The grandstanding on ESPN today is ridiculous.

Foxworth going on a rant about CTE… Hamlin suffered freaking CARDIAC arrest.

Agreed that isn't happening. Not trying to be insensitive but just speaking on strictly competitive balance\fairness they have to play this game tomorrow or the Bills take the L.

Before anyone comes at me about how the players can't play tomorrow well they have to play on Sunday unless they are going to forfeit those games, is an extra 3 days going to make a difference?

Exactly right. They are already playing in just a few days.

Agree here, the NFL is in a very tight spot given all the angles in play here.

They would have to make that determination today since the bills went home last night unless you're going to make them travel and play on the same day.
It'll be interesting to see how the league handles this for sure

In case people are wondering if stupid is just limited to message boards. Within 5 minutes at work, had a co worker say it was because of vaccine.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Breaking News: Of course the game is secondary to <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DamarHamlin?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DamarHamlin</a>’s health, but <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Bills?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Bills</a> insider <a href="https://twitter.com/viccarucci?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@viccarucci</a> just reported on <a href="https://twitter.com/WGRZ?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@wgrz</a> Daybreak that NFL commissioner Roger Goodell will make the call on rescheduling the Bills/Bengals game and it would have to be played within 2 days.</p>&mdash; Melissa Holmes (@2MelissaHolmes) <a href="https://twitter.com/2MelissaHolmes/status/1610227452852441089?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Gotta love "breaking news" that just says there will be news at some point. ROFL

Re-schedule it to Thursday and their Week 18 games are moved to Monday or Tuesday.

If Buffalo decides not to play on Thursday… they forfeit the game.

National championship game is on Monday night and I am sure they won't want to interfere with that so they could play Monday afternoon.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">There is another option according to <a href="https://twitter.com/viccarucci?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@viccarucci</a> - the league can add a 19th week so the Bills/Bengals can get in all their games. <a href="https://twitter.com/WGRZ?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@wgrz</a> <a href="https://t.co/1X1hCHVN8c">https://t.co/1X1hCHVN8c</a></p>&mdash; Melissa Holmes (@2MelissaHolmes) <a href="https://twitter.com/2MelissaHolmes/status/1610235021956157441?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

We tend to make heroes and villains out of these players solely for our enjoyment of being entertained. When the reality is, once the pads come off, they are just like you and me. Sons, fathers, brothers, etc.

If there is a sliver lining to this tragedy, it would be fruitful to realize this.

I got a healthy dose of "realize what's really important" last night.

I'm sure I'm not the only one.

This actually seems like a good use case for NFL player safety protocols working.

Outside of this happening inside a hospital, an NFL stadium seems not far behind in idealness.

Hats off to the men and women on the scene who were prepared and jumped in to do their jobs to help save a life.

Hats off to the coaches, players, field and league officials for coming together to do what they felt was the right thing for everyone involved in the face of a highly traumatic on field event.

I don't envy anyone in the further decision making process of how to move forward.

Hopefully some good news on Damar is received to help sooth the ultimately tough decisions that have to be made.

If the league already has it narrowed down to these choices, but hasn’t yet announced an arrangement, I wonder if they are waiting to gather input from the Bills. In which case the league lays out the options, and if the players aren’t ready to go back to playing then the Bills forfeit. Sucks, but it would give the Bills players a voice in how to go forward, and does move things forward.

Yep. It was getting borderline ridiculous last night.

Well said, brother.

:clap: Amen!

All the good will built up by ESPN in the heat of the moment, doing their best...and of course they throw it all away and regress back to what they are as a network. I hate ESPN.

After something traumatic happens it's hard to think straight.

Given some more time Buffalo should be able to refocus on a decision.

1 day less is hardly something they should be overly upset about if it is announced soon. They have a VP/Director of Player/Pro Personnel and his scouts just to break down films on other teams, so we can't act like they wouldn't be prepared.

This is a very isolated situation of extreme rarity. I think some concessions can be made. How do you think the Bills' players feel right now?

It's a tough one, but something also has to be done to finish the season, and moving post-season games is probably not high on the NFL's list of ideal scenarios. That, however, is the only other semi-reasonable option I've seen. Pushing everything back and eliminating the break week before the Super Bowl so that there is some room to play this all out is pretty much option B.

Amen brother... Well said...

:thumb:

I still hate Tom Brady though

I don't know about grandstanding" today.

Last night, flipping between Joe Buck & Troy, Scott Van Pelt, and the vocabulary-challenged, hyperbolic Ryan Clark, and then over to Suzy Kolber, The Booger and some other dude, it struck me how excruciating awkward and inadequate these people are at reporting news.

They only thing they could repeat ad nauseam was "This is about Jamar"

Even after years of experience, it's like, if there's not a sporting event going on, they can't seem to know what to say?

Pathetic.

I did notice NONE OF THEM knew how to fill air time

Hard spot to be in.

I didn't want to hear them drone on and on so I turned it off.

I don't know. I think it's an incredibly difficult situation for them to be in. I'm sure they could've spent endless amounts of time discussing potential re-scheduling solutions and playoff implications, but then that would've been thought of as being in poor taste.

These aren't trained news anchors. They're people well-versed in talking about sports, and when there's a tragedy in the sport, it's a human interest story and not about the sport itself at all.

It was destined to be an awkward, unsatisfying situation if you continued to watch.

You’d think they would of had a documentary queued up from NFL films or something.

No reason to watch once the game was called

Which documentary would've been appropriate to show at that point? The Dennis Byrd story?

That’s why I turned it off. They refused to switch to something else. Even after the game was called they recycled the same “What are your thoughts?” And “We have no update” over and over. It’s like they purposely stayed on the air to try and be the first to provide an update vs just cutting into whatever else they could have played with an update. It was repetitive and awful.

I have coded people longer than 20 minutes many times and they went on to live normal lives.

Although the doctor is correct, there are so many variables involved, you can’t really access the damage, if any at all, until you pull them out of the medical induced coma.

I don't know if there was a documentary but when Tony Dungy's son James Dungy hanged himself from a bedroom ceiling fan with a leather belt? Tony kept coaching...

Lots of rumors and speculation around Buffalo that the Bills may forfeit the Patriots game too. None of the players have interest in practicing, getting ready, playing, etc. No idea if this is true or hog wash but that’s what i’m hearing and seeing.

Hearing and seeing where?

Yes, after taking time off, moron.

Belcher was a Saturday they made the Chiefs play the next day

I feel for the family, loved ones and teammates of Hamlin.

It may seem callus but as someone who handles death or serious injury frequently in my line of work don’t understand the inability to play the game last night or today. Most people don’t get the luxury of not working when tragedy strikes in the workplace. They grieve, they push through it. It’s part of life. I have lost coworkers on the job and have been there for people who’ve also suffered loss. We continued on and we certainly grieved.

Have we become such an emotionally immature civilization that we can’t handle grief now? What is the line now for NFL players and injuries? Will they stop games for all serious injuries or just heart attacks? What about broken bones? While serious, most aren’t life threatening, so they are probably ok.

While the NFL is a multi billion dollar industry that has become so much bigger than a game.

Exactly and that was worse but it's not on video so they didn't care.

Buffalo radio, mostly. And from family in the area.

What do you do for work that you lose coworkers on the job?

Bullshit

what station?

I get your point but if they really are like everyone else then the game will played today just like you would be at work the next day making way less money than these guys.

I used to work in a large pharma manufacturing plant. We had someone on our team pass away unexpectedly as a result of an accident that took place outside of work. He was a 1st shift worker and we shut down for the day and brought in a grief counselor and had a long long meeting where everyone could just talk.

We had another employee in a different area pass away on the job due to a heart attack and that area shut down for the day.

I hate to be callous but it happens, people have heart attacks and strokes and pass away unexpectedly, I think every company should have a contingency plan for it that is respectful of their coworkers. You don't go to work to make friends but it's impossible not to care about people you see 8 hours a day 5 days a week.

fluffer in the monster cox series

I've dealt with 2 deaths while I was at work in my career, both of them cardiac arrests.

One the facility never shut down, the other we shutdown for about 12 hours.

I wont try to compare my military experience.

A few years ago my boss found my coworker dead in his car after work. We all walked past his car going home not knowing. He died from a heart attack. Everyone was at work the next day and it was business as usual.

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If I would have been faster, i would have signed up for this in a heartbeat.

i think forcing people to continue working after experiencing trauma to the level of death is far more emotionally immature than giving people the proper time to grieve.

Im glad people my age dont put work above human life anymore.

This.

They wouldn't do that in 2023.

I'm not sure another game will finish if someone has a serious injury like Dennis Byrd or Shazier. It's a changing culture.

I don't think that will happen. I don't think Damar would want that... Also, prognosis can be good if they get to a patient right away, they did in this case, so hopefully he will be OK. My guess is they play tomorrow and then the Bengals and Bills are moved to next Monday, or they push the season back a week. The last one would be tough.

I hope they don't forfeit this game and then folks would be mad at the Chiefs for getting the #1 for no reason. I'm sad for the events last night, but Cinci looked like they were dialed in and the outcome most likely would have been a loss anyways.

If they came in the next morning and said we're not going to play, that game never would of happened.

They will continue games if it is not life threatening, this was a unique situation. Also, Belcher happening the day before, they would most likely play or postpone to Monday based on what the team elects especially for an off the field death.

The prevailing opinion was that playing the next day would bring the team together more than not playing. It was cathartic so to speak.

Then why share that here? God, you're doing the same thing telling this story. Just stop.

You answered your question here.

The NFL gained nothing from a PR standpoint by sending those guys back out there to play. And again, even before the game was called, you had people saying "I don't see how these guys can possibly have the focus to go play..."

A simple football play yielding a broken leg would've been blamed on the NFL's decision to go back and play. And if the kid dies during the game, the NFL would've been excoriated for it. And if he is revived during the game...so what? Nobody's gonna say "Phew - it sure is a good thing the NFL kept playing...."

Nope, they'd have still been barbecued for it.

There was NOTHING to be gained by the league. And that's why they cancelled it. Literally every possible eventuality would've been viewed in the most negative possible light against the NFL.

Could the players have played? Yeah, I actually think they could've. For some of the reasons previously stated.

But from a league standpoint did it make any sense at all for them to send those guys back out there? Not even a little. That was a decision that could've been nothing but disastrous for them. It's the kind of thing that could've cost Goodell his cushy $20 million/yr job and cost the league tens of millions in advertising dollars.

Yeah, that was when I turned it off and watched Ford vs. Ferrari instead.

I'm sorry, but I'm 100% convinced that there's been a TON of performance art over the last 12 hours.

Is SVP the only good ESPN media personality left? I'm watching Mina Kimes, Stephen A Smith and some broad that looks like she got shot with the Simpsons makeup gun.

I think the other dude is Bart Scott? He isn't too bad I suppose.

This is such a bullshit statement.

Stephen A Smith is unbearable to watch. Dude always looks like he just got done sucking on a lemon.

In the grand scheme of things, both teams are making the playoffs regardless. If those two teams care enough about their seeding then agree to resume the game tomorrow otherwise both take the forfeit unless it's just the Bills refusing to play then just give them the forfeit. Even if the Bills miss out on the bye because of it, there's still an advantage for both of them to getting a week off two weeks before the playoffs and not having to show things against an opponent in what could be a rematch in a couple weeks.

Won’t happen BUT both teams could technically forfeit this game AND this coming weeks game and still stay at the same seed they currently are at.

Late night SportsCenter is the best. SVP, Ashley Brewer, John Anderson. That's when all the good talent is. Daytime is blow hards

Ashley Brewer is definitely a talent worth watching.

I really hope that's not the case.

Give me a ****ing break. When my dad died, I had 7 days of funeral leave. That's it. I had to go back to work,as do most people. And some don't even get that much time.

This is the part that has my interest. If they go strictly by wins then the chiefs could have more wins, assuming they beat the raiders but even that's not a guarantee. But if they go by win percentage then Buffalo would/could have the upper hand (DOH! THIS IS INCORRECT, I'M NORMALLY GOOD AT MATH).

Controversial take I'm sure, but I don't ever want to hear about football players "going to battle", or "going to war", or "putting our lives on the line in battle with our brothers" crap again. Yes, this is a tragic situation. However, soldiers in real battles in real wars don't get to stop and go home when a brother is down.

I doubt they will be able to reschedule the game and we'll end up with #1 seed as a result assuming we beat the Raiders. I wouldn't surprise me and I wouldn't be against the idea of us making a request to the NFL to have the Championship game played in Buffalo (as a token of good will) if we both get there.

Absolutely not

I think they'll play Wednesday. Potentially Thursday and thus push both teams to Monday night the following week.

And even that is a slight disadvantage as one or both teams would then get a shorter rest period before the playoffs. But my memory is WC weekend plays on Saturday/Sunday so if you ended up working the schedule to play their games on Sunday after playing Monday and the other guys play Saturday after playing Sunday, they're all on relatively even footing.

So if I'm betting, I'd say a Thursday night game then they play next week as a double-header on Monday.

Oh **** off with this bullshit

WC games are now Sat/Sun/Mon, so they could put one on Mon, one late Sun (if they both don't get the 1 seed).

I think they have a Monday night game for WC weekend now as well, so that should further cushion any scheduling blow.

Exactly. Athletes are entitled as hell and can just quit when they want. NBA does the same thing every time they don't like something that went on in America. What other profession that a normal person has where they can just walk away and say get bent and still keep their job? Athletes don't live in reality. A player's life is not on the line in a game at all. It's far easier to get killed driving in your car.

What happened was extremely bad and they definitely should not have continued but the game still needs to be finished or forfeited.

Crap, I thought I kicked you out of all these threads.

Ah - didn't realize that.

Yeah, it seems like a Thursday night game makes too much sense to not happen, then.

You give them today to decompress, Wednesday to arrange travel/hotels if necessary, Thursday you play. Flex out whoever is presently scheduled for Monday night in week 18, play a double header - though they're both east coast games so that would be a little more difficult. Both teams are at home though so there aren't travel concerns. You could start one of them at 5 eastern and the other at 8.

Then give them Sunday/Monday playoff games to cushion the impact and you're in pretty good shape.

There's a fairly clean path forward here.

Check your maths

Chiefs 14-3 = 82% win percentage
Bills 13-3 = 81% wp