The media landscape has become incredibly “woke.”
Even the world of sports has been affected.
But an ESPN commentator uttered one statement that made the left squirm.
The sports world collectively held its breath after Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin went into cardiac arrest after a seemingly routine tackle on Monday Night Football against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Players sometimes suffer catastrophic injuries on the field, but watching medics administer CPR for nine minutes was a completely different phenomenon.
The incident was so bone-chilling, the game was canceled.
There were grave concerns that Hamlin wouldn’t make it through the night.
Miraculously, Hamlin pulled through, and he’s on the road to a full recovery.
A few days later, he was Face Timing with his teammates, in good spirits.
The inspiring update allowed everyone to breathe a sigh of relief.
And ESPN NFL analyst Ryan Clark said Hamlin’s recovery showed the “power of God.”
Clark said, “It’s pure excitement, honestly. I believe that many of us have been holding our breaths since seeing that scene on Monday night and I try to be optimistic, but as a football player who was conditioned to ignore injury and be able to move on, I couldn’t move on from this. And so to speak to [Hamlin’s teammate] Tre’Davious White and hear exactly what he saw on that field and to be able to visualize what Damar Hamlin went through before [assistant trainer] Denny Kellington was able to administer CPR, it shows you that that’s the power of God, right?”
Public discussions of God and prayer are often met with skepticism, derision, and even vitriol, especially in the liberal media ecosystem.
But the terrifying Hamlin incident truly put things in perspective.
Clark continued, “That’s the power of prayer. This was truly out of anyone’s hands but God and to continue to empower his physicians. And the work that they’ve done, the support that Damar Hamlin has gotten, and to now be able to communicate, to now be able to talk to his teammates, the type of boost that has to be to them is absolutely amazing.”
“That’s the power of God. That’s the power of prayer.”
We loved these words of @Realrclark25 on ESPN’s First Takepic.twitter.com/a4iIUT9LxU
— Sports Spectrum (@Sports_Spectrum) January 6, 2023
Clark wasn’t the only ESPN broadcaster and former NFL player who expressed his faith on the air.
Former quarterback Dan Orlovsky said a prayer for Hamlin live on the air.
ESPN’s @danorlovsky7 praying for Damar Hamlin on NFL LIVE. Beautiful words of empathy, hope and love.#PrayForDamarHamlin pic.twitter.com/aQ54x3WwLm
— Sports Spectrum (@Sports_Spectrum) January 3, 2023
ESPN has veered hard toward “wokeness,” so expressions of faith were an unexpected but welcomed sight.
The Hamlin incident was one of the rare cultural moments where people put aside their differences to come together.
Hamlin’s toy drive fundraiser far exceeded its goal of $2,500, as it currently sits at $8.8 million.
Bills coach Sean McDermott said, “I’m a man of faith, and it’s just fun to watch and be around a good group of people that work so hard towards a common goal…And they care so much in this case about Damar and all their teammates. Like I said, God is so good, and I believe — obviously an unfortunate situation — but God has shown Himself through this situation in so many ways.”
The Bills are poised to make a deep playoff run.