Quote:
Originally Posted by emaw1979
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.
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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.