Monday night was one of the scariest things I’ve seen in sports in a long time.
After such a wonderful day of football, including Mississippi State’s 19-10 win over Illinois, we received a gut punch of just how dangerous the game we love is.
That was when Damar Hamlin fell to the ground after what seemed like an ordinary tackle on the field in Cincinnati between the Bengals and Bills.
This game had huge playoff implications, but less than 10 minutes of game-time into the game, Hamlin collided with Tee Higgins. The next thing I know, they’re cutting back to Hamlin lying life-less on the ground and officials and players are urging medical technicians to come out and tend to him immediately.
I along with the whole nation was concerned that Hamlin might not pull through. The news on Tuesday morning is much more encouraging, and I hope by the time you’re reading this, it’s even better.
We have had situations in the past where players collapsed on the field of play. One in particular was Hank Gathers of the Loyola Marymount, who collapsed in a conference tournament game in 1989.
A few years later, Reggie Lewis collapsed on the court of Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Playoffs in 1993. While he survived, he suffered another incident three months later before he passed.
Then in 2001, I witnessed the final lap of Daytona. A crash on the final lap killed Dale Earnhardt.
One thing we forget is how dangerous sports can be.
I certainly hope Damar pulls through. We’re all pulling for you.
Brent Maze is the publisher of The Newton County Appeal. He can be reached at bmaze@newtoncountyappeal.com.
