Damar Hamlin - prayers

[C&Jx2]

I did not know that. Would some version of those chest plates be possible in football? I know the specific ones baseball catchers wear would be totally unwieldy in football, but couldn't they invent something based on the same technology? Again, just thinking out loud, because this seems like such a stupid injury (in the sense that it was just a normal tackle and this freak thing happened, so can we make it less likely for it to happen again during a normal tackle?)

Idk honestly… It’s already super rare.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

This I also agree on. There’s a difference between watching it for medical reasons and to just replay

I found it on twitter and watched it because I wasn't watching the game at the time. It had only been less than 10 mins when word got out--actually had heard it from one of my DISer friends in our chat.

2 things I saw were a hit that I would normally describe as common enough place and a hit on the head (at least one camera angle appeared that way) from the ground as he went down not from the player.

My first immediate though was when I saw him immediately collapse was a cardiac event (this was before I knew AED was used) because of the way he collapsed. That is something you see from younger athletes usually an undiagnosed heart condition. He's 24 and it would have still been possible for this to happen. Then thought could have been a brain bleed and I also thought about any past hits he might have had with the head hit.

I don't think they would have ever replayed the actual event. They did however replay the after effects, the gathering of people around him, the ambulance on the field and when it left, the players reactions, the initial "let's get back into the game" pep talk, the conversations with the coaches and the refs including the inside portion after they had been sent back to the rooms. I don't think this was insensitive but rather shown to help people catch up with the events. At that time the game was just paused, then it was suspended, then eventually completely called off (TBD if/when it would be played). I appreciated this part because we hadn't really been watching the game and switched it on but by that point it was just the network announcers stage they were showing. But I think they generally have enough sensitivity to not replay something of this magnitude.

It's interesting the current speculation of the chest hit. For the purposes of player safety it would be very helpful to know what caused it (well to the best of medical professional's ability).

 

[TLSnell1981]

#PrayFor3At3

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Oh, okay, so this is just a "thoughts and prayers" discussion? We can't talk about what actually happened or about how to prevent it in the future? Typical.

By the way, I wasn't the one who took the thread off topic, so not sure why you are going after me.

No that's because you came into the thread like basically like "this sport is dumb, can't believe people play it, why is it even called football you don't use your foot, bound to happen, etc" (paraphrasing here). If your comments were more along the line of discussing medical and player safety in general you'd get more reception--several posters are already conversing this way and I'm learning more because of it. Even discussing such an asinine thing like why it's called football in a thread about a player who is in critical condition is odd to say the least.

 

[Marrila]

What agenda? I have no agenda. I just dislike senseless injuries/deaths. Sue me.

Most of us dislike injuries and death.

 

[leahgoogle]

Idk honestly… It’s already super rare.

I agree. You don't hear about CC in football (I read that it actually has never happened in the NFL). The chest pads protect the chest and the force is spread out and not localized like being hit by a baseball. Also, most CC happens in children and teens where the chest wall is not fully developed.

 

[JLTraveling]

Can we all at least agree that it's a very good thing that the game was suspended? They were talking last night about some game in the 1970s where a player actually DIED in the middle of the game, and they just took a short break and carried on. I can't even imagine playing on in those circumstances.

 

[EACarlson]

I admit I know very little about sports and even less about commotio cardis, so I defer to your expertise. In my completely uninformed opinion though, it seems like the odds (while still vanishingly low) would likely be higher among football players simply because hard hits are an actual part of the game (as opposed to baseball or similar, where one of the basic ideas is to NOT get hit if you can help it). Would you disagree with that? And if that is the case, then maybe it does make sense as a starting point for change? Just thinking out loud.

It usually happens in youth baseball, there is a whole industry of padded undershirts because of it.

I did not know that. Would some version of those chest plates be possible in football? I know the specific ones baseball catchers wear would be totally unwieldy in football, but couldn't they invent something based on the same technology? Again, just thinking out loud, because this seems like such a stupid injury (in the sense that it was just a normal tackle and this freak thing happened, so can we make it less likely for it to happen again during a normal tackle?)

Proper shoulder pads would generally disperse the force across the chest more. As players get higher in level, many want smaller, less constricting pads that don't offer as much protection.

The highest profile previous incident of CC, assuming that's what this is, was NHL defenseman Chris Pronger who had it happen in a playoff game in 1998. He came back and played two days later. I think the thinner shoulder pads he was wearing at the time had something to do with his issue as well, and hockey shoulder pads aren't nearly as padded in the chest as football shoulder pads.

 

[Dan Murphy]

However, in his case the harness apparently failed.

His safety belts did not fail. In fact, their working partially contributed to to his cause of death, a basilar skull fracture. His cause of death contributed to the mandatory use of HANS devices in almost all motor sports today.

 

[TLSnell1981]

His safety belts did not fail. In fact, their working partially contributed to to his cause of death, a basilar skull fracture. His cause of death contributed to the mandatory use of HANS devices in almost all motor sports today.

Ironically his number was 3 too.

 

[soccerdad72]

Can we all at least agree that it's a very good thing that the game was suspended? They were talking last night about some game in the 1970s where a player actually DIED in the middle of the game, and they just took a short break and carried on. I can't even imagine playing on in those circumstances.

I agree it was the best decision - initial reports were that they originally told the players to start warming up after the ambulance left the stadium but both head coaches said no. Those reports have been disputed, however.

The NFL has announced that the game will not be resumed anytime this week. No other details regarding the game and whether it will be played has been announced.

 

[Music City Mama]

My younger son just started playing lacrosse in 2022, but a few months before he started, this became a thing with shoulder/chest protectors:

Beginning in 2022, all field players in the boys’/men’s game must have shoulder pads or protectors that meet the NOCSAE performance standard. These products are available in the marketplace through multiple manufacturers and retailers, both online providers as well as brick-and-mortar outlets. The shoulder pads must be designed for lacrosse, cover the top of the shoulder, collarbone and sternum, and contain the NOCSAE logo and SEI certification mark.

NOCSAE ND200 is the first-ever performance standard for chest protection. Product compliance with ND200 reduces impact forces and thus the risk of commotio cordis (cardiac arrest due to a blow to the heart area)

Like others have stated above, baseball/lacrosse balls, hockey pucks, etc. unfortunately all pose this kind of risk.

 

[sam_gordon]

I agree it was the best decision - initial reports were that they originally told the players to start warming up after the ambulance left the stadium but both head coaches said no. Those reports have been disputed, however.

The NFL has announced that the game will not be resumed anytime this week. No other details regarding the game and whether it will be played has been announced.

I agree postponing the game was the right call. I will say after the announcer said they would have 5 minutes to warm up), there was a shot of Joe Burrow (Cinci's QB for those who don't know) throwing.

I'd like to think the "5 minutes to warm up after a significant injury" is the NORMAL protocol after an extended break, and that's what SOMEONE (or group of someones) originally went with. Then the coaches got together, said "wait, let's get into the locker rooms and think about this", and then the decision was made to not play.

I've read people taking the league to task for waiting almost an hour to postpone the game. To that, all I have to say is "hindsight is 20/20".

 

[C&Jx2]

My younger son just started playing lacrosse in 2022, but a few months before he started, this became a thing with shoulder/chest protectors:

Beginning in 2022, all field players in the boys’/men’s game must have shoulder pads or protectors that meet the NOCSAE performance standard. These products are available in the marketplace through multiple manufacturers and retailers, both online providers as well as brick-and-mortar outlets. The shoulder pads must be designed for lacrosse, cover the top of the shoulder, collarbone and sternum, and contain the NOCSAE logo and SEI certification mark.

NOCSAE ND200 is the first-ever performance standard for chest protection. Product compliance with ND200 reduces impact forces and thus the risk of commotio cordis (cardiac arrest due to a blow to the heart area)

Like others have stated above, baseball/lacrosse balls, hockey pucks, etc. unfortunately all pose this kind of risk.

And girls’ lacrosse doesn’t require pads because it’s non-contact

 

[fly girl]

I know so many at the game tonight. It’s hard enough watching as a fan. Can’t imagine how the players are feeling.

I had a lot of friends at the game too. They were all shook.

I am so glad they postponed the game. All you needed to see was the players faces to know this was not your typical sports injury. Seeing Josh Allen on the bench staring in disbelief and numerous players crying … it was tough to watch from home.

And bless those players for creating privacy for Damar Hamlin. Nobody needed to witness the life saving efforts they were providing. And yes, I’m grateful they didn’t show him collapsing over and over again. There was no need. (I’m still mad at NBC for showing that luge accident that killed an athlete at the 2012 Olympics. It’s grotesque, and terribly cruel to his family.)

I haven’t always been keen of Bengals fans - they threw beer bottles at Ben Roethlisberger before - but they redeemed themselves with this. They realized the gravity of the situation and took this kid into their hearts.

I know this situation had no positives, but it is wonderful to see that our country got it right and realized this young man was more important than a football game. Sadly, if you would’ve given me this scenario before yesterday I wouldn’t have believed that no one was mad about ending the game. Thank goodness common sense still exists … our society scares me at times with priorities, but we got this right.

My prayers are with this young man for a full and speedy recovery. From what I have seen and read, he sounds like a class act.

for Damar Hamlin #3

 

[Mango7100]

I don't understand the game. For starters, why is it even called FOOTball, when the ball is primarily in play while in hands?

I have always thought American football is the dumbest game ever. So yeah, when I see a player suffer what could very well be a fatal injury, I just have to wonder "and for what, this stupid game?"

So it’s pretty obvious you have decided that football is dumb and I guess people who play it or watch it are dumb too. not sure if you feel that way about other sports. You may think it’s just a stupid game, but for players at that elite level it’s a dream and a passion. It’s also a chance to earn money that could not only change their lives but also the lives of their parents and children and future generations of their families. Of course it is a violent sport and while they have made progress in safety (see current concussion protocols), they can always improve (see CTE cases). This sounds like a freak occurrence that has Literally happened one time in how many games over the years? It could have happened to a soccer player, rugby player, baseball player, cricket player, golfer, etc. It could have happened to someone being struck by a falling tree limb. I don’t see this as a unique to football situation. It is a tragic situation and was very sobering to watch. I am glad they called off the game and already Said it will not be player this week

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

There have been some "ordinary" incidents where it seemed pretty pedestrian by normal standards. I'm thinking of Dale Earnhardt's fatal crash. Seemed like a fairly common event in NASCAR where a car just plowed into a wall, but nothing all that spectacular that would seriously injure a driver wearing a racing harness. However, in his case the harness apparently failed.

But a heart attack on the field is pretty unusual. I've heard of those happening during practices though, even with college and high school players. But working on endurance and/or practicing in extreme heat is very different than typical game play.

Dale Earnhardt SR drove in the era where the Hans device was not required. The only failure of his Hans device was his failure to wear one. He chose not to.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

This is an older but good article if anyone wants to read it.

What is Commotio Cordis in Baseball? USA Baseball Medical/Safety Advisory Committee

 

[TLSnell1981]

I had a lot of friends at the game too. They were all shook.

I am so glad they postponed the game. All you needed to see was the players faces to know this was not your typical sports injury. Seeing Josh Allen on the bench staring in disbelief and numerous players crying … it was tough to watch from home.

And bless those players for creating privacy for Damar Hamlin. Nobody needed to witness the life saving efforts they were providing. And yes, I’m grateful they didn’t show him collapsing over and over again. There was no need. (I’m still mad at NBC for showing that luge accident that killed an athlete at the 2012 Olympics. It’s grotesque, and terribly cruel to his family.)

I haven’t always been keen of Bengals fans - they threw beer bottles at Ben Roethlisberger before - but they redeemed themselves with this. They realized the gravity of the situation and took this kid into their hearts.

I know this situation had no positives, but it is wonderful to see that our country got it right and realized this young man was more important than a football game. Sadly, if you would’ve given me this scenario before yesterday I wouldn’t have believed that no one was mad about ending the game. Thank goodness common sense still exists … our society scares me at times with priorities, but we got this right.

My prayers are with this young man for a full and speedy recovery. From what I have seen and read, he sounds like a class act.

for Damar Hamlin #3
View attachment 729580

I can't imagine how hard it hit the teams. It was a one in 200M freak accident and more than rattled their cages a bit.

 

[TLSnell1981]

So it’s pretty obvious you have decided that football is dumb and I guess people who play it or watch it are dumb too. not sure if you feel that way about other sports. You may think it’s just a stupid game, but for players at that elite level it’s a dream and a passion. It’s also a chance to earn money that could not only change their lives but also the lives of their parents and children and future generations of their families. Of course it is a violent sport and while they have made progress in safety (see current concussion protocols), they can always improve (see CTE cases). This sounds like a freak occurrence that has Literally happened one time in how many games over the years? It could have happened to a soccer player, rugby player, baseball player, cricket player, golfer, etc. It could have happened to someone being struck by a falling tree limb. I don’t see this as a unique to football situation. It is a tragic situation and was very sobering to watch. I am glad they called off the game and already Said it will not be player this week

I know more than a few pro athletes Yes, it changes lives and provides income for many. It can benefit charities too as athletes often set up foundations. These young men and women spend a lifetime honing their skills.