FEBRUARY 15, 2023
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SPORTS NFL fumbles safety: Damar Hamlin’s near-fatal injury
DESIGN BY BREANNA LU
Andrew Duval
Staff Writer
On Jan. 2, Buffalo Bills player Damar Hamlin—a young and promising safety—collapsed after absorbing a hit from Tee Higgins of the Cincinnati Bengals, requiring prompt medical attention. Hamlin’s condition was severe; he went into cardiac arrest and had to be revived by medical staff with nine minutes of CPR and supplemental oxygen. Later, he was transported to a nearby hospital and placed on a ventilator. His survival was credited to the rapid response and CPR given by medical staff. This incident has caused many in the sports industry to question safety standards and how situations like this should be handled. “Sports assocations must do more to protect their athletes. The well being of players should be a major NFL priority, and their failure to protect Hamlin in the moment of his injury shows that this is currently not the case,” Junior Eshan Velidandla said. KAILEY HU ART
Jay Li
Nine minutes after the injury, the game was halted. On Jan. 9, the NFL announced that the game would not be resumed. Players and audience members were stunned by Hamlin’s injury. Also, according to Forbes, former NFL players hope that Hamlin’s injury will bring light to how the league treats applications for disability pay, which supports injured players. NFL players who apply are often denied or forced to undergo a lengthy process to receive their pay. Hamlin’s injury also shed light on how the league treats injured players, which could result in further progressive action. Unlike some other players in the NFL’s history such as Mike Cloud, who did not receive his pay for years when he was injured, Hamlin will be receiving disability pay. Hamlin will receive his full salary this year, and more if needed. “Football is a sport in which the threat of severe injuries is always lingering, meaning the NFL must provide their players with disability pay and insurance. A high-contact sport like football also requires quick-acting medical support to provide rapid assistance to players,” Sophomore Shrivas Sudharsan said. As of Jan. 28, fellow players and fans have donated over $9 million to Hamlin’s charity, “The Chasing M’s Foundation
Community Toy Drive.” Additionally, over 200,000 donations were made to the GoFundMe of the charity. Not all reactions to the injury were seen as positive or appropriate. Sports columnist Skip Bayless tweeted, “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 regularseason outcome.” Bayless received heavy amounts of backlash after his controversial tweet. Even Hall of Fame wide receiver Terrell Owens joined in, tweeting, “I hope you LOSE YOUR JOB!!” Later, Bayless apologized, claiming that his tweet was misunderstood and that Hamlin’s health is all that matters. On Jan. 11, Hamlin was released from the hospital as he was able to walk, speak and showed no signs of neurological damage. However, he continues to require oxygen support and regular heart monitoring. A long recovery lies ahead for Hamlin, according to CBS. Nevertheless, Hamlin appeared in the Bills’ locker room and cheered on his team during a game. In fact, CBS reports that Hamlin has been making regular visits to team facilities.
Hamlin has not publicly stated whether he will be playing again, but due to his long recovery time and the Bills’ elimination from the playoffs, Hamlin will
not play again this season. Many fans hope that in the future, Hamlin will be seen once more on the field surrounded by his teammates. However, his physicians say it is too early to make such decisions. Some also believe that this incident will help progress the conversation about the NFL’s treatment of players. The NFL’s history of brushing off major injuries may be behind them. While several agree that injuries are part of any sports game, incidents such as Hamlin’s may push many to acknowledge the seriousness of ensuring player safety.
U.S. women’s soccer: A sport for White America Staff Writer
U.S. soccer player Crystal Dunn was often forced to play on all-boys teams when she was younger, experiencing a lack of recognition and support, constantly being referred to as “too small” or “not strong enough” by coaches. Even now, after having competed at two Olympics and being one of her team’s star players she still lacks recognition for her talents. Dunn’s lack of opportunities and resources as a Black woman in professional soccer is not uncommon. The notion that women of color must work harder to get much less than their white peers rings true in many industries—including professional soccer. Despite their success on the field, Black women in U.S. women’s soccer continue to face discrimination and inequality in the sport. The sport has long had a lack of diversity, being traditionally dominated by rich, white women due to a web of barriers holding back lower-class and marginalized players. Club soccer in the U.S. is often considered a “pay-to-play” sport in contrast with several other countries that offer youth soccer at minimal or free cost. A lack of government funding or support for youth soccer programs in the U.S. means teams and clubs must rely on player fees to cover expenses. Field maintenance,
lower-income players develop their talents. Otherwise, potentially very talented players may never see the field. Low-income players have
coaching salaries, equipment and travel fees make running a youth soccer program a difficult task without government funding, contributing to expenses that can be tens of thousands of dollars. The problem plagues many other sports in the U.S., such as ice hockey. Many youth ice hockey leagues require players to cover costs such as ice rink time and hockey gear. This often creates a barrier for lowerclass families— many of whom are marginalized minority groups—from accessing the sport, thus contributing to a lack of diversity and representation in soccer. “The simple answer to pay-to-play culture is increased government support to soccer leagues. Local governments such as Santa Clara County could provide funding for programs that help
KAILEY HU ART
paywalls to competition and this should never be the case for a sport that wishes to be competitive, diverse and have an equal playing field,” Sophomore Arion Habibvand said. Compared to the rest of the world, the U.S. lags behind vastly in youth soccer opportunities due to the structural inaccessibility of club soccer. In other countries such as England, coaches spend a lot of time in the non-professional scene to seek out new talent. On the contrary, U.S. coaches focus on those who already play professionally, resulting in low exposure for others. Thus, the demographics of the U.S. Women’s National Team has remained predominantly white. For example, in the 2019 World Cup team, out of the 23 players, eight were players of color, including two Black players. A study from Ohio University on the top five European soccer
leagues indicated a strong relationship between diversity and team performance, suggesting that diversity is a positive factor that increases creativity and lowers groupthink. “The impact of diversity can be felt outside of the field, because a diverse soccer community allows individuals of all backgrounds to feel welcomed and valued. Additionally, diversity in sports can also have a positive impact on society. For instance, promoting inclusivity can help break down barriers and promote understanding and acceptance of different cultures, backgrounds and beliefs to create a more well-informed community,” Freshman Max Nguyen said. Various organizations have been created to combat the lack of diversity. The U.S. Soccer Foundation is among those that are pursuing greater accessibility for communities that are traditionally excluded from such opportunities. Since 2008, their Soccer for Success program has been working with 400,000 children—90% of whom are from communities of color—and expects to serve upwards of 100,000 kids this year. Through the program, the founders aim to provide equal opportunities for children of different backgrounds, creating a safe and inclusive environment for all players on the soccer field.
