(01-05-2023, 10:36 AM)michaelsean Wrote: Yeah but it's not exactly an accurate statement any more than it is for you or me.  A torn ACL?  Yes.  This?  No not really.

I have no idea what you’re talking about. I’m simply proud that my QB went around the locker room and told his teammates what they mean to him. That’s it.

Tomorrow is not guaranteed for anyone, and I think most of us forget that far too often.

(01-05-2023, 03:21 AM)WhoDey Hooligan Wrote: Coming from a Soldier that has been to war, I’ve always had a hard time when I’d hear players say they’re going to war. At the risk of being insensitive, I’ve been saying these last couple of days that the Military, first responders, and really any hard working American in almost any profession doesn’t have the ability to hit the pause button like they did Monday. Soldiers not only have to move on, they have to be better than they were before their brother/sister fell. They don’t have a choice and they are paid a small fraction of what professional football players are paid. I’m not saying they should have to play and I’m not saying what they did Monday is wrong, but I’m saying that we have true heroes in this country that truly lay it all on the line everyday for a fraction of the pay. I guess the Army has calloused me to this kind of situation and it was difficult for me to understand the response (rather the lack thereof) by the media for almost 24hrs. EVERYONE was afraid to talk about what could/should happen next. Each time someone started talking it always started with “of course first and foremost we are worried about the player.”  I was worried about the player, but the side of me that knows a job still has to be done is saying what happens next. It’s ok to talk about it.

This opened a whole can of worms. Games will be stopped more now. Especially when a team benefits from it...

(01-05-2023, 11:04 AM)KillerGoose Wrote: I think Murdock's comment was off base. You're not an insensitive prick. I would venture to say that you developed that way as a coping mechanism. You had no other choice than to continue doing your job. You didn't have the ability to mourn and process in a healthy manner because someone else's life could be on the line in the next 30 minutes. I've heard about tenured doctors saying that "a death becomes another number at some point". I'm not sure how true it is, but someone who sees death and tragedy often probably develops this way out of necessity. 

I also don't think it is fair to call them soft. Not everyone has that coping mechanism. If you and I were out and about and we came across a tragic scene, maybe a horrific car accident, it would probably really affect me but you may not bat an eye. I've never seen anything like that in person - you have. I just haven't learned how to process it, but I would argue that it doesn't make me a soft person. Calling them "soft" may be insensitive, but I don't think you're doing it out of malice. Your experiences have shifted your perspective and hardened you. You have different expectations, but there are cases where those expectations may be too harsh or unrealistic. 

You're probably right.... but it rubbed me the wrong way when they constantly talk about how close the team is and how they play for each other, and now there are some players saying they may not want to play Sunday. How is that being there for their teammates who are going to take the field? It's one thing if it's a relative or close friend, but outside of Boyd and Adomitis, and maybe a couple of others, I would bet no one else on the Bengals roster even knows Hamlin. If they can't process and work through watching him go down, especially knowing he is still alive, and be ready to go 7 days later, then maybe they do need to toughen up a little. "The train keeps rolling" is something we used to say at work, but it's true, the world does not stop while you process things. It's going on down the track with or without you. It's probably a moot point anyway, as after reflecting on what he said, I think one of the posters who said they were just "saying the right things" and would play on Sunday was correct. I suspect they will all be out there. 

I get 3 days to process an incident if I need it. That’s enough time, IMHO. These guys aren’t first responders and can’t be expected to behave as such, but life goes on as well.

Goodell needs to show some leadership soon. Make an announcement as to the plans for resumption or cancellation, or plans for figuring out if it will be played based on this weekend’s results. Or announce a date for when they will have it figured out. Jeez, something.

Goodell is a coward. Dude's all about getting his picture taken with draft picks and that's it.

Agreed, Goodell is making things 1000 times worse by dithering about keeping everything up in the air. If the xoward would announce a plan, players could start moving forward. Uncertainty breeds uncertainty.

Yeah, the longer Goodell stays in hiding and doesn't at least update on the decision-making process, the worse it is for everybody involved, including all the other teams (not Bills or Bengals) whose playoff seeding is impacted by this game.

Agreed, the NFL needs to give some sort of indication as to what they want to do here. They can explain there is fluidity to the situation, people understand that, but the rest of the league needs an idea to work with.

Guess it is possible the League have informed teams of their preferred way of going ahead, but just haven't briefed the press. But I'm sure somebody would've leaked something by now.

(01-04-2023, 10:04 PM)Sled21 Wrote: Sorry, but that's soft. Go ahead and flame me for saying it, but it is. Hamlin is not dead. They are acting like the funeral is tomorrow.

This. I agree this sucks and agree with the game being suspended. But it's over, he's alive and being cared for. Caring for what happens to Hamlin and manning up to do your job can be mutually exclusive. Unless your absence will specifically improve his situation what are you accomplishing?

I've seen people have heart attacks and leave in an ambulance at work before. We didn't shutter the business until they were fully recovered. Actually seen this multiple times and have never seen a business stop for a day. 

(01-05-2023, 11:23 AM)Sled21 Wrote: Actually, the play would most likely open the next night with an understudy taking over the part. Obviously a singer is harder to replace.

That may be true....and not saying you're one....but some people think the game should have resumed five minutes later. I've read it. I think they were in a state of not really knowing what to do. For people not accustomed to seeing it, it was a huge shock to see a player lying there having CPR performed for ten minutes. 

As to resuming the game later in the week, that's the league's decision. If not played the very next day, I feel like they should just move on. I personally and selfishly didn't want to see the Bengals playing on Wednesday or any day thereafter, then having to suit right back up for Sunday. That's a recipe for injury. 

The Bills need to just come out and say they forfeit the game. This entire thing is getting ridiculous.

At the risk of sounding nostalgic and longing for "the good ol days".... I'm old enough to remember businesses closed on Sundays and 24 hours was reserved for a few gas stations. Now we're mad because a game got cancelled. I guess no one really wants the good part of the good ol days after all, lol. I think maybe this has taught us to slow down and value life a little more. Just a thought.....

(01-05-2023, 11:36 AM)Sled21 Wrote: You're probably right.... but it rubbed me the wrong way when they constantly talk about how close the team is and how they play for each other, and now there are some players saying they may not want to play Sunday. How is that being there for their teammates who are going to take the field? It's one thing if it's a relative or close friend, but outside of Boyd and Adomitis, and maybe a couple of others, I would bet no one else on the Bengals roster even knows Hamlin. If they can't process and work through watching him go down, especially knowing he is still alive, and be ready to go 7 days later, then maybe they do need to toughen up a little. "The train keeps rolling" is something we used to say at work, but it's true, the world does not stop while you process things. It's going on down the track with or without you. It's probably a moot point anyway, as after reflecting on what he said, I think one of the posters who said they were just "saying the right things" and would play on Sunday was correct. I suspect they will all be out there. 

Agree.....and if you read/watch all of what Reader said, he went on to acknowledge there is a game this weekend that they have to prepare for. Saying I don't feel like playing and saying I'm NOT playing are two different things.

This team is peaking at the right time and probably the best Bengals team in history and this shit happens. Go figure. Not trying to sound selfish, just looking at the timing of events.

(01-05-2023, 12:53 PM)Wyche Wrote: At the risk of sounding nostalgic and longing for "the good ol days".... I'm old enough to remember businesses closed on Sundays and 24 hours was reserved for a few gas stations. Now we're mad because a game got cancelled. I guess no one really wants the good part of the good ol days after all, lol. I think maybe this has taught us to slow down and value life a little more. Just a thought.....

Umm, in the "good old days" they would've been finishing the game on Monday night as soon as the ambulance left the field.  This actually happened with Charles Hughes suffered a heart attack and died. They finished the game that day.  

(01-05-2023, 12:00 PM)GAWhoDey Wrote: Yeah, the longer Goodell stays in hiding and doesn't at least update on the decision-making process, the worse it is for everybody involved, including all the other teams (not Bills or Bengals) whose playoff seeding is impacted by this game.

Absolutely agree. Just make a damn decision already and let the chips fall where they may. There's no way any decisions made are going to please everyone or be fair. Just do it.

(01-05-2023, 12:59 PM)GAWhoDey Wrote: Umm, in the "good old days" they would've been finishing the game on Monday night as soon as the ambulance left the field.  This actually happened with Charles Hughes suffered a heart attack and died. They finished the game that day.  

I did mention "the good part of the good ol days", lol. As in when the greater good meant more than dollars and cents and "me". 


That was 1971, 62 seconds left on the clock. The Lions snapped the ball, turnover on downs, and the Bears let the clock run. Similar situation, but not exactly the same. Who knows what they would've done with only 9 minutes expired in the first quarter.

(01-05-2023, 12:20 PM)R3stangs Wrote: This. I agree this sucks and agree with the game being suspended. But it's over, he's alive and being cared for. Caring for what happens to Hamlin and manning up to do your job can be mutually exclusive. Unless your absence will specifically improve his situation what are you accomplishing?

I've seen people have heart attacks and leave in an ambulance at work before. We didn't shutter the business until they were fully recovered. Actually seen this multiple times and have never seen a business stop for a day. 

They carted my ass out and the plant went on and finished the day. I got a month off with pay. I see both sides of it.

(01-05-2023, 12:43 PM)Wyche Wrote: That may be true....and not saying you're one....but some people think the game should have resumed five minutes later. I've read it. I think they were in a state of not really knowing what to do. For people not accustomed to seeing it, it was a huge shock to see a player lying there having CPR performed for ten minutes. 

As to resuming the game later in the week, that's the league's decision. If not played the very next day, I feel like they should just move on. I personally and selfishly didn't want to see the Bengals playing on Wednesday or any day thereafter, then having to suit right back up for Sunday. That's a recipe for injury. 

I am one of them.  I after reflecting and more thought I have changed my stance on that.  The next day or day after yes, but I understand why not the same the night.

(01-05-2023, 12:51 PM)WeezyBengal Wrote: The Bills need to just come out and say they forfeit the game. This entire thing is getting ridiculous.

I do believe this would be the best outcome especially since the score was 7-3. And before someone starts reminding me of everything that could have happened with all the time left in the game there's no way to absolutely know what would have happened. What we do know is Cincy was up 7-3 when the game was stopped.