Buffalo Bills Damar Hamlin with his helmet off before playing the Los Angeles Rams during an NFL football game, Sept. 8, 2021, in Inglewood, Calif. The scenes of Hamlin's on-field collapse after suffering cardiac arrest on Monday, Jan. 2, 2023, has forced some fans to yet again confront a truth they have always known but hated to think about: Football can go from exciting and joyous to dark and tragic in a flash. Now, as the Bills defensive back remains in critical condition in a Cincinnati hospital, fans are reflecting on their relationship with the sport they love. (AP Photo/John McCoy, File)
It has been a harrowing week for the friends, family, and fans of the Buffalo Bills defensive back Damar Hamlin after his terrifying on-field collapse on Monday. But the footballer continues to fight his way back and is now breathing on his own.
Doctors removed Hamlin's breathing tube overnight following earlier reports of progress indicating he seemed to be neurologically sound after having to be resuscitated twice.
Since having the tube removed, Hamlin has spoken with family members and even attended a team meeting, according to a Bills tweet, via FaceTime where he told his fellow players, "Love you boys."
On Thursday, it was reported that one of his first questions after waking up was who won the game between the Cincinnati Bengals and his Buffalo Bills. While doctors had replied that he "won the game of life," the NFL made the official decision to not resume the game and ultimately canceled it.
The cancellation has some potential ramifications on the NFL playoffs. While the move won't impact either the Bills or Bengals postseason chances, the AFC Championship game will be played at a neutral site "If the participating teams played an unequal number of games and both could have been the number one seed and hosted the game had all AFC clubs played a full 17-game regular season," according to the league's statement.
Frank Zaccanelli, a former owner of the NBA's Dallas Mavericks, says the NFL's decision to adopt a new policy on the national anthem without consulting the NFL Players Association was, "one of the dumbest things I've ever heard."
Former ESPN anchor Bram Weinstein says that, while players may not strike because of the league's new policy, there will likely be some kind of response.
"Your Call Football" allows viewers at home to pick their favorite of three pre-selected plays while a real game takes place. The two-team league ends its first three-game season on Thursday night.
After the Supreme Court lifted the ban on sports gambling this week, the National Hockey League said it wasn't changing its rules against the practice. And teams won't act until the league decides to do something, says the L.A. Kings' chief operating officer, Kelly Cheeseman.
The Seattle City Council passed a new law that will require companies making more than $20 million a year to pay a 'head tax.' Amazon and other Seattle-based companies will pay a tax of 14 cents per employee per hour worked, which comes out to roughly $275 per employee each year. The tax will raise money for affordable housing since home prices have risen recently in Seattle. In response, Amazon's vice president said this move "forces us to question our growth here." A Starbucks exec criticized the city for spending "without reforming and fail[ing] without accountability."
A number of top Tesla executives have left the company in the past few months. Aaron Cole, managing editor at Motor Authority, joins us to discuss whether investors should be worried that this 'drain brain' will have negative consequences for the electric carmaker. The company is ramping up production to meet its ambitious Model 3 targets.
Cheddar's Brad Smith speaks with Joe Gibbs, Pro Football Hall of Famer and owner of Joe Gibbs Racing, at a special event outside the New York Stock Exchange celebrating Stanley Black & Decker's 175th anniversary. Gibbs talks about how NASCAR is focusing on expanding its digital outreach to reach a younger audience. He also weighs in on the Supreme Court's decision to reverse a ban on sports gambling.
The car racing organization's biggest focus now is trying to reach millennials by adjusting how the sport can be consumed, says Joe Gibbs, owner of a NASCAR racing team and a former NFL coach.
Increased interest in the Overwatch League could push franchise fees as high as $100 million in the future, says eSports expert Rod Breslau, better known as "Slasher." The League is currently wrapping up its first season and the Grand Finals are scheduled to kick off at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY, on July 27.
The former WNBA player was the first woman to be an assistant coach in the NBA, and she interviewed this week to be the head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks. She may not get this job, says James Yoder of Chat Sports, but "maybe one or two seasons, she will end up landing an NBA coaching job," he says.
Cody Garbrandt, who became the UFC Bantamweight champion in December, says he was inspired by Maddux Maple, his 11-year-old friend who survived a battle with cancer.
