05-31-2018, 06:38 PM
(05-31-2018, 05:42 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: That is what i am thinking.
Austin will still have plenty of time to work with Dunlap and we didn't change our D-line coach.
I am not worried and i highly doubt Dunlap is one of the guys thinking of missing the season for Kaep and Reid.
Highly doubt it. Dunlap is a class act.
Just interested to hear your thoughts (and avoid misunderstanding your point):
In your opinion, is Dunlap a class act because he is missing voluntary OTAs he might think he doesn't need (as was the point made about the Shittsburgh pukes you replied to)?
And in your opinion, would Dunlap not be a class act if he sat out in solidarity of fellow workers he might think are being blacklisted unjustly?
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...To jump into the conversation and speculation with a few of my own insights:
I have found myself going down the rabbit hole recently being very much interested in following a lot of the Bengals on Instagram (the only social media I mess around with, primarily because it's where I generate marketing for my business.)
But having a tiny bit of access and exposure to players on a team that I've followed religiously for years is good fun. A couple takeaways I've noticed quite quickly:
1) Players seem to stay friends with each other well beyond contracts and team affiliation (that may or may not be obvious to some fans) ...side note/point of curiosity here - loads of current and recent Bengals from the Marvin era regularly tag and get comments from guys like Akili and Jeff Blake. ...Gresham, Whit, Peko, Baby Hawk, Marvin Jones, Sanu, Big Willie, Levi, Takeo, and plenty of others I'm forgetting pop up with some frequency in the comment section of current players' accounts too. As do players who have never played with Bengals, or may have only played with them in college or high school.
All of this is to say that it is quickly obvious that the players seem to feel like a fraternity, and not necessarily the kind that shuts the doors when the jersey changes. I note it, because when it comes to loyalty, I like to think of the differences between player and fan expectations.
2) The Bengals players I follow and look for their posts regularly are often doing really cool and commendable things in the community, with their foundations, and with their families. Michael Johnson seems to be a force for good with anything he gets involved with, and I have seen that seem to rub off on Dunlap a lot from his comments and posts. This has actually gone to the point where Dunlap has regularly been encouraging Pac Man to get on board with some of these more positive experiences, and I frankly find it fascinating to kind of people watch.
3) Some of the biggest stars on the team (AJ, Geno, Dunlap) LOVE to go travelling, and not the kind of travelling I think a lot of pro athletes get stereotyped with (posh exclusive resorts, jet-set clubbing, ect). Geno and his wife have been posting highlights for several offseasons now of just getting out all over the world, checking things out like normal people. As someone who has been injected with that vagabond bug a long time ago, and who watches every Bengals game no matter where I am on the road, I really dig seeing it. AJ does the same thing with his wife too.
Dunlap is the one that's gone on very existential wanderings in the last few years. Always getting away to museums, remote outdoor spots, old-world cities, ect. Makes me wonder if Dahani's legacy had any influence on him? As of a few days ago, Carlos was posting from a 4-wheeler ride on some Costa Rican dirt mountain-road. Him and Michael Johnson both post a ton on continuing education and childhood education too. Again, I'm hooked on seeing what they get up to.
4) Players definitely keep in touch as mentioned above, but also get exposed to and potentially see the pros (and cons) of players' lives who have moved on in free-agency. That's probably an obvious thing to say and an easy concept to believe, but seeing the interaction on social media makes it all the more clear. It's not a hard leap to believe such relations will, even subconsciously, affect decisions when it comes to their own contract signings.
5) In Dunlap's case in particular - I've had a nagging suspicion in the back of my mind for a while now that he might not be as attached to the club as we all hope he would be. I don't really have a ton to back up that claim, I'll admit, and I would be disappointed to see him go, but not hold it against him at all if he did, but for starters as to my inklings, his account name is: Employee96 - not the warmest way to describe your work I would say.
Over the years, there's been a few comments peppered here and there on his account when it comes to contracts of other Bengals (Maualuga was one, Gresh another), and reading a little into context clues, it gives me a subtle impression that the business side of things might be rubbing him the wrong way when it comes to the organization.
Certainly a lot of speculation obviously on my part, but as a sociology study, following along to the players more personal shares and comments can be very interesting (particularly in the dog days of the off season.)
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Has anybody else gotten a bit hooked on catching these guys' Instagram feeds? (I admit I don't do twitter at all). Big Willie's Insta account is incredible with all the teaching breakdowns he posts. Pac Man is always posting workout feeds (which he kills) and clubbing feeds (which can be slightly cringe, particularly when I was worried about him getting in trouble late night while he was on the team.) Vontaze's account is private last I looked, but I would like to catch a more personal side to him.
Any other gems to recommend? Anybody catch the feel-good story about Gresham helping a girl out with baggage fees on a flight recently?
