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Speaker 1: All right, Welcome to Around the NFL. Dan Hans is

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Speaker 1: here with Greg Rosenthal and Mark Sessler remotely. This is

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Speaker 1: obviously our first time connecting with you guys since the

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Speaker 1: horrible events of Monday night involving Damar Hamlin and um.

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Speaker 1: We just wanted to talk to you and talk with

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Speaker 1: the audience about it. And we're gonna have the great

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Speaker 1: Cameron Wolf of NFL Network on and just a bit

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Speaker 1: who's at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, getting the

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Speaker 1: latest from him and his vibes at what it's like

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Speaker 1: to be this close to the story of this magnitude.

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Speaker 1: Greggy Uh and Mark, I'll start with you. Gregh. This

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Speaker 1: has been obviously one of those stories that you never

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Speaker 1: forget and we we've all been tracking it minute by minute,

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Speaker 1: hoping for positive updates about tamar Um. How you doing.

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Speaker 1: But yeah, it's it's something that when we all watched it,

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Speaker 1: I think everyone recognized immediately that never seen anything like

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Speaker 1: this on a football field, that it was a life

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Speaker 1: and death situation in any sort of precedent that you

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Speaker 1: saw how teams were handling, how the NFL is gonna

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Speaker 1: end up hand handling it, and everything is is different

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Speaker 1: because tomorrow, Handlin's you know, young man fighting for his life,

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Speaker 1: and we've been waiting, you know, to do this podcast,

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Speaker 1: partly hoping, you know, seeing what the news is gonna be,

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Speaker 1: and uh, it is encouraging. As we were about to

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Speaker 1: start taping, the Bill sent out a release that said

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Speaker 1: tomorrow remains in the i c U and critical condition,

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Speaker 1: with signs of improvement noted yesterday and overnight. And yeah,

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Speaker 1: we'll get into that with with Cameron Wolf who has

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Speaker 1: more details and everything. But I do feel like when

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Speaker 1: it comes to his health, and that's just been the

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Speaker 1: focus here, like we're in a better place than we

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Speaker 1: were Monday night. Yeah, I mean it's it's such a positive,

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Speaker 1: uh in situation from a day ago, and I think that,

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Speaker 1: you know, everything just was put on holding my my

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Speaker 1: feeling watching it, Um was so surreal, and I you know,

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Speaker 1: I have thought back even sort of as it was unfolding,

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Speaker 1: and you could tell that it was just the length

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Speaker 1: of time that they were on the field um attending

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Speaker 1: to him that you're starting to think, yourself, this is unprecedented.

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Speaker 1: I never watched anything like this happen in football. Been

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Speaker 1: watching football sinceour and it just stood out as something

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Speaker 1: completely different, where the game um just faded into the

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Speaker 1: complete background, into the ether. And you know, this stuff

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Speaker 1: that stood out to me was we have an idea

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Speaker 1: of who, like Josh Allen is right, like he's this

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Speaker 1: superstar athlete who does things that um, the human body

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Speaker 1: just doesn't typically do. And then you're watching the other

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Speaker 1: side of Josh Allen where like the look on his face,

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Speaker 1: that just something that will stick with me, just the

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Speaker 1: look on his face, and like you're realizing, wait a minute,

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Speaker 1: these guys, UM they live together, they eat together, they

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Speaker 1: spend all their time together. They know each other's personalities

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Speaker 1: so well. There their brothers, they love each other and

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Speaker 1: just like the few line of players watching that happen

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Speaker 1: to another player probably just obviously dug so deep into

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Speaker 1: their own internal world of what it means to go

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Speaker 1: put your body on the line each day. And so,

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Speaker 1: if anything, the thing I think that's come out of

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Speaker 1: it for me is just seeing like the community of

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Speaker 1: NFL players UM band together in such a way that

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Speaker 1: is kind of rare, and like just the way the

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Speaker 1: coaches handled it. I mean it was just um a

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Speaker 1: very human event, and I thought it was handled by

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Speaker 1: the both teams in the most um humane way possible.

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Speaker 1: And I thought that was the most encouraging thing about it.

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Speaker 1: I'm glad you brought that up about Josh Allen because

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Speaker 1: I was going to do the same thing, Mark, like

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Speaker 1: when they came back from the break, when it first

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Speaker 1: happened on the on the tackle of Tee Higgins and

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Speaker 1: you saw Josh Allen with his kind of hands over

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Speaker 1: his mouth, obviously in a state of shock. We didn't

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Speaker 1: know at the time, but I think obviously that was

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Speaker 1: the moment when the CPR was going on and and

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Speaker 1: all the life saving um medical techniques were being used

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Speaker 1: to help Tomorrow Hamlin and uh, that's stuck with me.

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Speaker 1: That will always stick with me. And and the NFL.

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Speaker 1: I think part of what made it, you know, so

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Speaker 1: shocking is the NFL doesn't stop. The NFL does not stop.

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Speaker 1: We just went through a global pandemic um where you know,

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Speaker 1: countless lives were lost and impacted, and the NFL found

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Speaker 1: a way to keep going. Um. You know, you go back.

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Speaker 1: For those of us that are older, you remember nine

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Speaker 1: eleven and how the NFL that stopped the NFL for

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Speaker 1: a week, um, and they had to recalibrate some things

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Speaker 1: and that's the only other time where just the actions

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Speaker 1: stopped and you could feel it. As we've covered the

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Speaker 1: league now, um, all of us have been with it

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Speaker 1: with the company for well over a decade. Like uh,

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Speaker 1: the way um that everything halted UH this week, whether

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Speaker 1: it was media availability, team practices, other kind of league

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Speaker 1: announcements like the Pro Football Hall of Thames, UM, announcements

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Speaker 1: about the upcoming vote for Canton, everything kind of just disappeared,

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Speaker 1: and it just and the league went into lockdown mode.

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Speaker 1: And that that in it in itself. As someone who's

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Speaker 1: covered the league for a long time, it just hammered

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Speaker 1: home how surreal everything was and it all came out

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Speaker 1: of greggy Bills versus Bengals. This like Titanic matchup, the

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Speaker 1: matchup of the year with everyone watching it did remind

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Speaker 1: me of one of my earliest sports fans sports fan

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Speaker 1: memories as being a nine year old kid watching uh

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Speaker 1: the World Series between the A's and Giants and just

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Speaker 1: in the um irony of all ironies, UH, the earthquake

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Speaker 1: that shocked the central coast of California and killed a

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Speaker 1: lot of people, injured a lot of people, and that

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Speaker 1: shut down the World Series. All eyes were on the

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Speaker 1: World Series that year when this mega event happened, and

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Speaker 1: similarly here um, everyone was watching this game in a

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Speaker 1: prime time between two of the best teams at football,

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Speaker 1: and it just made it all the more surreal. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: you you appreciate, um, the medical responders as we as

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Speaker 1: we tape this Wednesday. I think the NFL teams are

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Speaker 1: keeping DeMar in their minds and you can hear that

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Speaker 1: in their press conferences, but they're also starting the process

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Speaker 1: of moving forward with their week. Teams are practicing it's

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Speaker 1: On Wednesday, Zach Taylor, the Bengals coach, spoke for the

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Speaker 1: first time, and that's why that the medical responders were

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Speaker 1: first on my mind. He he spoke really emotionally and um, well,

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Speaker 1: just about his gratitude for them, how prepared they were,

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Speaker 1: and how they've given Tamar Hamling like, um, the best

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Speaker 1: possible chance, um to to get through this, and that

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Speaker 1: the positive signs that we're seeing now we're all all

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Speaker 1: started there like in the it a battle. And he

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Speaker 1: he also spoke about Sean McDermott and in his leadership

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Speaker 1: in that moment, and I think that was telling that

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Speaker 1: you know, he said he learned who Sean McDermott really was,

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Speaker 1: and listening to Zach Taylor, I really appreciated the way

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Speaker 1: he spoke about it so clearly and openly today and

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Speaker 1: we do have some of those comments about McDermott where

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Speaker 1: he revealed a little more like how everything went down, Um,

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Speaker 1: when Hamlin first collapsed, when I got over there, Uh,

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Speaker 1: the first thing he said was I need to be

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Speaker 1: the hospital of Tamar, and I shouldn't be coaching this game.

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Speaker 1: And so that to me provides all the clarity because

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Speaker 1: there were there was no unprecedented the world that gets

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Speaker 1: thrown out a lot about this situation because that's what

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Speaker 1: it is. But in that moment, he really showed who

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Speaker 1: he was that that all his focus was just on

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Speaker 1: Damar and being there for him, being their first family

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Speaker 1: at the hospital. And and at that point, um, I

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Speaker 1: think everybody everything trend in the direction of the trend

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Speaker 1: and the right decisions from me there. But um, again

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Speaker 1: just just uh the way that I really felt Sean

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Speaker 1: McDermott led in that moment for his players. He was

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Speaker 1: their first players. He processed the right way, which is

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Speaker 1: incredibly difficult, and uh, it really helped us get to

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Speaker 1: the solution that we needed to get to well. I

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Speaker 1: mean you think also even before this incident, that what

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Speaker 1: the Bills have been through this this season where they

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Speaker 1: had that situation where they you know, couldn't play at home,

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Speaker 1: they were snowed out, they were in Detroit for two weeks,

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Speaker 1: and like that takes leadership, but this was next level.

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Speaker 1: And I you know, we had a chance to talk

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Speaker 1: to McDermott um early in his career, before the Bills

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Speaker 1: became what they were, and I think we all we

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Speaker 1: kind of all right awake, felt the connection to him

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Speaker 1: and liked him because he just was, um, a real dude.

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Speaker 1: And I I can only imagine that like if you're

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Speaker 1: a Bills player, the way you feel about there's coaches

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Speaker 1: all over the league where like players aren't connected to him.

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Speaker 1: Sean mcdermot's completely different and in this situation where you

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Speaker 1: have to make a choice one way or another, um,

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Speaker 1: and he handled so perfectly and it was so organically

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Speaker 1: and it came from who he was. And it tells

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Speaker 1: me a lot about the Spills team. And I think that,

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Speaker 1: you know, my hope for them. I'm sure it's going

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Speaker 1: to be such a struggle and so odd to have

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Speaker 1: to go play after all this, But um, if anything,

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Speaker 1: like what we know about the Buffalo Bills is that

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Speaker 1: it's it's probably brought them together in a way that

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Speaker 1: few other teams could um say they've experienced. Yeah, and

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Speaker 1: it's that is the kind of others the football story

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Speaker 1: side of this as well as like what happens next,

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Speaker 1: and we're gonna obviously what we do. We cover the league.

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Speaker 1: Everyone that listens to the show knows Thursday is our

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Speaker 1: preview episode, and it's just like we don't know yet.

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Speaker 1: Nobody really knows because this is unprecedented, just like when

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Speaker 1: everything went down on Monday night and there was confusion

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Speaker 1: about is the game restarting? Like what's next? The people

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Speaker 1: and that is building not knowing what was going on.

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Speaker 1: Everything is this is uncharted territory. So um, it is

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Speaker 1: going to be interesting to see how the NFL figures

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Speaker 1: out in terms of the endings and with how this

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Speaker 1: impacts maybe the playoffs and the scheduling. But all of

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Speaker 1: that obviously remains on the back burner and we we

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Speaker 1: find out and wait to find out and hopefully get

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Speaker 1: good news about mar Hamlin, and you just wonder how

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Speaker 1: the NFL will go about, um figuring out how to

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Speaker 1: take the next step while also monitoring what's obviously still

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Speaker 1: a very fluid situation UM at the University of Cincinnati

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Speaker 1: Medical Center. Yeah, it's been interesting to hear a couple

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Speaker 1: of the ex players talk about the media just how

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Speaker 1: the next snap of football is just gonna be heavy.

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Speaker 1: You know, yeah they I so. I mean, the whole

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Speaker 1: thing was so surreal. On Monday night, I go through

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Speaker 1: my my routine throughout the day Monday in terms of

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Speaker 1: writing the Power Rankings column. Then I'm downstairs and I'm

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Speaker 1: alone and I'm wrapping up Power Rankings as I'm watching

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Speaker 1: the first quarter of Monday night football business as usual.

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Speaker 1: It just happened to be the biggest game of the year.

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Speaker 1: And you know, when this went down, and immediately it

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Speaker 1: just obviously felt different and was scary, and you all,

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Speaker 1: you get thrown out of the football side of it.

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Speaker 1: I just I went upstairs and I had my iPad

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Speaker 1: and I called my wife over My kids were sitting

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Speaker 1: on the couch luckily not watching the game UM, and

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Speaker 1: showed it to her and like, you know, just like

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Speaker 1: see her reaction and and you know, the the outpouring

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Speaker 1: obviously of concern and support has been u uh, pretty amazing,

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Speaker 1: but again surreal because we're we're in especially us what

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Speaker 1: we do, We're in this bubble, this NFL bubble, and

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Speaker 1: we're just rolling through another long season, and for this

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Speaker 1: to happen in week seventeen, it's been so jarring, like mentally,

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Speaker 1: um and obviously you can't even imagine where the players

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Speaker 1: and the Bengals are preparing to play, and obviously Tee

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Speaker 1: Higgins involved directly with the play has been um going

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Speaker 1: through some things. Um uh. But the Bills, I mean

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Speaker 1: the Bills if if they're if the weeks on the schedule,

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Speaker 1: they have to play football. So it's man, ma'm man,

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Speaker 1: this has been crazy, and I hope this guy is okay.

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Speaker 1: I think we're all you know, obviously speak for everybody

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Speaker 1: on that this. We need a good outcome on this one.

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Speaker 1: It's like unfortunately, like is a life and death situation

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Speaker 1: which obviously is bigger than football, and like we've we've

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Speaker 1: experienced a life and death situation with their great friend Chris,

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Speaker 1: and this is like a professional thing, but it does

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Speaker 1: have you step back at the moment, I guess, and

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Speaker 1: just kind of realized like what matters and and some

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Speaker 1: of the UM videos of Damar Hamlin talking about like

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Speaker 1: cherishing life and learning about demor. Hamlin actually has been

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Speaker 1: a positive about this, and we'll talk about that with

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Speaker 1: with Cameron Wolfe. But just like that in the moment too,

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Speaker 1: I don't know, they think about what what all matters here,

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Speaker 1: and suddenly a lot of things don't seem as important,

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Speaker 1: like the Seahawks, UM, you know, having to play earlier

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Speaker 1: in the day than the Lions when the Lions might

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Speaker 1: be eliminated sometimes somehow, you know, suddenly feels like a

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Speaker 1: very like asinine thing to be arguing about. And I

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Speaker 1: think we're all like forever impacted obviously by UM Chris

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Speaker 1: and and and how his life was cut short in

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Speaker 1: such a tragic and unfair way, and it did, it

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Speaker 1: did summon memories of that for me also just because

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Speaker 1: in addition to how sad that ending was the fact

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Speaker 1: that it happened that Super Bowl weekend and how surreal

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Speaker 1: that was, and even to the point of us doing

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Speaker 1: instead of a super Bowl recap show, we did an

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Speaker 1: episode just talking about Chris two days after he passed.

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Speaker 1: UM again, like the real world and life UM all

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Speaker 1: of a sudden, like showing how small all this other

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Speaker 1: stuff is uh man, Okay, you know we were gonna

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Speaker 1: talk to that Monday night recap with when Nick was

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Speaker 1: text and he, as you guys know, he was gonna

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Speaker 1: go gonna go to that game, ended up not not

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Speaker 1: going because he thought it was going to be cold

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Speaker 1: and then he got called called the pond. So we'll well,

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Speaker 1: hopefully have Nick on later this this season for a

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Speaker 1: Bengals playoff game, which we'll have a different feel and

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Speaker 1: hopefully be a great celebration. The whole season has a

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Speaker 1: different feel now and now let's uh without further ado.

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Speaker 1: We did speak with NFL Networks Cameron Wolf, who has

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Speaker 1: been boots on the ground in Cincinnati since uh this

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Speaker 1: went down. Greg and I had this conversation um with Cameron.

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Speaker 1: So um listening and here we go. All right, now

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Speaker 1: we have a guest joining us. He has been all

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Speaker 1: over the coverage of damorrow hamlet situation. He is NFL

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Speaker 1: Networks Cameron Wolf, joining us from uh well, a car

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Speaker 1: near the University of Cincinnati Medical Center. Cam, welcome back

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Speaker 1: to around the NFL. How are you doing, buddy. It's

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Speaker 1: been I'm sure a pretty hectic forty eight hours. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: manager man definitely been hectic, really, thirty six hours of

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Speaker 1: NonStop attention on tomorrow Hamlin's health and where his recovery is.

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Speaker 1: So just trying to do our best job, me and

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Speaker 1: my producer Laura jack Nick, trying to figure out how

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Speaker 1: we can tell this story and give everybody the updates

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Speaker 1: they need. Yeah, you've done an amazing job. I've seen

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Speaker 1: how hard you've been working. Just kind of where we

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Speaker 1: stand now and we're talking right afternoon East Coast time

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Speaker 1: on Wednesday. Just give us kind of an update of

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Speaker 1: how DeMar Hamlin's doing the most that you know at

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Speaker 1: this hour. Yeah, we're here outside the hospital where we're

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Speaker 1: really getting an hour to our update on how Demor

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Speaker 1: Hamlet is doing. It's really small updates, but as we know,

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Speaker 1: we're trying to get any context on how he's doing.

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Speaker 1: And so the most recent one is Wednesday morning to

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Speaker 1: spoke with his family spokesperson Jordan Rooney, who told us

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Speaker 1: essentially that things are moving in a positive direction. And

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Speaker 1: that's the quote that I think sums up really the

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Speaker 1: last twelve hours of damorrow. Hamblin's process a small step,

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Speaker 1: but a stump step nonetheless, and he remains a critical condition.

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Speaker 1: He has sedated UM. He remains in the I see you,

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Speaker 1: the intensive care unit UM, but he has received an

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Speaker 1: improvement and his breathing in particular UM with how he's

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Speaker 1: working for the ventilator. And so when I say that

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Speaker 1: he was using a of the ventilator to brief for

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Speaker 1: him when he first arrived. Now it's fift and so

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Speaker 1: he's starting to breathe a little bit more by on

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Speaker 1: his own. But they still want to continue to have

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Speaker 1: him progress UM to where he can fully breathe on

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Speaker 1: his own. And so that's what they're watching now. They're

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Speaker 1: watching his lungs and trying to get those recovered UM

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Speaker 1: and reaching out to the hospital. They have no information

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Speaker 1: right now they're able to share, but you know, we're

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Speaker 1: keeping in touch with them to see UM where they are,

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Speaker 1: and so just reaching out to his family, reaching out

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Speaker 1: to UM the hospital and right now we're all in

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Speaker 1: a waiting game and to get what we hope is

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Speaker 1: eventually that good news that his status is upgrade. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: and it's you know, obviously extremely fortunate. As you've learned

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Speaker 1: more about the story and how the mechanisms of the

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Speaker 1: NFL machine works in terms of how they handle an

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Speaker 1: emergency incident. Jordan Rodrigue, The Athletic wrote a good piece

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Speaker 1: outlining how it works, the fact that University of Cincinnati

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Speaker 1: is a Level one trauma center, which it appears like

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Speaker 1: he is getting, um, the the best type of medical attention.

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Speaker 1: Uh he could get. Right now, what is the scene

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Speaker 1: in or around the hospital itself for the medical center? UM,

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Speaker 1: I imagine obviously a strong media presence, But do you

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Speaker 1: have a lot of uh just onlookers or people you know,

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Speaker 1: camped out front? Like what is the vibe there? Yeah,

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Speaker 1: probably about thirty to forty media cameras at the peak

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Speaker 1: at times, and you have people driving around who obviously

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Speaker 1: look at us doing TV and wondering what's going on

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Speaker 1: in other people who stopped by and say, hey, we're

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Speaker 1: praying for him. Um, you know they know what the

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Speaker 1: story is. Half of the city, the west side of

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Speaker 1: the city was lit up blue um last night for

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Speaker 1: Damar Hamlin. And you know there was a visual out

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Speaker 1: here right on the corner of the hospital about a

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Speaker 1: blockdown with about forty to fifty people at eight pm

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Speaker 1: and about an hour that was literally a day twenty

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Speaker 1: four hours after um. You know, Damar Hamlin suffered at

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Speaker 1: the cardiac arrest on that Monday night football game, and

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Speaker 1: so players, you know, the fans, they're essentially we're saying,

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Speaker 1: they wanted to support tomorrow, pray fir them. They were

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Speaker 1: giving motivational messages, they were singing amazing Grace and the family, Um,

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Speaker 1: you know, saw all the support they've they've got, whether

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Speaker 1: it be the fans outside of the building, whether it

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Speaker 1: be the coaches and players and gms who have constantly

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Speaker 1: given them support. I know, talking with his uncle, he

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Speaker 1: mentioned just how powerful it was for a family, for

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Speaker 1: the family to see the entire Bills team around him

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Speaker 1: showing the motion. Seeing that because you know, we know

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Speaker 1: the NFL is a game, but and and some people

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Speaker 1: know it's a brotherhood, but you don't usually get to

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Speaker 1: see that element of it, you know, the true love

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Speaker 1: and care that these people have for their brother and so, UM,

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Speaker 1: the family definitely appreciates and feels the support, and right

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Speaker 1: now they're encouraged. UM, but it's still very much a

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Speaker 1: waiting game. Yeah. I heard your report this morning, UM

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Speaker 1: and your your interview with the with his his friend

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Speaker 1: Jordan's saying, you know that the one thing they didn't

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Speaker 1: want was anyone throwing any negativity tee Higgins way because

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Speaker 1: they said that was a normal football play and they

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Speaker 1: actually have a background with te Higgins going going back,

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Speaker 1: way back, and I guess I'm curious along that lines, like,

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Speaker 1: have you we heard initially that some Bills players were

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Speaker 1: staying back in Cincinnati? Um, do you know if if

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Speaker 1: if some are still there? Have you seen players around?

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Speaker 1: And then just because you know, I've been watching you

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Speaker 1: on TV and those have to be short parts off,

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Speaker 1: if you have anything just on what you're last thirty

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Speaker 1: six hours, what what you've seen going back to Monday

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Speaker 1: night at the stadium, or any anything else in terms

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Speaker 1: of things that you've been able to see and what

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Speaker 1: that experience has been like from from the player's point

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Speaker 1: of view and everything that's happened. Yeah, Gregg, first, I'll

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Speaker 1: start with te Higgins because I think it was good

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Speaker 1: for the family to come out and express uh their

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Speaker 1: feelings there. That was something that was really the family initiated.

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Speaker 1: They wanted to make clear that they wanted to stop

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Speaker 1: the criticism for tagginst to stop and that it was

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Speaker 1: not his fault. And I think that's important because I

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Speaker 1: was leaving UM the stadium on Monday, and I saw

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Speaker 1: Tee Higgins with his mom Are who had an arm

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Speaker 1: wrapped around him, and he was emotional. And so naturally,

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Speaker 1: whether it's right or wrong, if you're involved in a

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Speaker 1: player that has a player injury, you're gonna blame yourself.

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Speaker 1: And it appeared that T was having some emotional periods there.

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Speaker 1: And so we've heard some some wild comments on on

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Speaker 1: on places about Tea and just kind of how uh

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Speaker 1: he is at that point, and I think the family

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Speaker 1: wanted to be clear that they did not they did

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Speaker 1: not support any criticism for him. And so the Bengals

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Speaker 1: returned to work today and they'll go through their walk

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Speaker 1: through the Wednesday afternoon, and eventually we will hear from T.

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Speaker 1: But right now they are dealing with the emotional trauma

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Speaker 1: just like many of us are, Like the Bills are

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Speaker 1: trying to continue their week, and so that that's what

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Speaker 1: I want to say in that respect, and in regards

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Speaker 1: to really the last thirty six hours, it's been a

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Speaker 1: heavy story. Just being real, like a lot of our

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Speaker 1: jobs as reporters is to remove our emotions and tell

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Speaker 1: the story and give people the updates um that they

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Speaker 1: need to hear. UM. But you just kind of see

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Speaker 1: how it impacts everyone. I've seen some of the Bills

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Speaker 1: players faces and their reactions. I've seen the Bengals reactions.

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Speaker 1: I've seen fans here, um. And you see some of

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Speaker 1: the family members that I've met over the last you know,

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Speaker 1: twelve eighteen hours, and Garson's uncle and the family friend

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Speaker 1: who's a spokes to person. Those people are trying to

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Speaker 1: give you clear answers. But you can tell that this

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00:22:05,440 --> 00:22:08,760
Speaker 1: is not easy. And so that's the biggest thing that

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Speaker 1: I think, um, I may not have you know, been

403
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Speaker 1: able to share fully on NFL network because you're trying

404
00:22:15,200 --> 00:22:18,480
Speaker 1: to tell the facts, is that the emotions um of

405
00:22:18,600 --> 00:22:22,440
Speaker 1: this thing are are hard to manage, and so um,

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Speaker 1: you know, just kind of going through this process, I

407
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Speaker 1: think it's it's really showed me the humanity of people, um,

408
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Speaker 1: you know it, but just kind of see the support.

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Speaker 1: You know, go fund you page has over six million

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Speaker 1: dollars that he's received really over the last twenty four

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Speaker 1: hours of people that don't know this man. For the

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Speaker 1: most part, Um, you have, uh, people who come up

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Speaker 1: in strangers, as the families told me, who paid for

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Speaker 1: food for them every day since they've been here. Jeff Rubies,

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Speaker 1: which is a steakhouse out here in Cincinnati, is catering

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Speaker 1: the family dinner um, you know, uh tonight. And I

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Speaker 1: know because I went to Jeff Rubies last night. Jeff

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Speaker 1: Rubies is expensive, and so they're they're definitely um showing

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Speaker 1: as much love and support. And I think everybody badly

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Speaker 1: across the NFL and across America and particularly here in

421
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Speaker 1: Cincinnati are just waiting for that positive news that atmar

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Speaker 1: Hamlin is Okay. Yeah, that's really well said, Kim. And

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Speaker 1: I think a story that's this big, um, you know,

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Speaker 1: there's always gonna be some darkness in it, whether it's

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00:23:23,640 --> 00:23:26,159
Speaker 1: people with their phony go fund me or somebody that

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Speaker 1: might be coming after Tee Higgins on social media. All

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Speaker 1: that's absurd. And I like that the family their use

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00:23:30,760 --> 00:23:33,439
Speaker 1: of the word frustrated that anybody would even think to

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Speaker 1: do that. But I think like what's really come out

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Speaker 1: in these situations is like the humanity and the love

431
00:23:38,640 --> 00:23:41,200
Speaker 1: and just the public outpouring of the support that you're

432
00:23:41,200 --> 00:23:43,919
Speaker 1: talking about there. This has been kind of I don't know,

433
00:23:43,960 --> 00:23:47,280
Speaker 1: it's in a really trying time from a human standpoint,

434
00:23:47,320 --> 00:23:50,320
Speaker 1: it kind of lifts your spirits to see um Cincinnati

435
00:23:50,520 --> 00:23:53,280
Speaker 1: lit up and blew on a Monday night game that's

436
00:23:53,280 --> 00:23:55,480
Speaker 1: started with the Bills as the enemy, and this idea

437
00:23:55,560 --> 00:23:58,120
Speaker 1: that the a f C could come down to this game.

438
00:23:58,200 --> 00:24:00,320
Speaker 1: The fact that that all kind of just disappear eared

439
00:24:00,600 --> 00:24:03,639
Speaker 1: and it became about this one player, um and and

440
00:24:03,680 --> 00:24:06,080
Speaker 1: this one person who is in this fight for his life.

441
00:24:06,080 --> 00:24:08,600
Speaker 1: It's it's been jarring. I know, I can. I know

442
00:24:08,720 --> 00:24:10,879
Speaker 1: you have a different background than Greg and I in

443
00:24:11,000 --> 00:24:14,600
Speaker 1: terms of your media training and journalism path, but it

444
00:24:14,760 --> 00:24:18,240
Speaker 1: is jarring when we like for me, for instance, I

445
00:24:18,280 --> 00:24:20,960
Speaker 1: got into sports because like that was where I felt

446
00:24:20,960 --> 00:24:23,720
Speaker 1: comfortable and what was I wanted to do something fun

447
00:24:24,080 --> 00:24:26,560
Speaker 1: in my life for a career path. And then something

448
00:24:26,600 --> 00:24:28,840
Speaker 1: like this comes along and it's like the real world

449
00:24:29,000 --> 00:24:32,119
Speaker 1: intercepts and it does feel it could be jarring. And

450
00:24:32,160 --> 00:24:34,640
Speaker 1: I just want to thank you and everyone that's been

451
00:24:34,640 --> 00:24:37,720
Speaker 1: covering this story, uh for handling it because it can't

452
00:24:37,720 --> 00:24:41,240
Speaker 1: be easy. I appreciate you saying that it's not, but

453
00:24:41,400 --> 00:24:43,840
Speaker 1: I think you know, we've got to tell the story right,

454
00:24:43,880 --> 00:24:46,360
Speaker 1: you know. I think our job as journalists are always

455
00:24:46,400 --> 00:24:48,960
Speaker 1: being storytellers, no matter if the story is what we

456
00:24:49,000 --> 00:24:52,479
Speaker 1: love to cover, which was at thirty five Joe Burrow

457
00:24:53,240 --> 00:24:55,800
Speaker 1: Josh Allen game, which I went there Monday hoping to

458
00:24:55,840 --> 00:25:00,000
Speaker 1: see to a player fighting for his life. I think regardless, UM,

459
00:25:00,040 --> 00:25:03,399
Speaker 1: we're here on the ground to tell whatever the story is,

460
00:25:03,440 --> 00:25:06,520
Speaker 1: and for for this weekend, it happened to be the

461
00:25:06,600 --> 00:25:09,920
Speaker 1: scariest story we've had all year, in quite some time

462
00:25:09,920 --> 00:25:12,840
Speaker 1: in the NFL. And so, UM, you know, I think

463
00:25:12,880 --> 00:25:15,320
Speaker 1: that we have to process that this is a game

464
00:25:15,359 --> 00:25:17,840
Speaker 1: we love, but there's also risks and dangers that come

465
00:25:17,920 --> 00:25:20,120
Speaker 1: with it, and this is one of it. And so

466
00:25:20,240 --> 00:25:23,720
Speaker 1: I think that you know, the whole league. I've received

467
00:25:23,800 --> 00:25:26,600
Speaker 1: so many text message and calls from people who are

468
00:25:26,640 --> 00:25:30,159
Speaker 1: not related to the Bills, the Bengals or Damar just

469
00:25:30,320 --> 00:25:33,400
Speaker 1: checking in, and so the whole league is literally, um

470
00:25:33,400 --> 00:25:37,800
Speaker 1: watching this situation and really caring for for this man. Um.

471
00:25:37,960 --> 00:25:42,600
Speaker 1: And I just think that that's one thing that has

472
00:25:42,640 --> 00:25:44,680
Speaker 1: been a positive through the light. You know. The uncle

473
00:25:44,840 --> 00:25:46,760
Speaker 1: mentioned this to me as well. It's just you know,

474
00:25:46,880 --> 00:25:49,560
Speaker 1: you're seeing just how much the NFL is a community,

475
00:25:50,040 --> 00:25:53,120
Speaker 1: and you know, it's not just Bills fans, it's not

476
00:25:53,240 --> 00:25:58,160
Speaker 1: just Damar Hambling fans, it's everyone. And UM, I think

477
00:25:58,200 --> 00:26:00,680
Speaker 1: that you know, as we move forward through this process,

478
00:26:01,119 --> 00:26:04,040
Speaker 1: I think Damar, and this is something that the family

479
00:26:04,080 --> 00:26:06,760
Speaker 1: has really wanted to wanted to express, is that Damar,

480
00:26:07,160 --> 00:26:10,359
Speaker 1: when he hopefully wakes up and it is back to

481
00:26:10,400 --> 00:26:13,359
Speaker 1: a point where he can understand what's going on, will

482
00:26:13,480 --> 00:26:18,800
Speaker 1: will be overwhelmed with just the support that he's received throughout.

483
00:26:19,080 --> 00:26:21,200
Speaker 1: I think his uncle had a great quote to me, said,

484
00:26:21,200 --> 00:26:22,600
Speaker 1: a lot a lot of times, we don't get to

485
00:26:22,640 --> 00:26:24,840
Speaker 1: see how people how much people love us when we're

486
00:26:24,840 --> 00:26:28,800
Speaker 1: still alive. And now Damar has a chance to fight

487
00:26:28,840 --> 00:26:31,520
Speaker 1: through this and get a chance to see just how

488
00:26:31,600 --> 00:26:34,760
Speaker 1: much from people he may have known that loved him

489
00:26:34,840 --> 00:26:37,600
Speaker 1: and people who may not have known at all. And uh,

490
00:26:37,760 --> 00:26:39,879
Speaker 1: you know, sometimes we wish it didn't take this, but

491
00:26:39,920 --> 00:26:43,439
Speaker 1: it also, you know, it's a a reminder of just

492
00:26:43,520 --> 00:26:48,080
Speaker 1: how much instances can impact people. And so you know,

493
00:26:48,160 --> 00:26:50,720
Speaker 1: you mentioned just sort of the city. I was in

494
00:26:50,840 --> 00:26:53,040
Speaker 1: Uber last night and I was talking on the phone

495
00:26:53,040 --> 00:26:55,399
Speaker 1: with someone and the Uber driver said, man, I've been

496
00:26:55,400 --> 00:26:58,600
Speaker 1: praying for that kid for three hours, and uh, it

497
00:26:58,720 --> 00:27:01,680
Speaker 1: just hit me. I'm like, man, um, this story is

498
00:27:01,800 --> 00:27:06,120
Speaker 1: really touched everyone. So yeah, I appreciate you. Uh, Cam

499
00:27:06,240 --> 00:27:08,320
Speaker 1: the last thing and if you got to go just

500
00:27:08,440 --> 00:27:12,280
Speaker 1: let us know, and um, I just wanted, I guess

501
00:27:12,680 --> 00:27:14,960
Speaker 1: because I've learned about Tomorrow Hambling a little bit, you know,

502
00:27:14,960 --> 00:27:17,639
Speaker 1: over the last two days. It wasn't you know, I

503
00:27:17,680 --> 00:27:20,199
Speaker 1: wasn't familiar with this story and just like before we

504
00:27:20,400 --> 00:27:23,280
Speaker 1: let you go, I guess just curious of anything you

505
00:27:23,400 --> 00:27:26,879
Speaker 1: learned about Tamar Hamlin. What what you knew about him before,

506
00:27:27,080 --> 00:27:29,360
Speaker 1: even uh you know, as a players, as a man

507
00:27:29,440 --> 00:27:31,560
Speaker 1: and everything before. This is getting to know who he

508
00:27:31,640 --> 00:27:33,919
Speaker 1: is a little bit. Now, that's a great question. I

509
00:27:33,960 --> 00:27:35,840
Speaker 1: was talking to a buddy about this. Tomorrow AMML has

510
00:27:35,880 --> 00:27:38,200
Speaker 1: been the start and safety for the number one team

511
00:27:38,200 --> 00:27:39,440
Speaker 1: in the a f C for most of the year,

512
00:27:39,680 --> 00:27:43,320
Speaker 1: and I'd say probably football didn't know who his name

513
00:27:43,440 --> 00:27:46,200
Speaker 1: was before this week, and so um that's the reality

514
00:27:46,240 --> 00:27:48,879
Speaker 1: of like so many players in this league. But I

515
00:27:49,040 --> 00:27:51,440
Speaker 1: guarantee you that more people know his name and the

516
00:27:51,520 --> 00:27:54,840
Speaker 1: story now than than had ever had. And so, you know,

517
00:27:54,960 --> 00:27:58,440
Speaker 1: I was learning about Damar throughout this process. I've really

518
00:27:58,480 --> 00:28:02,680
Speaker 1: just learned how much he is a family loving person. Um.

519
00:28:02,720 --> 00:28:05,640
Speaker 1: You know, he has a loving set of parents who

520
00:28:05,720 --> 00:28:09,719
Speaker 1: who are super supportive of him, super strong. He has

521
00:28:09,720 --> 00:28:12,560
Speaker 1: a little brother, seven year old Demere who is really

522
00:28:12,600 --> 00:28:15,680
Speaker 1: his world. He's his role model there. And it really

523
00:28:15,760 --> 00:28:18,080
Speaker 1: hit me when I was talking to his uncle that

524
00:28:18,480 --> 00:28:21,680
Speaker 1: his little brother, Demir, who seven, was watching this game

525
00:28:21,720 --> 00:28:24,480
Speaker 1: in Pittsburgh with the family and he was the first one,

526
00:28:24,560 --> 00:28:27,760
Speaker 1: the little brother, to see his big brother hurt on

527
00:28:27,800 --> 00:28:31,600
Speaker 1: the field. And he started crying, and then the uncle

528
00:28:31,680 --> 00:28:35,440
Speaker 1: started to uh console and they started to console each

529
00:28:35,480 --> 00:28:38,280
Speaker 1: other essentially, and they that's when they decided to pack

530
00:28:38,360 --> 00:28:40,840
Speaker 1: up the two cars after the game was canceled and

531
00:28:40,920 --> 00:28:44,520
Speaker 1: drive up to the hospital where they've been since. And

532
00:28:44,600 --> 00:28:48,320
Speaker 1: so I've learned just how much the family has impacted him,

533
00:28:48,320 --> 00:28:50,800
Speaker 1: but then also just how he loves to give back,

534
00:28:50,840 --> 00:28:53,120
Speaker 1: you know. Um, you know, he goes to pee wee

535
00:28:53,200 --> 00:28:56,640
Speaker 1: games and random cities just to go hang with kids.

536
00:28:56,680 --> 00:28:59,480
Speaker 1: You know, that's that's his his love that he likes

537
00:28:59,480 --> 00:29:02,200
Speaker 1: to do in the offseason. He's a guy who, um

538
00:29:02,520 --> 00:29:04,840
Speaker 1: we know about his toy drive. He has had a

539
00:29:04,920 --> 00:29:07,360
Speaker 1: mission to give back to his communities, and now he

540
00:29:07,360 --> 00:29:09,240
Speaker 1: has a chance to do so with over six million

541
00:29:09,280 --> 00:29:12,280
Speaker 1: dollars um of money, you know, to help him medically,

542
00:29:12,320 --> 00:29:14,760
Speaker 1: but also to help people there. Um. You know, you've

543
00:29:14,840 --> 00:29:18,080
Speaker 1: learned just how much Um, He's a fun loving dude.

544
00:29:18,160 --> 00:29:19,760
Speaker 1: You know. I've talked to a couple of players and

545
00:29:19,800 --> 00:29:22,400
Speaker 1: coaches who the first thing they mentioned to me about

546
00:29:22,440 --> 00:29:25,800
Speaker 1: Damar is man, every time I see Demorrow laugh, he

547
00:29:25,880 --> 00:29:27,960
Speaker 1: makes people laugh, like and he's like, you know you

548
00:29:28,080 --> 00:29:30,520
Speaker 1: hear that and you're like, oh, what he was like, No, man,

549
00:29:30,640 --> 00:29:32,960
Speaker 1: I can tell you some of the jokes Tomorrow told me,

550
00:29:33,040 --> 00:29:36,239
Speaker 1: whether whether whether they're they're good to share or not.

551
00:29:36,440 --> 00:29:38,719
Speaker 1: And I'm like, Marrow would make you laugh even if

552
00:29:38,760 --> 00:29:41,960
Speaker 1: you're the first first time you met him. And so

553
00:29:42,520 --> 00:29:44,000
Speaker 1: you know, these are some of the things that I've

554
00:29:44,040 --> 00:29:46,040
Speaker 1: learned about him as a person. And just being real,

555
00:29:46,120 --> 00:29:49,680
Speaker 1: I've never met DeMar Handling before, like one on one setting,

556
00:29:49,720 --> 00:29:52,240
Speaker 1: and I've spent the last thirty six hours sharing your

557
00:29:52,240 --> 00:29:54,720
Speaker 1: story and I can't wait. I can't wait. I was

558
00:29:54,720 --> 00:29:57,760
Speaker 1: just telling my producer, UM, two moments I can't wait

559
00:29:57,800 --> 00:30:00,800
Speaker 1: for is the moment that, um, you I get to

560
00:30:00,840 --> 00:30:03,920
Speaker 1: meet DeMar for the first time and and and talk

561
00:30:04,000 --> 00:30:07,400
Speaker 1: with him hopefully and be able to uh, you know,

562
00:30:07,440 --> 00:30:11,520
Speaker 1: get insight on how he's reacting to everybody else's spirit

563
00:30:11,720 --> 00:30:15,240
Speaker 1: and in that moment where Damar joins his team again,

564
00:30:15,360 --> 00:30:18,840
Speaker 1: whether as a player, even if he's just at the stadium, UM,

565
00:30:18,920 --> 00:30:21,120
Speaker 1: soaking it in and just kind of seeing that emotion

566
00:30:21,560 --> 00:30:24,440
Speaker 1: UM that I'm sure Bills fans builds players and Bills

567
00:30:24,480 --> 00:30:27,240
Speaker 1: coaches will have surrounding him. Um. Those are the moments

568
00:30:27,240 --> 00:30:29,479
Speaker 1: we have to look forward to. As of now, we

569
00:30:29,480 --> 00:30:33,080
Speaker 1: don't have any set timetable and when we'll get those moments, UM,

570
00:30:33,120 --> 00:30:36,280
Speaker 1: but I choose to as we continue to work those stories,

571
00:30:36,320 --> 00:30:40,040
Speaker 1: think about those moments UM as we you know, wait

572
00:30:40,120 --> 00:30:43,680
Speaker 1: for more and more information. Absolutely, Kim, that's a great

573
00:30:43,680 --> 00:30:46,400
Speaker 1: way to put it. And we look forward to that

574
00:30:46,480 --> 00:30:50,880
Speaker 1: situation unfolding as well. And I did you mentioned the family, um,

575
00:30:51,160 --> 00:30:53,040
Speaker 1: and the nephew when he found out there was just

576
00:30:53,120 --> 00:30:57,040
Speaker 1: something that kind of hit me emotionally when it comes

577
00:30:57,080 --> 00:30:59,240
Speaker 1: to family that they got in the car they drive

578
00:30:59,320 --> 00:31:02,440
Speaker 1: three miles through what felt like a hurricane according to

579
00:31:02,440 --> 00:31:06,719
Speaker 1: the uncle. Yeah, to get to uh their guy and

580
00:31:06,760 --> 00:31:09,920
Speaker 1: be there to support him. Cam, thank you so much

581
00:31:09,960 --> 00:31:13,120
Speaker 1: for joining us foul Cam on NFL Network on Twitter

582
00:31:13,400 --> 00:31:16,320
Speaker 1: at Cameron Wolf and keep keep up the good work.

583
00:31:16,320 --> 00:31:17,960
Speaker 1: And I hope you get some rest down the line

584
00:31:17,960 --> 00:31:20,320
Speaker 1: when we get good news on what's happening inside that building.

585
00:31:21,000 --> 00:31:26,000
Speaker 1: Thank you appreciates there he goes Cameron Wolf and uh,

586
00:31:26,080 --> 00:31:28,480
Speaker 1: that was great. It was great to hear from Cam

587
00:31:28,560 --> 00:31:33,600
Speaker 1: and like Greg, you know before we say goodbye. Um,

588
00:31:33,640 --> 00:31:36,640
Speaker 1: it is again like a very human story. And even

589
00:31:37,280 --> 00:31:39,440
Speaker 1: um a colleague like Cam I camped out there. You

590
00:31:39,440 --> 00:31:42,840
Speaker 1: could see how this story has affected him on a

591
00:31:42,920 --> 00:31:47,200
Speaker 1: personal level, especially the more you learn about Tomorrow Hamilin

592
00:31:47,440 --> 00:31:50,560
Speaker 1: and who the who this guy is. So just hearing

593
00:31:51,040 --> 00:31:53,720
Speaker 1: from Cam, I could tell that this isn't just a

594
00:31:53,760 --> 00:31:56,560
Speaker 1: typical story for him to cover. Yeah, I think everyone

595
00:31:56,880 --> 00:32:00,440
Speaker 1: wants to do something, and you know, of the things

596
00:32:00,440 --> 00:32:01,800
Speaker 1: he did there, which I think is good to do,

597
00:32:01,920 --> 00:32:03,880
Speaker 1: is put put that pot, you know, you put that

598
00:32:03,960 --> 00:32:06,960
Speaker 1: positive energy out into the world. But on a more

599
00:32:07,000 --> 00:32:10,920
Speaker 1: practical level, he's doing something in in reporting and so yeah,

600
00:32:11,000 --> 00:32:15,520
Speaker 1: compartmentalizing that while while also being a human. Uh, he's

601
00:32:15,560 --> 00:32:19,400
Speaker 1: one of our best. So I'm not surprised he's he's

602
00:32:19,440 --> 00:32:22,360
Speaker 1: doing it. And that's like we'll be watching him, you know,

603
00:32:22,600 --> 00:32:25,160
Speaker 1: like him and and and Ben Baby has been doing

604
00:32:25,200 --> 00:32:29,120
Speaker 1: a good job over ESPN everyone reporting this story, Like, well,

605
00:32:29,200 --> 00:32:31,760
Speaker 1: we'll be watching them, hoping open for the good news

606
00:32:31,800 --> 00:32:36,120
Speaker 1: as soon as we can for sure. Um, okay, so

607
00:32:37,560 --> 00:32:41,920
Speaker 1: we set here obviously from and around the NFL standpoint, UM,

608
00:32:42,080 --> 00:32:44,520
Speaker 1: like everyone else, will be tracking the stories that goes

609
00:32:44,520 --> 00:32:50,880
Speaker 1: along and get UM back with updates when when they come.

610
00:32:50,920 --> 00:32:53,320
Speaker 1: We have, of course like kind of spinning forward because

611
00:32:53,320 --> 00:32:55,880
Speaker 1: the NFL, and that's a whole other story around this,

612
00:32:56,000 --> 00:32:58,760
Speaker 1: like what happens next for the NFL. But as of

613
00:32:58,880 --> 00:33:01,320
Speaker 1: right now, Week eighteen is on as scheduled, and you'll

614
00:33:01,320 --> 00:33:06,400
Speaker 1: hear from us again UM on Thursday, UH, and we'll

615
00:33:06,600 --> 00:33:08,360
Speaker 1: we'll take a look back at what's going on in

616
00:33:08,400 --> 00:33:11,120
Speaker 1: the NFL. But obviously this everything kind of has taken

617
00:33:11,120 --> 00:33:13,920
Speaker 1: a back seat right now to what's happening around the

618
00:33:13,920 --> 00:33:17,200
Speaker 1: Bills and tomar Hamlin and UM, what's the next step

619
00:33:17,240 --> 00:33:22,280
Speaker 1: for him? So for Mark Sessler UH and Greggy and

620
00:33:22,640 --> 00:33:26,520
Speaker 1: Grave Digger behind the virtual glass, we will be back

621
00:33:26,560 --> 00:33:28,840
Speaker 1: in touch with you guys soon. Until then, he the

622
00:33:28,920 --> 00:33:29,160
Speaker 1: call