in court" so to speak. That we haven't heard from Incognito. There are others saying that you know Martin just couldn't stand up to what's normal hazing. So you're getting a broad range of fan's opinions out there.
But it is literally the talk and the only talk on sports talk radio in south Florida.
COSTELLO: I was surprised to hear the sound from Incognito's teammates supporting him. I was stunned by that.
ZARRELLA: Yes, I know. And a lot of people have said the same thing. Gee, they're all supportive but in fact, almost to the man, the ones we talked to, all said they liked Incognito, that they like -- and they like Martin. And most all of them besides supporting Incognito have said, look, we would welcome both of these guys back to the team if that were the case.
COSTELLO: I think there's a big fat chance on that one. John Zarrella, many thanks.
ZARRELLA: Yes.
COSTELLO: Reporting live from Miami this morning.
Still to come in the NEWSROOM, Hillary Clinton heads back to the campaign trail for an old buddy in Virginia. Is it a preview of what we can expect three years from now? We'll talk about that when we come back.
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COSTELLO: More than a decade of rape and torture, in an exclusive interview with Dr. Phil Cleveland kidnapping victim Michelle Knight I should say Cleveland's survivor Michelle Knight relives the horror she endured at the hand of her captor Ariel Castro. She describes the terrifying moment she realized she had become his prisoner.
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DR. PHIL MCGRAW, TALK SHOW HOST: Did you fight him at the time?
MICHELLE KNIGHT, KIDNAPPING VICTIM: At the time, no, because I was shocked.
MCGRAW: You panicked, just froze?
KNIGHT: Yes. And the only thing I can do is cry, begging him let me go back to my son.
MCGRAW: What did you say to him?
KNIGHT: I said please don't do this to me. And he said he can't take me back. And then he threw money at me.
MCGRAW: What was the significance of him throwing money at you? KNIGHT: He was obsessed with prostitutes and also he thought I was a 13-year-old prostitute. When he found out my real age, he got mad.
MCGRAW: So he gets you in this room. What did he tie you up with?
KNIGHT: One of those orange extension cords. I was tied up like a fish, an ornament on the wall and
It was the only way I can describe it. I was hanging like this. My feet and I was tied by my neck and my arms with the extension cord going like that.
MCGRAW: Oh, my God. So he tied your hands and feet and also around your neck and hung you?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: That's just awful to hear. This is the first time Knight has spoken in detail about those traumatic events.
Joining me now to talk more about it is psychiatrist and author of the book, "Anatomy of a Secret Life: The Psychology of Living a Lie", Dr. Gail Saltz. Good morning Dr. Gail.
DR. GAIL SALTZ, PSYCHIATRIST: Good morning.
COSTELLO: This is just -- it's just gut wrenching to hear. And it will only get worse because Dr. Phil will play Michelle's interview over the course of two days. I just wanted to get your initial reaction to Michelle Knight's choice in doing this.
SALTZ: Well, you know it concerns me. Because she is obviously going to have a lot of things that she has to work out over a long period of time. And for patients in general, speaking about their trauma is good for them if they want to. If they really of their own free will feel that it's cathartic and helpful to talk about it, for one.
And for two, it's really best to do that in a private setting, in a therapeutic setting where they have an ongoing relationship with the therapist and they're going to have time, a long time to privately talk about how this has affected them and how they can move on.
You know, in a way, is it good for other people? Perhaps. Other people who've suffered might be able to look at her resilience and say, 'Wow, you know if she can move on from that, I can certainly move on from whatever I'm struggling with.' But is it best for her? I'm not so sure.
COSTELLO: You know the -- kind of exploited aura around this. Dr. Phil saying I really want to share with you how Michelle Knight has affected me. He's doing the interview over the course of two days. There are promos surrounding this interview. It just hasn't -- it has an x factor to it somehow.
SALTZ: You know, I understand what you're saying. And I personally, as a mental health professional, I don't feel comfortable with the degree to which she was candid and now it's everywhere. Because as I said, therapeutically, she's not going to continue to see Dr. Phil; he's not going to continue to treat her and help her to deal with the outcome of this.
Now everybody knows the very specific details of her trauma. And I don't know how that will play out for her. But it would be better for her to be in an ongoing, therapeutic relationship where she could deal with things, frankly, privately, which is to some degree what all of them have done initially, you know.
They tried to recoup their lives. They talked about getting over things and asked for privacy. I thought that getting out in front of it that way and doing that was very smart and really therapeutic for them. I'm not sure that this now is for her.
COSTELLO: Dr. Gail Saltz, thanks for your insights this morning. I appreciate it.
SALTZ: My pleasure.
COSTELLO: We'll be right back.
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COSTELLO: In the great state of Virginia today, a nasty election fight will finally come to an end: in one corner, Democrat Terry McAuliffe; and in the other, his Republican rival, Ken Cuccinelli. But the election took on national fame as the disastrous roll-out of the Obamacare website became a key issue.
Joining me now is the director of the University of Virginia Center for Politics, Larry Sabato. Good morning -- Larry.
LARRY SABATO, UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA: Good morning -- Carol.
COSTELLO: I want to make one thing clear, Virginia voters are decidedly unexcited about both candidates. It is truly about choosing the lesser evil here, right?
SABATO: Pretty much so. The favorability ratings for both of these candidates is very low. The problem for the Republican Ken Cuccinelli has been that his unfavorables are over 50 percent. That hasn't happened to the Democrat Terry McAuliffe. He's under 50.
COSTELLO: So Cuccinelli tried to use the disastrous Obamacare roll- out to increase his chances. Did he succeed?
SABATO: Well, we'll know this evening, Carol. But I doubt it. Let's put it this way. Every single public and private survey that's reliable right up to the current day has McAuliffe ahead. The margins vary; as low as 2 percent, as high as 12 percent -- it's somewhere in between I assume.
But, look, it was Obamacare for Cuccinelli versus the government shutdown for McAuliffe. The shutdown hurt a Tea Party candidate. Obamacare obviously connected to the Democrats and to the President would hurt McAuliffe. But maybe they neutralized one another.
COSTELLO: Women voters are a big factor in this election too, right?
SABATO: Oh absolutely. Look, men are pretty much evenly divided between the candidates, although that's actually bad news for Cuccinelli. He should have a lead with men. But the gender gap is as large as I've ever seen it and I've studied politics for decades. It's been as high as 24 percentage points women in favor of McAuliffe over Cuccinelli.
It's really remarkable. But McAuliffe has stressed issues like abortion that tend to have an impact. Contraception is another one that have an impact with women.
COSTELLO: So in a broader sense, you know, as the Republicans head towards the election of 2016, what will they take away from this election? And if you can throw in with the Democrats, we'll take away, too. That will be helpful.
SABATO: Carol, I've learned that people find in any election returns exactly what they want to find. They will reinforce their own prejudices, whatever they are. My own personal view is if Cuccinelli does lose, he was the original favorite, you have to go back to the 1880s to find a time when Virginia elected a party to the governor's mansion for only four years. Pretty much automatically a party has gotten at least a second term. Well, this will be the first time since the 1880s that that hasn't happened. It tells you that the Republicans have nominated a candidate who is out of the Virginia mainstream. This is a moderate state. And you have to nominate candidates in this newly competitive purple Virginia that can win the middle.
For the Democrats, obviously, it's going to be speculation about 2016. McAuliffe is as close to Bill and Hillary Clinton as anybody on earth. And I suspect that the governor's mansion in Richmond will become Hillary's home away from home.
COSTELLO: Larry Sabato, thank you so much, as always.
SABATO: Thanks Carol.
COSTELLO: You're welcome. We'll be right back.
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COSTELLO: Checking our top stories at 56 minutes past the hour.
Panic at a New Jersey mall late last night after a gunman opens fire eventually shooting himself in the head while hiding from police. Police say the gunman, 20-year-old Richard Shoop He acted alone with the intent of either suicide or suicide by cop. No one else was hurt in the shooting.
Two teens have been arrested for breaking into a Denver middle school late last night. Police say they were carrying what appeared to be bb guns and backpacks. Initially some people fear they were carrying a rifle. But investigators now think it was simply a burglary. Classes will go on as scheduled today.
Richie Incognito's future with the Miami Dolphins is in doubt. The team suspended him over allegations he bullied teammate Jonathan Martin. Media reports show Incognito has a history of problems dating back to college and that he left a message on Martin's phone laced with profanity, racial slurs and threats.
Thank you so much for joining me today. I'm Carol Costello. "LEGAL VIEW" with Ashleigh Banfield after a break.
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