Week 17 Thread

[onejayhawk]

I realize everyone is thinking and praying for Damar. As am I. But as far as football goes, where do we go from here?

The Bills have traveled home, so if Damar recovers and they want to play, it still doesn't seem likely that they will finish the game this week with enough rest for Sunday. My friend, who is a prominent sports talk show host, and I came to the conclusion that the best course of action would be to postpone the entire slate of games this weekend and only finish the Bills-Bengals game. Then push back the entire playoff schedule by a week, except for the Super Bowl. The Pro Bowl would overlap with the Conference Championship games, but who cares about that anyway.

They can't cancel the game, or give each team a tie, as it would be unfair and has major implications on the season. If this was Arizona-Carolina, no one would care if the game was axed, but it's not.

They could just say the game is final and give Cincinnati the win, but that also seems unfair.

Let's hope Damar recovers and the NFL finds an equitable solution.

This is becoming a more pressing question. The playoff ramifications of the game are enormous.

There is literally no time to reschedule the game and any game resolution will screw some other team(s) in the playoff picture.

[Gregg]

Bills S Damar Hamlin was administered CPR after collapsing on the field Monday night against the Bengals.

Hamlin was knocked down after taking a hard hit to the chest in the first quarter, popped up to his feet, and then collapsed on the field. The medical staff administered CPR and an AED on the field following the collapse. Hamlin was given oxygen as he was loaded into the ambulance. Joe Danneman of Fox Sports Cincinnati reports that Hamlin has a pulse but was not breathing on his own. He was taken directly to the hospital where he is in critical condition. Prayers go out to Hamlin, his family, and the Bills organization and fans. The game has been suspended.

Damar Hamlin’s vitals ‘back to normal’ after frightening injury, per marketing rep

I will add that he is still asleep for a breathing tube and more tests.

[onejayhawk]

Damar Hamlin’s vitals ‘back to normal’ after frightening injury, per marketing rep

I will add that he is still asleep for a breathing tube and more tests.

If what the doctor posted last night is correct it was a matter of freak timing, ie a blow to the sternum exactly at the wrong time in the heartbeat cycle. This prevented the heart from completing the cycle and results in complete stoppage of the heart. It took his body a few seconds to notice which is why he could stand up before collapsing.

Long term there could be damage or not but he clearly will not play again this season. Playoffs, who knows?

[revo]

If what the doctor posted last night is correct it was a matter of freak timing, ie a blow to the sternum exactly at the wrong time in the heartbeat cycle. This prevented the heart from completing the cycle and results in complete stoppage of the heart. It took his body a few seconds to notice which is why he could stand up before collapsing.

Long term there could be damage or not but he clearly will not play again this season. Playoffs, who knows?

He almost certainly won't be able to play again this season if he pulls through, because it's very likely CPR broke his ribs and sternum.


The NFL just announced the game would not be resumed this week, if at all.

[revo]

Doesn't seem at all like this game will be resumed. Which means:
1 - declare it a completed game and a Cincy win. That won't happen.
2 - give each team a tie. But that benefits Cincy and hurts Buffalo.
3 - declare it a no-contest. Buffalo and Cincy play 16 games, everyone else 17 games. Cincy would win the AFC North but be eliminated from the race for the #1 overall seed.

A friend of mine who is a lawyer for NBC Sports said shifting slates of games is a near impossibility due to the "availability of broadcast windows."

[madducks]

Former NHL player Chris Pronger had a similar incident in 1998 after taking a slapshot to the chest. He went into cardiac arrest, collapsed, was carted off the ice, and spent at least one night in the hospital. He was cleared to play the next game a few days later. But everyone recovers differently.

[Ken]

Doesn't seem at all like this game will be resumed. Which means:
1 - declare it a completed game and a Cincy win. That won't happen.
2 - give each team a tie. But that benefits Cincy and hurts Buffalo.
3 - declare it a no-contest. Buffalo and Cincy play 16 games, everyone else 17 games. Cincy would win the AFC North but be eliminated from the race for the #1 overall seed.

A friend of mine who is a lawyer for NBC Sports said shifting slates of games is a near impossibility due to the "availability of broadcast windows."

Not saying this is reasonable, but what if both teams are credited a win?

[ironfist]

Doesn't seem at all like this game will be resumed. Which means:
1 - declare it a completed game and a Cincy win. That won't happen.
2 - give each team a tie. But that benefits Cincy and hurts Buffalo.
3 - declare it a no-contest. Buffalo and Cincy play 16 games, everyone else 17 games. Cincy would win the AFC North but be eliminated from the race for the #1 overall seed.

A friend of mine who is a lawyer for NBC Sports said shifting slates of games is a near impossibility due to the "availability of broadcast windows."

I think only #3 would be a realistic option. If it was ended in the 3rd quarter or later, maybe a win/tie could be awarded, but no way. Maybe if there is a playoff implication after the last games are done they will try to resume the game, even if it's not televised or played before an empty stadium.

[Moonlight J]

to play evil corporate mind here, would the league pay the players for not playing a game? Are they refunding all ticket purchases or giving folks the option to credit the purchase to a future ticket or donate the refund to Hamlin's charitable cause?

I know I'm donating 25% of my league winnings to the cause as I had a 50-point lead heading into last night while my opponent had Higgins and I had Allen+Davis so my win was really a foregone conclusion.

[rhd]

Damar Hamlin’s vitals ‘back to normal’ after frightening injury, per marketing rep I will add that he is still asleep for a breathing tube and more tests.

"Vitals back to normal" doesnt really speak to whether he has any brain damage but it sounds very optimistic in light of what was reported last night. I didnt think there was any reasonable chance he would escape w little or no brain damage. If he does, this sounds miraculous.

Re: replaying the game, I didnt think there was any realistic possibly this could happen under the circumstances. And I dont think the playoff ramifications are enormous. Both of these teams will make the playoffs and if one of them has to play a road game instead of a home game, I think this pales in comparison to making the players play maybe the most emotionally difficult game of their lives. To me, the more realistic question is whether the Bills play their final game this weekend against Miami.

[madducks]

As fans await news on Hamlin’s condition, donations have poured in to a GoFundMe fundraiser that he started in 2020 to raise money to purchase toys for children, writing at the time, “As I embark on my journey to the NFL, I will never forget where I come from and I am committed to using my platform to positively impact the community that raised me. I created The Chasing M’s Foundation as a vehicle that will allow me to deliver that impact.”

The fundraiser topped $74,000 just one hour after Hamlin’s collapse and quickly grew to $2,033,270 just before 1 a.m. ET Tuesday, then soared to more than $3 million just an hour and twenty minutes later with more than 119,000 donations.

“Following his injury on the field tonight, fans across the country are showing their support for him and his family by donating to his fundraiser,” GoFundMe tweeted Monday night.

Bills fans – nicknamed the Bills Mafia – are known for having a charitable heart. In 2021, they celebrated their victory over the Baltimore Ravens by donating money to the favorite charity of Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, who the team lost in the third quarter due to concussion protocol.

And in the 2020 season, Bills fans donated money to a children’s hospital after Bills quarterback Josh Allen’s grandmother died, according to ESPN.

The GoFundMe page for "The Chasing M's Foundation Community Toy Drive" started by Damar Hamlin has received almost $6 million in donations in just over 24 hours. Incredible! I hope he gets to see how much money was raised.

[revo]

Hamlin is awake and holding hands with family. Hallelujah!!

[Gregg]

Hamlin is awake and holding hands with family. Hallelujah!!

Amen!

[madducks]

Hamlin is awake and holding hands with family. Hallelujah!!

That's great news!

[revo]

According to the AP, the Bengals-Bills game won't be resumed. Because that would eliminate the possibility of the Bengals or Bills getting the #1 seed, the league is leaning towards including an 8th team in the playoffs, so that no team would get a bye (which, of course, would screw the Eagles and Chiefs, the two likely #1 seeds).