the recent national football league tragedy of mr. dwayne haskins’ passing provides many lessons. one lesson is the timing of one’s opinions. no matter how correct or accurate an opinion placed upon social media or the news is, there are times when it is not appropriate. as a result, individuals on social media and news commentators were slammed for making posting opinions shortly after news of mr. haskins’ death were known. one particular comment was made that mr. haskins would have been better had he stayed in school rather than enter the nfl early. sometimes, timing is everything.
dwayne haskins’ family and friends deserved the time to mourn his loss. mourning can be quite difficult when the individual is young with a bright future. mourning is also difficult when the circumstances surrounding the passing are mysterious.
in this matter, here was no rush to start analyzing and commenting. the facts of the case are still unfolding. there was a strange instagram post from mr. haskins shortly before the incident. there was the mystery as to why he was crossing a highway on foot at approximately 6:30 in the morning. there are details emerging that an individual saw him on the road and found it so strange that they reportedly called the police concerning it. the constellation of facts suggest that emotional issues were in play at the time of his passing.
social media and news programs’ temptation to be in front of stories and garner “clicks” and “traffic” are subject to blowback. when there is a tragic passing, a “hot take” perhaps can wait. perhaps, posters could simply pay respects to the family and indicate that after all the facts are revealed that they would come back to comment. would that have been so terrible?
mr. haskins’ story is one that is very important. it is the story of someone who was on their second chance in their career. he was someone who made a costly youthful mistake when he was on one professional team. the mistake, in part, led to his dismissal from the team. mr. haskins signed up with another team and was in competition to be picked up for another year with that team.
young adults and student athletes often make mistakes. life is about second chances. life is about avoiding mistakes. mr. haskins’ story presents as a cautionary tale for young people. at one point, he was the future of an organization. then, he was not. being able to absorb and move on from the rough spots in life is a skill needed for all. group discussions of what mr. haskins went through could possibly give individuals cause to seek out help to address their difficult times.
thus, there will be a time upon which mr. haskins should be discussed. hopefully, the fallout from early comments will not deter a comprehensive forensic investigation of what transpired. this story is one worthy of discussion for young adults, college athletes and professional athletes.
in the meantime, mr. haskins’ family and friends are entitled to their time of mourning. the media should let them have it. mr. haskins’ story, in the long term, can be a valuable source of inspiration for those in need.
be well!!
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