As NFL players and fans alike brace to learn more about the health status of Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin, one sports personality who has received a lot of flack is polarizing pundit Skip Bayless. Miami Dolphins stars Jevon Holland and Jaylen Waddle are among those who have spoken out against Bayless.
During the highly anticipated Monday Night Football matchup between the Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals, Hamlin went down midway though the first quarter and stayed on the ground, unresponsive, as CPR was administered.
He was ultimately rushed to a local hospital (where he remains in critical condition), but there was a very real fear during the Monday night telecast that Hamlin had passed away.
It was during that uncertainty that Bayless rattled off four tweets that many have perceived to be quite insensitive.
Not exactly sure what happened to Damar Hamlin. Players on both teams are shaken. Ambulance out on the field. CPR administered. Can't remember play being stopped for this length of time. Just said a prayer for him and his family.
— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) January 3, 2023
I've seen so many horrific injuries suffered on football fields yet never have I seen a reaction like this. In every other situation I witnessed or covered, the game always went on fairly quickly. The attitude was, "Hey, that's football." For these players, this was DIFFERENT.
— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) January 3, 2023
No doubt the NFL is considering postponing the rest of this game – but how? This late in the season, a game of this magnitude is crucial to the regular-season outcome … which suddenly seems so irrelevant.
— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) January 3, 2023
Nothing is more important than that young man's health. That was the point of my last tweet. I'm sorry if that was misunderstood but his health is all that matters. Again, everything else is irrelevant. I prayed for him & will continue to.
— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) January 3, 2023
Though people on Twitter took issue with all of Bayless’ tweets, it was the third one that he published that left people most angry. Many took it as a sign that Bayless was worrying about the game when Hamlin’s life was still very much in danger.
That’s how Holland and Waddle seemingly took it as well.
SMH SOME PPL WILL NEVER GET IT !!! DUDE IS A CLOWN https://t.co/PXodNJPTXw
— JW (@D1__JW) January 3, 2023
You should be ashamed of yourself https://t.co/tcHuUQWARS
— jev (@quickdrawjev) January 3, 2023
Early Tuesday morning, the Bills organization announced that Hamlin had suffered cardiac arrest.
Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest following a hit in our game versus the Bengals. His heartbeat was restored on the field and he was transferred to the UC Medical Center for further testing and treatment. He is currently sedated and listed in critical condition.
— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) January 3, 2023
“Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest following a hit in our game versus the Bengals,” the Bills announced via a statement. “His heartbeat was restored on the field and he was transferred to the UC Medical Center for further testing and treatment. He is currently sedated and listed in critical condition.”
It is still a scary situation without a doubt, but there is possibly some light at the end of the tunnel. Hamlin’s marketing representative Jordon Rooney took to Twitter on Monday night to offer some good news.
Update on Damar:
His vitals are back to normal and they have put him to sleep to put a breathing tube down his throat. They are currently running tests.
We will provide updates as we have them.
— Jordon Rooney (@jordonr) January 3, 2023
Since the incident occurred, Hamlin has received an outpouring of support from athletes across the sports world. Clearly, NFL players feel especially involved in the situation. Though the league is highly competitive and football is a very violent sport, the players within the league are part of a brotherhood.
Surely, they are all leaning on that brotherhood right now.
As for Bayless, it will be interesting to see if he deals with the backlash for a long time going forward or if people forget about his tweets once more news regarding Hamlin is revealed.
