I wasn't watching the game but I was following the score online. I heard
about the injury and tuned in then. Since then it's been hard to stop
thinking about it. I was living in Boston when Darryl Stingley was
injured and saw the replay many times. At the time that was the worse
thing I had ever seen in sports, but the injury to Hamlin was so much
worse. It's almost unthinkable that that could happen.

--Robin

On Tuesday, January 3, 2023 at 5:37:17 PM UTC-8, Robin Miller wrote:
> I wasn't watching the game but I was following the score online. I heard
> about the injury and tuned in then. Since then it's been hard to stop
> thinking about it. I was living in Boston when Darryl Stingley was
> injured and saw the replay many times. At the time that was the worse
> thing I had ever seen in sports, but the injury to Hamlin was so much
> worse. It's almost unthinkable that that could happen.
>
> --Robin

I remember hearing about the Stingley injury but it was when I was too young to watch football. The closest comparison I can remember was when Mike Utley of the Lions got paralyzed on a freak accident of a play, but even that paled to last night's devastating news. Even the Parham injury against KC last year which was one of the scariest things I've ever seen doesn't come close.

I saw where his uncle said a half hour or so ago that he's half breathing on his own (50% respirator instead of the 100% it was last night) which seems like a positive development, praying for Hamlin to recover.

Really pissed at the NFL, they were going to have the teams resume play after a five minute warm up. Luckily the coaches - Zac Taylor of the Bengals and Sean McDermott of the Bills - stepped in and said no. Canceling the game was the right move.

Michael

phlash74 wrote:
> On Tuesday, January 3, 2023 at 5:37:17 PM UTC-8, Robin Miller wrote:
>> I wasn't watching the game but I was following the score online. I heard
>> about the injury and tuned in then. Since then it's been hard to stop
>> thinking about it. I was living in Boston when Darryl Stingley was
>> injured and saw the replay many times. At the time that was the worse
>> thing I had ever seen in sports, but the injury to Hamlin was so much
>> worse. It's almost unthinkable that that could happen.
>>
>> --Robin
>
> I remember hearing about the Stingley injury but it was when I was too young to watch football. The closest comparison I can remember was when Mike Utley of the Lions got paralyzed on a freak accident of a play, but even that paled to last night's devastating news. Even the Parham injury against KC last year which was one of the scariest things I've ever seen doesn't come close.
>
> I saw where his uncle said a half hour or so ago that he's half breathing on his own (50% respirator instead of the 100% it was last night) which seems like a positive development, praying for Hamlin to recover.
>
> Really pissed at the NFL, they were going to have the teams resume play after a five minute warm up. Luckily the coaches - Zac Taylor of the Bengals and Sean McDermott of the Bills - stepped in and said no. Canceling the game was the right move.
>
> Michael
>

I think the NFL is denying the five minute warning story, but who knows?
For sure I don't trust them to make the right decision.

That said, how is this season going to finish? They have this game to
figure out, then the Ravens-Bengals game on Sunday (?) to schedule.
Buffalo is already scheduled to play the Patriots at 1 pm on Sunday, so
that team will have to be ready to go even if Hamlin's status isn't
clear yet. What a mess.

--Robin

On Tuesday, January 3, 2023 at 8:06:47 PM UTC-8, Robin Miller wrote:
> phlash74 wrote:
> > On Tuesday, January 3, 2023 at 5:37:17 PM UTC-8, Robin Miller wrote:
> >> I wasn't watching the game but I was following the score online. I heard
> >> about the injury and tuned in then. Since then it's been hard to stop
> >> thinking about it. I was living in Boston when Darryl Stingley was
> >> injured and saw the replay many times. At the time that was the worse
> >> thing I had ever seen in sports, but the injury to Hamlin was so much
> >> worse. It's almost unthinkable that that could happen.
> >>
> >> --Robin
> >
> > I remember hearing about the Stingley injury but it was when I was too young to watch football. The closest comparison I can remember was when Mike Utley of the Lions got paralyzed on a freak accident of a play, but even that paled to last night's devastating news. Even the Parham injury against KC last year which was one of the scariest things I've ever seen doesn't come close.
> >
> > I saw where his uncle said a half hour or so ago that he's half breathing on his own (50% respirator instead of the 100% it was last night) which seems like a positive development, praying for Hamlin to recover.
> >
> > Really pissed at the NFL, they were going to have the teams resume play after a five minute warm up. Luckily the coaches - Zac Taylor of the Bengals and Sean McDermott of the Bills - stepped in and said no. Canceling the game was the right move.
> >
> > Michael
> >
> I think the NFL is denying the five minute warning story, but who knows?
> For sure I don't trust them to make the right decision.
>
> That said, how is this season going to finish? They have this game to
> figure out, then the Ravens-Bengals game on Sunday (?) to schedule.
> Buffalo is already scheduled to play the Patriots at 1 pm on Sunday, so
> that team will have to be ready to go even if Hamlin's status isn't
> clear yet. What a mess.
>
> --Robin

I honestly think the best solution is just cancel the game (or declare it a tie), play this weekend's games as scheduled (Ravens at 1pm since this proposal would clinch the division title for Cinci), and then determine seedings based on the winning percentage with the Bills and Bengals having 16 games to everyone else's 17. If it was earlier in the season you might be able to shuffle some bye weeks around and make the game up but I don't see any way of squeezing this into the schedule now without putting these two teams that already went through a traumatic experience at a severe disadvantage heading into the playoffs.

Michael

On Tuesday, January 3, 2023 at 8:06:47 PM UTC-8, Robin Miller wrote:
> phlash74 wrote:
> > On Tuesday, January 3, 2023 at 5:37:17 PM UTC-8, Robin Miller wrote:
> >> I wasn't watching the game but I was following the score online. I heard
> >> about the injury and tuned in then. Since then it's been hard to stop
> >> thinking about it. I was living in Boston when Darryl Stingley was
> >> injured and saw the replay many times. At the time that was the worse
> >> thing I had ever seen in sports, but the injury to Hamlin was so much
> >> worse. It's almost unthinkable that that could happen.
> >>
> >> --Robin
> >
> > I remember hearing about the Stingley injury but it was when I was too young to watch football. The closest comparison I can remember was when Mike Utley of the Lions got paralyzed on a freak accident of a play, but even that paled to last night's devastating news. Even the Parham injury against KC last year which was one of the scariest things I've ever seen doesn't come close.
> >
> > I saw where his uncle said a half hour or so ago that he's half breathing on his own (50% respirator instead of the 100% it was last night) which seems like a positive development, praying for Hamlin to recover.
> >
> > Really pissed at the NFL, they were going to have the teams resume play after a five minute warm up. Luckily the coaches - Zac Taylor of the Bengals and Sean McDermott of the Bills - stepped in and said no. Canceling the game was the right move.
> >
> > Michael
> >
> I think the NFL is denying the five minute warning story, but who knows?
> For sure I don't trust them to make the right decision.
>
> That said, how is this season going to finish? They have this game to
> figure out, then the Ravens-Bengals game on Sunday (?) to schedule.
> Buffalo is already scheduled to play the Patriots at 1 pm on Sunday, so
> that team will have to be ready to go even if Hamlin's status isn't
> clear yet. What a mess.
>
> --Robin

Oh and I don't buy the NFL's denials for a second. Joe Buck repeated several times that the info about the 5 minute delay came from the league, and it was also reported on ESPN Deportes and by the NFL Network's own Rich Eisen.. The most charitable interpretation is that a league official informed the broadcasters based on some standard protocol for injuries that require an ambulance on the field, and that the commissioner and anyone else with the authority to cancel the game wasn't fully informed of the severity of the situation when that information was relayed.

Michael

phlash74 wrote:
> On Tuesday, January 3, 2023 at 8:06:47 PM UTC-8, Robin Miller wrote:
>> phlash74 wrote:
>>> On Tuesday, January 3, 2023 at 5:37:17 PM UTC-8, Robin Miller wrote:
>>>> I wasn't watching the game but I was following the score online. I heard
>>>> about the injury and tuned in then. Since then it's been hard to stop
>>>> thinking about it. I was living in Boston when Darryl Stingley was
>>>> injured and saw the replay many times. At the time that was the worse
>>>> thing I had ever seen in sports, but the injury to Hamlin was so much
>>>> worse. It's almost unthinkable that that could happen.
>>>>
>>>> --Robin
>>>
>>> I remember hearing about the Stingley injury but it was when I was too young to watch football. The closest comparison I can remember was when Mike Utley of the Lions got paralyzed on a freak accident of a play, but even that paled to last night's devastating news. Even the Parham injury against KC last year which was one of the scariest things I've ever seen doesn't come close.
>>>
>>> I saw where his uncle said a half hour or so ago that he's half breathing on his own (50% respirator instead of the 100% it was last night) which seems like a positive development, praying for Hamlin to recover.
>>>
>>> Really pissed at the NFL, they were going to have the teams resume play after a five minute warm up. Luckily the coaches - Zac Taylor of the Bengals and Sean McDermott of the Bills - stepped in and said no. Canceling the game was the right move.
>>>
>>> Michael
>>>
>> I think the NFL is denying the five minute warning story, but who knows?
>> For sure I don't trust them to make the right decision.
>>
>> That said, how is this season going to finish? They have this game to
>> figure out, then the Ravens-Bengals game on Sunday (?) to schedule.
>> Buffalo is already scheduled to play the Patriots at 1 pm on Sunday, so
>> that team will have to be ready to go even if Hamlin's status isn't
>> clear yet. What a mess.
>>
>> --Robin
>
> I honestly think the best solution is just cancel the game (or declare it a tie), play this weekend's games as scheduled (Ravens at 1pm since this proposal would clinch the division title for Cinci), and then determine seedings based on the winning percentage with the Bills and Bengals having 16 games to everyone else's 17. If it was earlier in the season you might be able to shuffle some bye weeks around and make the game up but I don't see any way of squeezing this into the schedule now without putting these two teams that already went through a traumatic experience at a severe disadvantage heading into the playoffs.
>
> Michael
>

I agree with all of this, but the league hasn't issued a decision yet.
The only alternative, I think, is to complete the Bills-Bengals game
next weekend and start the playoffs the following weekend, then skip the
Pro Bowl week before the Superbowl, which would be fine with me. That
would give the other teams an extra week before the playoffs start.

--Robin

Robin Miller wrote:
> phlash74 wrote:
>> On Tuesday, January 3, 2023 at 8:06:47 PM UTC-8, Robin Miller wrote:
>>> phlash74 wrote:
>>>> On Tuesday, January 3, 2023 at 5:37:17 PM UTC-8, Robin Miller wrote:
>>>>> I wasn't watching the game but I was following the score online. I
>>>>> heard
>>>>> about the injury and tuned in then. Since then it's been hard to stop
>>>>> thinking about it. I was living in Boston when Darryl Stingley was
>>>>> injured and saw the replay many times. At the time that was the worse
>>>>> thing I had ever seen in sports, but the injury to Hamlin was so much
>>>>> worse. It's almost unthinkable that that could happen.
>>>>>
>>>>> --Robin
>>>>
>>>> I remember hearing about the Stingley injury but it was when I was
>>>> too young to watch football. The closest comparison I can remember
>>>> was when Mike Utley of the Lions got paralyzed on a freak accident
>>>> of a play, but even that paled to last night's devastating news.
>>>> Even the Parham injury against KC last year which was one of the
>>>> scariest things I've ever seen doesn't come close.
>>>>
>>>> I saw where his uncle said a half hour or so ago that he's half
>>>> breathing on his own (50% respirator instead of the 100% it was last
>>>> night) which seems like a positive development, praying for Hamlin
>>>> to recover.
>>>>
>>>> Really pissed at the NFL, they were going to have the teams resume
>>>> play after a five minute warm up. Luckily the coaches - Zac Taylor
>>>> of the Bengals and Sean McDermott of the Bills - stepped in and said
>>>> no. Canceling the game was the right move.
>>>>
>>>> Michael
>>>>
>>> I think the NFL is denying the five minute warning story, but who knows?
>>> For sure I don't trust them to make the right decision.
>>>
>>> That said, how is this season going to finish? They have this game to
>>> figure out, then the Ravens-Bengals game on Sunday (?) to schedule.
>>> Buffalo is already scheduled to play the Patriots at 1 pm on Sunday, so
>>> that team will have to be ready to go even if Hamlin's status isn't
>>> clear yet. What a mess.
>>>
>>> --Robin
>>
>> I honestly think the best solution is just cancel the game (or declare
>> it a tie), play this weekend's games as scheduled (Ravens at 1pm since
>> this proposal would clinch the division title for Cinci), and then
>> determine seedings based on the winning percentage with the Bills and
>> Bengals having 16 games to everyone else's 17. If it was earlier in
>> the season you might be able to shuffle some bye weeks around and make
>> the game up but I don't see any way of squeezing this into the
>> schedule now without putting these two teams that already went through
>> a traumatic experience at a severe disadvantage heading into the
>> playoffs.
>>
>> Michael
>>
>
>
> I agree with all of this, but the league hasn't issued a decision yet.
> The only alternative, I think, is to complete the Bills-Bengals game
> next weekend and start the playoffs the following weekend, then skip the
> Pro Bowl week before the Superbowl, which would be fine with me. That
> would give the other teams an extra week before the playoffs start.
>
> --Robin
>
>
>

Copied from another discussion group:

Here's an out of the box idea being floated, which, according to Mike
Florio at PFT, is gaining traction..

Play week 18 games as scheduled.

The first weekend of the post-season, only hold the NFC playoff games
and the Bills-Bengals.

2nd weekend of the post-season, play the first round of the AFC playoff
games. (But no NFC games.)

Then continue to the divisional round and championship games per normal,
with only a week between the championships and the Super Bowl.

Under this scenario:

Every AFC team would get a bye week (except Bills/Bengals).
The NFC winners of the first round would get a week off.
The NFC No. 1 seed would get three weeks off.
If the Chiefs end up with the AFC No. 1 seed, they would get three weeks
off.

--Robin

On Wednesday, January 4, 2023 at 11:37:13 AM UTC-8, Robin Miller wrote:
> Robin Miller wrote:
> > phlash74 wrote:
> >> On Tuesday, January 3, 2023 at 8:06:47 PM UTC-8, Robin Miller wrote:
> >>> phlash74 wrote:
> >>>> On Tuesday, January 3, 2023 at 5:37:17 PM UTC-8, Robin Miller wrote:
> >>>>> I wasn't watching the game but I was following the score online. I
> >>>>> heard
> >>>>> about the injury and tuned in then. Since then it's been hard to stop
> >>>>> thinking about it. I was living in Boston when Darryl Stingley was
> >>>>> injured and saw the replay many times. At the time that was the worse
> >>>>> thing I had ever seen in sports, but the injury to Hamlin was so much
> >>>>> worse. It's almost unthinkable that that could happen.
> >>>>>
> >>>>> --Robin
> >>>>
> >>>> I remember hearing about the Stingley injury but it was when I was
> >>>> too young to watch football. The closest comparison I can remember
> >>>> was when Mike Utley of the Lions got paralyzed on a freak accident
> >>>> of a play, but even that paled to last night's devastating news.
> >>>> Even the Parham injury against KC last year which was one of the
> >>>> scariest things I've ever seen doesn't come close.
> >>>>
> >>>> I saw where his uncle said a half hour or so ago that he's half
> >>>> breathing on his own (50% respirator instead of the 100% it was last
> >>>> night) which seems like a positive development, praying for Hamlin
> >>>> to recover.
> >>>>
> >>>> Really pissed at the NFL, they were going to have the teams resume
> >>>> play after a five minute warm up. Luckily the coaches - Zac Taylor
> >>>> of the Bengals and Sean McDermott of the Bills - stepped in and said
> >>>> no. Canceling the game was the right move.
> >>>>
> >>>> Michael
> >>>>
> >>> I think the NFL is denying the five minute warning story, but who knows?
> >>> For sure I don't trust them to make the right decision.
> >>>
> >>> That said, how is this season going to finish? They have this game to
> >>> figure out, then the Ravens-Bengals game on Sunday (?) to schedule.
> >>> Buffalo is already scheduled to play the Patriots at 1 pm on Sunday, so
> >>> that team will have to be ready to go even if Hamlin's status isn't
> >>> clear yet. What a mess.
> >>>
> >>> --Robin
> >>
> >> I honestly think the best solution is just cancel the game (or declare
> >> it a tie), play this weekend's games as scheduled (Ravens at 1pm since
> >> this proposal would clinch the division title for Cinci), and then
> >> determine seedings based on the winning percentage with the Bills and
> >> Bengals having 16 games to everyone else's 17. If it was earlier in
> >> the season you might be able to shuffle some bye weeks around and make
> >> the game up but I don't see any way of squeezing this into the
> >> schedule now without putting these two teams that already went through
> >> a traumatic experience at a severe disadvantage heading into the
> >> playoffs.
> >>
> >> Michael
> >>
> >
> >
> > I agree with all of this, but the league hasn't issued a decision yet.
> > The only alternative, I think, is to complete the Bills-Bengals game
> > next weekend and start the playoffs the following weekend, then skip the
> > Pro Bowl week before the Superbowl, which would be fine with me. That
> > would give the other teams an extra week before the playoffs start.
> >
> > --Robin
> >
> >
> >
> Copied from another discussion group:
>
>
>
> Here's an out of the box idea being floated, which, according to Mike
> Florio at PFT, is gaining traction..
>
> Play week 18 games as scheduled.
>
> The first weekend of the post-season, only hold the NFC playoff games
> and the Bills-Bengals.
>
> 2nd weekend of the post-season, play the first round of the AFC playoff
> games. (But no NFC games.)
>
> Then continue to the divisional round and championship games per normal,
> with only a week between the championships and the Super Bowl.
>
> Under this scenario:
>
> Every AFC team would get a bye week (except Bills/Bengals).
> The NFC winners of the first round would get a week off.
> The NFC No. 1 seed would get three weeks off.
> If the Chiefs end up with the AFC No. 1 seed, they would get three weeks
> off.
>
>
>
> --Robin

That's one of the worst ideas I've ever heard. I can't imagine either the eventual NFC top seed or the Chiefs (assuming they beat the Raiders) wanting two weeks off. And like I said it would be unfair to the Bills and Bengals for every other AFC playoff team to get a bye.

I did see one response somewhere that if they do go with this cockamamie plan, the Bills and Bengals should get together before their week 19 game and both agree that they're just gonna kneel on the ball every time and end it in a 0-0 tie.

Michael

>> >> I honestly think the best solution is just cancel the game

I don't understand what's taking so long to do the obvious.

The league already planned for the situation where different teams
play different numbers of games, when covid hit. They don't even have
anything to figure out.

phlash74 wrote:
> On Wednesday, January 4, 2023 at 11:37:13 AM UTC-8, Robin Miller wrote:
>> Robin Miller wrote:
>>> phlash74 wrote:
>>>> On Tuesday, January 3, 2023 at 8:06:47 PM UTC-8, Robin Miller wrote:
>>>>> phlash74 wrote:
>>>>>> On Tuesday, January 3, 2023 at 5:37:17 PM UTC-8, Robin Miller wrote:
>>>>>>> I wasn't watching the game but I was following the score online. I
>>>>>>> heard
>>>>>>> about the injury and tuned in then. Since then it's been hard to stop
>>>>>>> thinking about it. I was living in Boston when Darryl Stingley was
>>>>>>> injured and saw the replay many times. At the time that was the worse
>>>>>>> thing I had ever seen in sports, but the injury to Hamlin was so much
>>>>>>> worse. It's almost unthinkable that that could happen.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> --Robin
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I remember hearing about the Stingley injury but it was when I was
>>>>>> too young to watch football. The closest comparison I can remember
>>>>>> was when Mike Utley of the Lions got paralyzed on a freak accident
>>>>>> of a play, but even that paled to last night's devastating news.
>>>>>> Even the Parham injury against KC last year which was one of the
>>>>>> scariest things I've ever seen doesn't come close.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I saw where his uncle said a half hour or so ago that he's half
>>>>>> breathing on his own (50% respirator instead of the 100% it was last
>>>>>> night) which seems like a positive development, praying for Hamlin
>>>>>> to recover.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Really pissed at the NFL, they were going to have the teams resume
>>>>>> play after a five minute warm up. Luckily the coaches - Zac Taylor
>>>>>> of the Bengals and Sean McDermott of the Bills - stepped in and said
>>>>>> no. Canceling the game was the right move.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Michael
>>>>>>
>>>>> I think the NFL is denying the five minute warning story, but who knows?
>>>>> For sure I don't trust them to make the right decision.
>>>>>
>>>>> That said, how is this season going to finish? They have this game to
>>>>> figure out, then the Ravens-Bengals game on Sunday (?) to schedule.
>>>>> Buffalo is already scheduled to play the Patriots at 1 pm on Sunday, so
>>>>> that team will have to be ready to go even if Hamlin's status isn't
>>>>> clear yet. What a mess.
>>>>>
>>>>> --Robin
>>>>
>>>> I honestly think the best solution is just cancel the game (or declare
>>>> it a tie), play this weekend's games as scheduled (Ravens at 1pm since
>>>> this proposal would clinch the division title for Cinci), and then
>>>> determine seedings based on the winning percentage with the Bills and
>>>> Bengals having 16 games to everyone else's 17. If it was earlier in
>>>> the season you might be able to shuffle some bye weeks around and make
>>>> the game up but I don't see any way of squeezing this into the
>>>> schedule now without putting these two teams that already went through
>>>> a traumatic experience at a severe disadvantage heading into the
>>>> playoffs.
>>>>
>>>> Michael
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> I agree with all of this, but the league hasn't issued a decision yet.
>>> The only alternative, I think, is to complete the Bills-Bengals game
>>> next weekend and start the playoffs the following weekend, then skip the
>>> Pro Bowl week before the Superbowl, which would be fine with me. That
>>> would give the other teams an extra week before the playoffs start.
>>>
>>> --Robin
>>>
>>>
>>>
>> Copied from another discussion group:
>>
>>
>>
>> Here's an out of the box idea being floated, which, according to Mike
>> Florio at PFT, is gaining traction..
>>
>> Play week 18 games as scheduled.
>>
>> The first weekend of the post-season, only hold the NFC playoff games
>> and the Bills-Bengals.
>>
>> 2nd weekend of the post-season, play the first round of the AFC playoff
>> games. (But no NFC games.)
>>
>> Then continue to the divisional round and championship games per normal,
>> with only a week between the championships and the Super Bowl.
>>
>> Under this scenario:
>>
>> Every AFC team would get a bye week (except Bills/Bengals).
>> The NFC winners of the first round would get a week off.
>> The NFC No. 1 seed would get three weeks off.
>> If the Chiefs end up with the AFC No. 1 seed, they would get three weeks
>> off.
>>
>>
>>
>> --Robin
>
> That's one of the worst ideas I've ever heard. I can't imagine either the eventual NFC top seed or the Chiefs (assuming they beat the Raiders) wanting two weeks off. And like I said it would be unfair to the Bills and Bengals for every other AFC playoff team to get a bye.
>
> I did see one response somewhere that if they do go with this cockamamie plan, the Bills and Bengals should get together before their week 19 game and both agree that they're just gonna kneel on the ball every time and end it in a 0-0 tie.
>
> Michael
>

I actually like this idea, as it would allow all games to be played and
it would give Slater an additional week to recover before the Chargers'
first playoff game.

It's probably not going to happen, though.

BTW, if the Bills-Bengals game was continued, it was 7-3 when it was
postponed. If the teams did indeed "kneel on the ball every time," it
would finish 7-3. If they play the game, they're not going to start it
from the beginning, they will pick up where they left off.

--Robin