I freely admit I'm not much of a football fan these days, but I did tune in to the MNF game featuring the Buffalo Bills and the Cincinnati Bengals as there was little else on TV that interested me. I saw the play which resulted in Damar Hamlin's injury and was shocked when he collapsed on the field with an apparent injury. I tuned out for a few minutes and was again shocked when I found the game had been suspended and the injury was life threatening.
Having watched the NFL since the mid-1960s I don't recall a single instance of a player's injury halting play for more than a few minutes. Even paralyzing injuries were treated as momentary inconveniences. The league's motto may as well have been "the show must go on". The crowd in Cincinnati certainly seemed to think play would be resumed. The players reaction to Hamlin's injury has indeed overshadowed the injury itself.
This is certainly the NFL's worst nightmare. How many concerned mothers and fathers will prevent their sons from playing a violent sport in the future? How many fans will switch to watching other sports and give football a pass?
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