https://edition.cnn.com/us/live-news...hnk/index.html

"NFL star Damar Hamlin in critical condition after cardiac arrest"



Gut-wrenching. I was watching Monday Night Football last night when this happened. Hamlin was involved in a routine looking tackle midway through the 1st quarter of a huge game between the Buffalo Bills and the Cincinnati Bengals. Replays show that Hamlin got right back up... then immediately collapsed onto his back. The next few minutes were frantic, with medical personnel eventually having to administer CPR right there on the field, before putting Hamlin in an ambulance and rushing him off to a local hospital. Teammates were terribly shaken... many of them crying right there on the field, and hugging and consoling each other. The game was eventually postponed, as playing football was the farthest thing from anybody's mind.

At this point, more than 12 hours later, Hamlin remains in critical condition at the hospital... while sports news networks are at a loss as to what to say other than to hope and pray that Hamlin pulls through ok.
A very frightening scenario.

Normally, serious football injuries are either limb-related, or head trauma... so this is a bit of unchartered territory for those who follow the sport. Personally, I'm reminded a bit of Christian Eriksen back in Euro Cup 2020, held in June 2021. I was watching that game also. In that case, there was no contact, and Christian simply collapsed on the field... and had to have CPR administered to him.

https://www.sportingnews.com/us/socc...knhbfi98lipske


Decades ago, in 1990, promising basketball player Hank Gathers collapsed on the court from a heart related issue and was also given CPR. Sadly, Gathers did not recover and died.


It all kind of reminds us that professional athletes are first and foremost human beings. With families and loved ones whose furthermost thought from their minds is that their son/brother/father is going to die while doing what they love best.

My thoughts and prayers to Hamlin and his family... as the story continues to develop... and he remains in critical condition in a Cincinnati hospital.