You just really, really hope Damar Hamlin is ok.
What we know right now about Hamlin’s medical situation comes primarily from the live broadcast of the game, which stated he was treated with CPR and a defibrillator; from the Bills’ statement this morning, which stated that he suffered a cardiac arrest but that his heartbeat was restored on the field (context on what cardiac arrest is here, in a helpful explainer); and from information shared by his agent, Ira Turner, and his marketing representative, Jordon Rooney. Here’s part of Rooney’s appearance on the Pat McAfee Show earlier today:
There will be updates when more information is available, but we aren’t getting a live feed of the hospital room on ESPN, nor should we. This is reality, not reality TV, and while it’s hard to be patient when we’re invested emotionally like this and a life hangs in the balance, Damar Hamlin’s family should know every piece of information before we do, and that information being released in a slow, intentional manner is important ethically.
What we know right now about Hamlin, the human being, is that the guy has lived quite a life for only being 24 years old. Born to teen parents in McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania, a town on the edge of Pittsburgh labeled as having “one of the highest crime rates per capita in the country,” Hamlin lost three close friends to gun violence and spent three and a half years as a child with his father in prison on a sentence for selling drugs. He’s credited that father, Mario, and his mother, Nina, for keeping him on track, away from guns and gangs, and when it came time to choose where to play college football, he chose to stay home, signing with Pitt, where he played safety while earning a bachelor’s degree in communication. As a middle schooler, he began helping his mom clean offices at her second job. Her first job was (and may remain—it’s unclear) running a daycare, a daycare to which Damar Hamlin now famously began donating toys while still in college (fans found a GoFundMe for the toy drive last night in the midst of the emergency, and have since donated well over four million dollars through said GoFundMe to Hamlin’s foundation). And he isn’t just his story, either: The Bills’ media guide says his favorite athlete is Darrelle Revis and his favorite movie is ATL and his favorite ice cream flavor is cookies and cream, and that his dream vacation spot is Dubai.
For now, the story continues, and so does the life. May it be a long, happy, miraculous one.
**
Viewing schedule for today, second screen rotation in italics:
College Basketball (best game by time slot)
- 7:00 PM EST: Mississippi State @ Tennessee (ESPN2)
- 9:00 PM EST: Kansas @ Texas Tech (ESPN2)
- 11:00 PM EST: New Mexico @ Fresno State (CBSSN)
NBA (best game)
- 8:00 PM EST: Washington @ Milwaukee (NBA TV)
NHL (best game)
- 7:00 PM EST: Carolina @ NY Rangers (ESPN+)
Premier League (best game)
- 2:45 PM EST: Newcastle @ Arsenal (USA)
