24 year old Buffalo Bill Safety Damar Hamlin collapsed on the field during a NFL game in Cleveland tonight, apparently suffering a cardio event after taking a hard hit to his chest during a tackle.
I was not watching, though I could have been, but it was a horrifying situation for all who were as the young man lay unresponsive for many minutes and had to be administered CPR and the use of a defibrillator before being loaded into an ambulance, still alive but unable to breath on his own.
“Buffalo Bills’ safety Damar Hamlin collapsed Monday night after making a tackle during the first quarter against the Bengals in Cincinnati, and the game has been postponed.
Hamlin was down for at least 15 minutes. Paramedics were seen administering CPR as players from both teams gathered around at midfield, some openly weeping.
Hamlin was taken off the field in an ambulance, and both teams have gone back to their locker rooms.
The safety was taken to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center.“
For many on Twitter, the moment caused them to make hard assessments about themselves and their love of a game in which powerful athletes hurl themselves at each other to create the violent impacts that both horrify and thrill spectators.
Some questioned the slow decision of the NFL to postpone the game, after initially saying the game would resume shortly even as the ambulance left the field of play.
Others, including right-wing wunderkind Charlie Kirk, pulled out their political axes to grind and blamed Damar’s injury on… the Covid vaccine:
— Ron Filipkowski 🇺🇦 (@RonFilipkowski) January 3, 2023
A real Who’s Who of the worst people.
— Brian Guest (@brguest20) January 3, 2023
Absolutely.
And it has literally NOTHING to do with vaccines. This was clearly Commotio cordis — a severe blow to the precordial region of the chest — occurring precisely when the heartbeat is in its ascending T-phase — causes an often fatal ventricular fibrillation arrhythmia
— Attorney@Cardboard (@TheGlare_TM) January 3, 2023
I’m no doctor but that seems much more likely.
NeVeR pOlItIcIzE a TrAgEdY!
(what they say after every mass shooting)
🤡— Bobby B – 🇯🇲🇺🇸 (@RudeBoyNYK) January 3, 2023
Yup
It's not even true. It's been happening in HS and college as long as sports have been played, unfortunately.
— Pete (@realPeteShampoe) January 3, 2023
Exactly.
These people are disgusting
— lizzyliveslovely617 🇺🇦 (@lizzyliveslove1) January 3, 2023
Yup
No matter how you feel about sports, or particularly contact sports, it seems to me the only valid reaction to this event is concern for Damar and his family.
That these ghouls wish to advance a stupid political position using his tragedy as leverage is beyond disgusting.
Charlie Kirk, being a figure with some influence over other young people should be particularly ashamed.
Damar Hamlin is fighting for his life in a Cleveland hospital, let us all keep him foremost in our thoughts.
Is there a virus that kills American stupidity?
Covid took out its fair share.
Yup it’s call Republican politics
It’s become fairly plain there isn’t, and that the inverse appears to be true.