Damar Hamlin

[Herdfan]

Surprised this hasn't been discussed, but this is great news coming out of Cincinnati:

'Remarkable improvement' from Hamlin, Bills say

The Bills released an update on Damar Hamlin's status Thursday morning, noting that the safety has improved over the past day but remains critically ill. His agent also told AP that Hamlin is awake and able to grip the hands of family members.

www.espn.com

 

[rdrr]

The only thing I think needs to be discussed is the actions of the NFL. They are definitely back tracking after telling the players to get ready to resume the game in 5 minutes. If you saw the faces of the players and coaches, no way would they have been able to play.

 

[Roller]

Glad to see he's making good progress. From what I've read, Hamlin's cardiac arrest wasn't caused by an event unique to football. The larger question is whether the NFL has done enough about trauma that is much more common in football players, including concussions and other injuries. For example, Tua Tagovailoa has suffered at least two significant concussions in the past year alone, and I worry what the consequences will be when he's in his 30s and beyond.

 

[rdrr]

Glad to see he's making good progress. From what I've read, Hamlin's cardiac arrest wasn't caused by an event unique to football. The larger question is whether the NFL has done enough about trauma that is much more common in football players, including concussions and other injuries. For example, Tua Tagovailoa has suffered at least two significant concussions in the past year alone, and I worry what the consequences will be when he's in his 30s and beyond.

Yes player safety should be the number one priority of the NFL, but as much as they want to claim so the almighty dollar reigns supreme. The players aren't completely in the clear in my opinion either. Since the study of concussions came out, I think they cannot claim they don't know about the chances of a debilitating future, again the almighty dollar and the aloof attitude of youth.

Don't get me wrong, I am glad he is doing well. However I am not of the opinion that he will take stock of his fortune, but rather I think like most players he will rush back to perform at an elite level and roll the dice that he will not have long lasting issues later in life.

 

[Herdfan]

Glad to see he's making good progress. From what I've read, Hamlin's cardiac arrest wasn't caused by an event unique to football. The larger question is whether the NFL has done enough about trauma that is much more common in football players, including concussions and other injuries. For example, Tua Tagovailoa has suffered at least two significant concussions in the past year alone, and I worry what the consequences will be when he's in his 30s and beyond.

I somewhat blame the NFL for the recent rash of concussions, especially on QB's. They passed a rule that a defensive player can't land on the QB when tackling them. So they grab them from the side and sling them down turning their head into the end of a whip which slams into the ground. It's turning orthopedic injuries into head injuries.

 

[Roller]

Yes player safety should be the number one priority of the NFL, but as much as they want to claim so the almighty dollar reigns supreme. The players aren't completely in the clear in my opinion either. Since the study of concussions came out, I think they cannot claim they don't know about the chances of a debilitating future, again the almighty dollar and the aloof attitude of youth.

Don't get me wrong, I am glad he is doing well. However I am not of the opinion that he will take stock of his fortune, but rather I think like most players he will rush back to perform at an elite level and roll the dice that he will not have long lasting issues later in life.

As you say, these guys are kids when they turn pro, with the limited judgment and inability to look forward that's common at that age. For many NFL players, expectations are set early, even well before high school. Plus, many are from poor backgrounds, with little else to fall back on. Couple that with multi-million dollar contracts, fan adulation, and rapt attention from the press, and I can't blame them, even if they are somewhat aware of the risks.

I somewhat blame the NFL for the recent rash of concussions, especially on QB's. They passed a rule that a defensive player can't land on the QB when tackling them. So they grab them from the side and sling them down turning their head into the end of a whip which slams into the ground. It's turning orthopedic injuries into head injuries.

Yeah, it does seem to be getting worse. I wonder how much this can be mitigated by further rule changes, though. Even plays where there's no head contact with the ground have consequences. For example, plays that are technically not targeting, but still cause concussions or micro-trauma.

 

[Herdfan]

Yeah, it does seem to be getting worse. I wonder how much this can be mitigated by further rule changes, though. Even plays where there's no head contact with the ground have consequences. For example, plays that are technically not targeting, but still cause concussions or micro-trauma.

Players are simply becoming too big, too strong and too fast which is not a good combination.

I am actually kind of surprised there has not been a fatality on the field in 51 years. And even that one was not a direct result of a play.

But the hit Damar took was about as routine as you can get. There was nothing dirty about it nor was it more violent than any other NFL play.

 

[rdrr]

Players are simply becoming too big, too strong and too fast which is not a good combination.

I am actually kind of surprised there has not been a fatality on the field in 51 years. And even that one was not a direct result of a play.

But the hit Damar took was about as routine as you can get. There was nothing dirty about it nor was it more violent than any other NFL play.

There were a few close ones, including the hit Drew Bledsoe took and partially separated his aorta. Like you I am surprised there hasn't been another fatality since 1971, but there have been countless horrific injuries that should put a pause on any parent who is pushing their child to become a NFL star.

 

[shadow puppet]

But the hit Damar took was about as routine as you can get. There was nothing dirty about it nor was it more violent than any other NFL play.

I don't even watch football but watching the game footage, even my untrained eye didn't see anything that crazy about the hit Damar took. But I'm still gobsmacked over how Damar popped up almost immediately following the collision and then bam! 3 seconds later was flat on his back out cold. To see an athlete of this level do that, is shocking beyond belief.

Every morning since, I've checked his status fully expecting to read news he'd passed away. What a relief to read today that he is improving.

 

[Herdfan]

There were a few close ones, including the hit Drew Bledsoe took and partially separated his aorta. Like you I am surprised there hasn't been another fatality since 1971, but there have been countless horrific injuries that should put a pause on any parent who is pushing their child to become a NFL star.

Absolutely!!! This is not the game I played through my Jr. year of HS.

I don't even watch football but watching the game footage, even my untrained eye didn't see anything that crazy about the hit Damar took. But I'm still gobsmacked over how Damar popped up almost immediately following the collision and then bam! 3 seconds later was flat on his back out cold. To see an athlete of this level do that, is shocking beyond belief.

Every morning since, I've checked his status fully expecting to read news he'd passed away. What a relief to read today that he is improving.

When I first saw it, and I was watching it live, when he popped up and then went down my first thought was concussion. I can't remember which game it was or who the player was, but there was a tackle and the player got up and started walking back to the huddle when he just started losing his ability to walk. Fortunately it was close the opposing team's sideline and a trainer ran out and grabbed him and got him back down on the field. Turns out he was concussed.

Even back when I played, we all got "our bell's rung" and went right back out and continued playing. Little did we know. Of course, this was also when water was withheld to "toughen us up".

Like you, I kind of expected to read he had passed when I woke up on Tuesday.

 

[Roller]

Players are simply becoming too big, too strong and too fast which is not a good combination.

I am actually kind of surprised there has not been a fatality on the field in 51 years. And even that one was not a direct result of a play.

But the hit Damar took was about as routine as you can get. There was nothing dirty about it nor was it more violent than any other NFL play.

True. I think the mechanism, which caused him to go into cardiac arrest, was different than most injuries in football. If he indeed had commotio cordis, in which the heart stops beating after a blunt-force impact to the chest at a particular instant in the cardiac cycle, the probability isn't high. Of course, we don't know exactly what happened yet.

The question is whether this incident will prompt the football "industry" to do more about safety. I tend to doubt it. The editorials I've read have focused on the appropriate decision to not continue the game. That's fine, but it won't do anything to move the safety needle.

 

[Herdfan]

He is awake and talking after they removed the breathing tube.

Loved what one of the Dr.'s said: "Not only are the lights on, but he is home" This is great news.

 

[Yoused]

Players are simply becoming too big, too strong and too fast which is not a good combination.

A weak excuse. Part of sport is the artistry of it. I used to have a job that required a fair amount of finesse to get the equipment to behave properly, and I was not being paid $150K / hour. These guys should be able to show the due skill to play the game without causing serious ptysical trauma to each other. Brute force is simply artless. If I were running the NFL, helmets and padding would be gone, players would have to show genuine skill and reckless play would get you thrown out of the league. There is no valid reason for the game to ruin players lives.

 

[Herdfan]

Hamlin is back in Buffalo. This is great news. Hope he can stand on the sidelines for this weekend's home playoff game.

Bills' Hamlin back in Buffalo to continue recovery

Doctors who treated Damar Hamlin said the Bills safety was back in Buffalo on Monday, an uplifting sign of the remarkable progress he has made a week after going into cardiac arrest and having to be resuscitated on the field during a game in Cincinnati.

www.espn.com

And props to Green Bay for painting Blue lines around the 3's on the field in his honor.

A weak excuse. Part of sport is the artistry of it. I used to have a job that required a fair amount of finesse to get the equipment to behave properly, and I was not being paid $150K / hour. These guys should be able to show the due skill to play the game without causing serious ptysical trauma to each other.

I would agree with you if we were talking hockey. International hockey is far more artistic that the NHL which is just goons hitting people for no reason.