Skip Bayliss slammed over 'disgusting' act after Damar Hamlin incident in NFL

Controversial analyst Skip Bayliss has been widely condemned after criticising the NFL's decision to postpone the Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals clash after Damar Hamlin's horrific collapse. Hamlin remains in a critical condition after collapsing on the field following a tackle.

He was given CPR on the field after suffering a cardiac arrest and his heart was restarted. The Bills posted on their official Twitter account on Tuesday: "Damar Hamlin spent last night in the intensive care unit and remains there today in critical condition at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center."

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The Bills said earlier on Tuesday: "Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest following a hit in our game versus the Bengals. His heartbeat was restored on the field and he was transferred to the UC Medical Center for further testing and treatment. He is currently sedated and listed in critical condition."

The Bills and Bangals clash was postponed as a result of the incident. On Tuesday the NFL announced it would not be resumed this week, the Week 18 schedule is unchanged, and a decision on the Bills-Bengals game would be made later.

Players from both teams were in tears on the field, as the full extent of the incident became clearer. The NFL was effectively left with no choice but to put the game on hold, with players in no state to continue.

But in the wake of the frightening incident, Bayliss has come under fire for his comments about the postponement. Taking to Twitter, the controversial analyst said: “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."

The 71-year-old followed up later, saying: “Nothing is more important than that young man‘s health. That was the point of my last tweet. I’m sorry if that was misunderstood but his health is all that matters. Again, everything else is irrelevant. I prayed for him and will continue to."

Bayliss' initial tweet sparked widespread condemnation, with a number of prominent figures taking aim at him.

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Jordon Rooney, a family representative who described himself as a good friend of Hamlin's, told ABC's 'Good Morning America' that Hamlin's relatives are in good spirits but going through a lot. Of Hamlin he added: "All I can say is he's fighting; he's a fighter."

In a statement on the incident, the NFL said: "Hamlin received immediate medical attention on the field by team and independent medical staff and local paramedics. He was then transported to a local hospital where he is in a critical condition."

Hamlin's family said they were "deeply moved" by displays of affection from around the NFL world. "On behalf of our family, we want to express our sincere gratitude for the love and support shown to Damar during this challenging time," they said in a statement. "We are deeply moved by the prayers, kind words and donations from fans around the country."

An NFL spokesperson has since refuted reports that players were initially given just five minutes' notice that they needed to warm-up for the game to be restarted before it was eventually decided to postpone. "It never crossed our mind to talk about warming up to resume play," NFL executive Troy Vincent said on a conference call on Tuesday.

"That's ridiculous. That's insensitive. That's not a place we should ever be in. I've never seen anything like it since I was playing. Immediately, my player hat went on, like, how do you resume playing after seeing a traumatic event in front of you?"

with AAP

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