No doubt about the worst sight in sport in this year so far – the collapse of American football star Damar Hamlin during Monday’s match between Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals stunned the many millions who witnessed it live on prime-time television.
As the medical team fought to save his life on the pitch, it was immediately clear that he had suffered a cardiac arrest. Thankfully medical staff managed to get his heart re-started and at the time of writing, Hamlin is still in intensive care and in a critical condition. We can only hope that the 24-year-old has not suffered too much damage to his heart, and he will make a full recovery as soon as possible.
American Football is a truly dangerous sport, and I am just surprised that many more such near-fatal incidents do not occur during the National Football League (NFL) season. In the entire history of the NFL, only one player, Chuck Hughes of the Detroit Lions, has died on the field of play when he collapsed with a massive heart attack while playing against the Chicago Bears back in the early 70’s.
