Football Is A Dangerous Sport - Watching The Team Pray For A Team Member

Football is the modern version of the Roman Gladiator games, without the express goal of killing someone.  Nevertheless, Football is a dangerous, violent game.  Though players are outfitted with helmets and all sorts of padding, the fact is that when grown men plow into to each other with the intent of knocking someone down, from time to time there is bound to be a bad injury.  And, so it happened again recently.  24 year old Damar Hamlin of the Buffalo Bills appeared to have suffered a heart attack, to be determined, in the process of tackling another player on the Cincinnati Bengals team.  They were able to use CPR immediately on the field in an attempt to save Hamlin’s life.  He was rushed to the hospital and is in critical condition.

Of course, it is true that most games go off without serious injuries; but when it does happen, it can be life threatening.  Money drives football.  Top rated players earn a lot of money for their pain and suffering.  Years ago, we used to live across the street from a football athlete, a familiar name on a major team.  He was benched for the season for suffering a brain bruise, which apparently is pretty common in football.  We happened to meet up at a party and I knew of his situation.  I asked him if perhaps God was sending him a message about it being time to quit.  

He asked me what I did for a living.  I told him that I was a Management Consultant who worked with major companies all over the world.  He then went on to say, so you fly in airplanes a lot to do your job.  At that point I had about 3 million air miles so I confirmed his statement.  He then said to me, so if you went down in a plane crash and survived would you quit your job.  To which I responded absolutely Not.  He then said, why would you expect me to quit my job at 30 years old assuming I recover from my injury.  His point was well taken.

We do know today that many football players end up with brain injuries and as such have sued the teams and leagues they worked for.  While they have a claim, they also knew the risk they were taking to make the money they enjoyed.  What I know is that I prefer that my grandchildren play soccer rather than football even though our sons did both.  Why risk a brain injury.

In any case, while many in our country profess that there is no God.  I found it interesting and encouraging to watch the entire Buffalo Bills team on their knees on the field praying for their team mate.  Others always ask for prayer whenever there is a tragedy.  There is a God.  Let’s just hope that God shines his light on Damar Hamlin to save his life.  If he lives and survives his injury, Hamlin will have a decision to make.  Does he take this injury as a sign from God, or go back to playing football.  We shall see.