Skip Bayless drew heavy scrutiny on social media Monday night following a questionable tweet shared in the aftermath of Bills safety Damar Hamlin’s frightening injury during the Bills-Bengals matchup on Monday Night Football.
Hamlin, 24, collapsed on the field after making a tackle on Bengals receiver Tee Higgins in the first quarter, and was eventually taken away in an ambulance after being administered CPR as he lay on the ground for several minutes. MNF was temporarily suspended before NFL commissioner Roger Goodell ultimately decided to postpone the contest.
During the initial moments following the injury, Bayless shared two tweets acknowledging that he said a prayer for Hamlin and his family and the emotional reaction of both Bills and Bengals players on the field. The longtime sports personality then tweeted an ill-timed message regarding his thoughts on the possible postponement of the high-stakes matchup.
“No doubt the NFL is considering postponing the rest of this game – but how? This late in the season, a game of this magnitude is crucial to the regular-season outcome … which suddenly seems so irrelevant,” Bayless wrote.
Nearly an hour later, Bayless, who has dealt with his share of controversy throughout his career, attempted to clarify the seemingly tone deaf tweet with another wave of backlash. Bayless reiterated that Hamlin’s health remains more important than anything else at this time before apologizing for the tweet.
“Nothing is more important than that young man’s health. That was the point of my last tweet,” said Bayless. “I’m sorry if that was misunderstood, but his health is all that matters. Again, everything else is irrelevant. I prayed for him & will continue to.”
The NFL community has sent waves of thoughts and prayers to Hamlin while NFL fans showed their support by donating to the safety’s charity in the aftermath of the injury. According to the latest update from the NFL, Hamlin is currently listed in critical condition.
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