What a day yesterday was shaping up to be.  Tulane gave all of us a shot of adrenaline going into the afternoon by upsetting the Trojans in the Cotton Bowl.  The sports universe was going wild on Twitter after Tulane’s miraculous comeback. 

         Fast forward to the afternoon slate of events, and Penn State was keeping the good times rolling with their performance against the Utes.

         Personally, Patty and I were celebrating the Tulane victory and took that energy down to Mid-City Yacht Club to catch the Pelicans game.  It was a close game throughout, and the entire place was hooked.

         Sports had won the day, without a doubt.  Yesterday, from morning to afternoon, sports were all that mattered.

         Until they didn’t.

         During the first quarter of the Sunday Night Football game between the Bills and Bengals, Bills safety Damar Hamlin collapsed on the field after a hit to the chest.  Suddenly, sports no longer mattered.  Damar Hamlin, a human being, mattered.

         Never, in my 29 years of life, have I witnessed anything like what happened last night.  At the bar, the Pelicans’ game seemed to fade into the background as everyone franticly scrolled Twitter to see what was going on.  On Twitter, everyone was overcome with a sense of panic and concern.  Fear set in for all of us.  A fear that we had just witnessed something that I don’t think anyone ACTUALLY thought would ever happen.  A fear that we had seen a young man, 24 years old, lose his life on the field.  And in a way, we did.

         Damar made what seemed like a relatively routine tackle on Bengals’ wide receiver Tee Higgins.  However, he took a hit directly to the chest.  He stood up immediately after the tackle was made, but the blow to the chest caused him to go into cardiac arrest and collapse.  We saw a young man’s heart stop beating and collapse on national television.  Players were visibly distraught on the field.  Reporters, announcers, and analysts were emotionally shaken. 

         No one knew how to react, and how could they?  How could WE as fans?  We’ve never seen anything like this before.  I found myself questioning everything I’ve felt about football my entire life.  I love football.  Like many others, the speed, the athleticism, and if we’re being honest, the violence made me fall in love with the sport. 

 As terrible as it may sound, we usually see any number of injuries and scary collisions take place, and we just move on like they didn’t happen.  Like I’ve heard many current and former players say today during their reactions, I know the risks involved with football, and I understand what I might witness while I watch the games.  At least I thought I knew the risks. 

 I never in my life thought I would see what I saw last night.  I think, deep down, we all knew it was possible for someone to die on the field, but I don’t think any of us thought we would ever see it.  And to add to that, if we ever did see it, we didn’t think it would look like THAT.  Personally, I imagined it would look much more violent, and I think that is what is what is causing me to struggle with this.  Damar’s tackle seemed so routine.  We see that tackle THOUSANDS of times every week.  For that to be the type of play that caused such a tragic event just doesn’t make sense. 

         Damar is a son which caused me to think about my own son.  I’ve always dreamed of seeing my son play football as he grows up.  But now… I don’t know if that’s something I want.  One simple play has made me question all of it.  I can’t imagine how Damar’s mother is feeling right now, and I wouldn’t wish what she’s feeling on anyone. 

Where do we go from here?  Of course, next week will come around, and we will all be glued to our TVs again watching next Sunday’s slate of games.  But how will it affect how we view the sport now?  How will it affect the players on the field? After such a routine play, will they be able to make plays without being hesitant and having what happened to Damar in the back of their heads?  How will it affect the future of the sport?  Will any rule changes come from this?  Will the talent level drop because parents don’t want their children to play anymore?  We are left with so many questions about the sport, but as I mentioned to start this article, none of it matters.  All that matters is Damar Hamlin, his family, his friends, and Tee Higgins.  I don’t want to leave him out because I imagine he is struggling himself today.

Last we heard, Damar’s vitals were back to normal, but he remains in critical condition with a breathing tube.  I’ll be the first to admit that I didn’t know who Damar Hamlin was before last night, but from everything I’ve heard and read since, he seems like a wonderful human being with a beautiful soul.  I can only hope and pray that he is able to pull through this and continue to live his life as he did before.  I’m sure he would want nothing more than to continue to make the impact he was on and off the field.  My family, my friends, the entire team here at The Kneaux, and myself, are sending all the thoughts and prayers we can to everyone impacted by last night’s tragedy.

 You’ll get through this Damar.  The entire world is pulling for you.

It’s been shared by those close to Damar that he had started a GoFundMe as a hometown toy drive for kids.  So, I wanted to share the link here.  Please donate if you’re able to. 

https://www.gofundme.com/f/mxksc-the-chasing-ms-foundation-community-toy-drive