A few weeks ago, 24-year-old quarterback Dwayne Haskins, was fatally hit by a car after he ran out of gas. Dwayne Haskins was drafted by the Washington Commanders. A few years later, he signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
There was an outpouring of love on social media for the late quarterback from teammates, players and former coaches across the league.
As many players, reporters, and fans continued to show support on social media, not many people had a more insensitive post than ESPN analyst Adam Schefter. Schefter referred to Haskins as a “struggling” player. Schefter deleted the post within 20 minutes. However, everyone from Lamar Jackson to Mike Thomas to many other players and journalists responded in unison to the tweet by calling out Schefter.
A few days later, Schefter issued an apology saying, “”It was insensitive, it was a mistake, and I can assure you it was not my intention. I wish I would have that tweet back.”
Hopefully this is a lesson for reporters, media professionals, and anyone who engages on social media… think before you post, especially when it is related to a sensitive situation.
Friends and family shouldn’t have to hear about a player’s struggles the same time they are hearing about an untimely death. Going forward, hopefully this sort of news can be reported with some empathy and sensitivity.
