DOUBLE DOUBLE NFL’s Troy Vincent denial after ESPN’s Joe Buck reiterates claim the league wants Bills and Bengals players to warm up for five minutes and resume play after coming on-field Damar Hamlin’s cardiac arrest.
NFL executive Troy Vincent is doubling down on his statement that the league has no intention of resuming play Monday in Cincinnati after Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest during a game against the Bengals.
The 24-year-old is awake and showing signs of improvement after collapsing and being resuscitated during Monday’s Bills-Bengals game in Cincinnati.
On Monday Night Football, ESPN play-by-play announcer Joe Buck repeatedly told television viewers that the league plans to resume play after a five-minute warmup period.
NFL executive Troy Vincent (L) is doubling down on his claim that the league has no intention of resuming play after Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest after reports to the contrary
Furthermore, San Francisco Chronicle reporter Mike Silver reported that the NFL’s ‘first impulse’ was to try to continue play until the players and coaches refused and walked off the field.
‘I just want to be clear,’ Vincent, the NFL’s Executive Vice President of Football Operations and a former league player, said Wednesday in a conference call with reporters.
‘That suggestion alone is inappropriate, it is insensitive and, frankly, it lacks both empathy and compassion for the situation of Damar, who remains and is fighting for his life now. It’s incomplete, and very insensitive to think we’re even thinking about going back to gaming.
Hamlin (No. 3) gets up briefly after making a tackle with Tee Higgins before collapsing in shocking scenes as the Buffalo Bills play the Cincinnati Bengals
“The only thing that matters to myself, the team here, the people in the stadium and the coaches is Damar’s health and well-being and getting those coaches back in the locker room so they can see the players in their eyes and see who they are. is. They hurt, so much. And talking to the commissioner [Roger Goodell] and talking to everyone, it’s just important … we don’t get to play.’
Buck, too, doubled down on his version of events in an interview with the New York Post, saying that ESPN officiating expert John Parry was in direct contact with the league.
‘They said they were going to give these players five minutes of warm-up to get ready,’ Buck told the Post after Vincent initially denied that claim earlier in the week.
Moments later Hamlin collapsed, falling backwards and motionless to the floor
ESPN also defended Buck’s reporting in a statement.
“There has been constant communication in real time between ESPN and league and game officials,” the network said.
‘As a result, we reported what we were told at the time and immediately updated fans as new information became known. This is an unprecedented, rapidly evolving phenomenon. We avoided speculation all night.’
The Washington Post reported a potential explanation, writing that Parry usually talks to the league’s officiating department, but ‘this decision expands beyond what Parry usually talks to.’
Hamlin remains in serious condition but the Bills and teammate Kaiir Elam provided encouraging updates Thursday morning
Hamlin remains in serious condition but the Bills and teammate Kaiir Elam provided encouraging updates Thursday morning.
The corner wrote on Twitter: ‘Our son is doing better, awake and showing more signs of improvement. Thank you, Lord. Keep the prayers coming please. All love 3!’
The Bills’ statement noted that Hamlin’s lungs are improving and he is neurologically intact as he continues to receive treatment at a Cincinnati hospital.
‘According to the physicians caring for Damar Hamlin at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, Damar has shown remarkable improvement over the past 24 hours,’ read the team’s statement. ‘While seriously ill, he demonstrated that he appeared to be neurologically intact. His lungs continue to heal and he is making steady progress.’
On Wednesday, Bills players had an ’emotional’ phone call with Hamlin’s father, Mario, who also had an encouraging update about his son.
