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The NFL has done an acceptable job handling the Damar Hamlin injury… until now.
Yesterday, Sunday, Jan. 8, the Pittsburgh Steelers took on the Cleveland Browns and won 28-14. The win doesn’t cement much other than a winning season, as the New York Jets lost to the Miami Dolphins, thus securing them the final spot in the AFC playoffs.
But during the game, the Steelers were able to score several touchdowns and have big plays, which often come with celebrations–some elaborate and some simple. But one was just tasteless as Alex Highsmith got a huge sack on Deshaun Watson toward the end of the game and his teammates ran over to celebrate. But, instead of helping him, they acted like they were giving him chest compressions and mimicked CPR.
The reenactment is nothing new in the NFL as many teams have done it before, but performing it less than a week after Damar Hamlin’s on field injury, which included him being resuscitated on the field before getting rushed to the hospital, is poorly timed.
Twitter got wind of the celebration and immediately began to take offense to the celebration.
“I will once again say the Steelers are TRASH,” wrote ESPN8 sports analyst @Scuba_Steve26 on Twitter. “I’m sure the Steelers did this celebration all year, much like the rest of the league but there is a time and place for this. Zero situational awareness.”
Another Twitter user defended the Steelers’ use of the celebration, saying, “It’s a regular celebration people’s been doing since the early 2000s we’re all praying for him but just because he’s hurt doesn’t mean the world has to stop spinning and that everybody has to start playing like there sad.”
See how social media is reacting below:
