We can just agree to disagree. I just don't think he was a very good Div. 1 safety. BUT that is completely separate from what I think of the guy as a person. I certainly respect what Mr. Haines has accomplished (walk-on starter, good grades, etc.). My respect for what he did comes from personal experience. I was a scholarshipped Div 1 athlete at a top 10 program, a 4-year starter, was Academic All-Conference all 4 years, and made All-Conference my senior season. I know how hard it is to put in several hours of practice, then time with the strength and conditioning staff, then in the training room to rehab, then on to a full load of classes, and then trying to stay awake to study effectively in the evenings. Wake up and do it all again. It's a full-time job, and to excel in the classroom with everything else going on is very difficult. So, I'm not blowing smoke when I say that I know what Mr. Haines has gone through and I understand the weight of his accomplishments. I've been there. (And my 40-time was much faster than Mr. Haines', if that's a prerequisite in order to comment.)
Some folks seem to think objectively criticizing an athlete's performance means that the critic doesn't like or has no respect for the athlete. And that's just not true. But I didn't care for how Dylan's tweet came across when I first read it (not knowing it was a joke; and still not sure). And not knowing the dynamics between Haines and Ehlinger, Haines' comments sounded arrogant and brash. This is a forum for opinions, so I gave mine.
Last edited: Feb 21, 2017