Damar Hamlin cardiac arrest shocks media, transcends sports to become national news
'The reaction of breaking into regular programming was warranted and appropriate,' Joe Concha said
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The media world was stunned Monday night when Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin collapsed on the field, suffering a cardiac arrest in one of the most terrifying scenes in modern sports history.
ESPN announcers were initially at a loss for words, repeatedly cutting to commercial until sideline reporter Lisa Salters informed viewers that Hamlin received CPR on the field. The sports network eventually went back and forth from broadcasters Joe Buck and Troy Aikman in the stadium to the studio, where Suzy Kolber, Adam Schefter and Booger McFarland somberly filled time.
"The emotion that we’re experiencing tonight is really hard to describe," Kolber said at one point.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The media world was stunned Monday night when Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin collapsed on the field. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson, File)
DAMAR HAMLIN'S CHARITY RECEIVES MILLIONS IN DONATIONS AFTER HE COLLAPSES ON FIELD
ESPN largely relied on footage of teary-eyed players reacting as the best way to illustrate the seriousness of the situation without invading Hamlin’s privacy. After an ambulance came on the field, Hamlin was rushed to University of Cincinnati Medical Center. Once the game was postponed, the tragic incident transcended sports media and emerged as a national news story.
Fox News, MSNBC and CNN each broke into programming with live breaking news coverage and analysis, an extremely unusual event for a sports story.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Monday Night Football is typically one of the most-watched TV programs each week, and this week’s game had additional attention with the iconic Rose Bowl serving as a lead-in. The Bills and the opposing Cincinnati Bengals are also two of the NFL's best teams and their matchup had major playoff implications.
Fox News contributor Joe Concha, an avid football fan, says that news organizations made the right call to cover Hamlin’s collapse as more than simply a football story.
"It’s something that we’ve never seen before in a sport were injuries and violent collisions happen all the time. This looked like a pretty standard hit that we see many times across the NFL every Sunday. And when Damar Hamlin collapsed on national television with millions watching and the power of social media bringing the clip to anybody who has a smartphone who may not have been watching the game from there, the reaction of breaking into regular programming was warranted and appropriate," Concha told Fox News Digital.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen reacts as medical personnel attend to teammate Damar Hamlin. (Ian Johnson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images/File)
"We’re all praying for his health and well-being and a complete recovery," Concha said.
Overnight, the Bills said Hamlin’s "heartbeat was restored on the field and he was transferred to the UC Medical Center for further testing and treatment."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"He is currently sedated and listed in critical condition," the team said.
Tuesday was the first business day of 2023, and the news cycle is already busy, including on Capitol Hill where the House speakership vote is being held. The man accused of killing four University of Idaho college students made a court appearance, actor Jeremy Renner remains in critical but stable condition from a freak snow plow accident, and the last worlds of Pope Benedict XVI, who passed away on Saturday at the age of 95, were revealed.
But despite the jam-packed day, Hamlin was the only thing anyone seemed to care about.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Wall Street Journal covered the event with an above-the-fold image of Hamlin’s devastated teammates headlined, "NFL Player Collapses During Game, Administered CPR."
DAMAR HAMLIN SUFFERED CARDIAC ARREST DURING GAME, HEARTBEAT RESTORED ON FIELD, BILLS SAY
The New York Times covered the story on the front page, too, and the New York Post featured Hamlin on both the front and back covers. "Monday Night Horror," the front headline said as the back added, "Tears on the Field."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Hamlin’s situation was front and center on all the prominent morning shows. "FOX & Friends" opened with the latest as co-host Brian Kilmeade called it one of the most shocking scenes in sports history.
ABC’s "Good Morning America" opened with a somber report from Robin Roberts, who spoke to the Hamlin family spokesperson after a reporter provided the latest from outside University of Cincinnati Medical Center.
NBC’s "Today" also led with the story, which co-anchor Savannah Guthrie said "everyone is talking about," and featured a correspondent reporting live outside the trauma center. On CBS, former NFL player-turned-anchor Nate Burleson opened "CBS Mornings" with the Hamlin news.
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