THE CHEAP SEATS with STEVE CAMERON: Bills player's situation is bad enough — and social media made it worse

As I type this, Damar Hamlin remains in critical condition.

Hamlin, the Bills safety who collapsed on the field in Cincinnati on Monday night, needed to have his heart restarted to keep him alive.

More than once.

Hamlin’s uncle, Dorrian Glenn, spoke to media members outside the University of Cincinnati Health Center around 4:45 p.m. PST on Tuesday.

“His heart went out, so they had to resuscitate him twice,” Glenn said. “They resuscitated him on the field before they brought him to the hospital, and then they resuscitated him a second time when they got him to the hospital.”

Although Hamlin remains in critical condition and has needed help from a ventilator to help him breathing, Glenn said doctors remained positive and that the situation was “trending upward.”

If you haven’t heard or read this already, several cardiologists have surmised that Hamlin suffered a heart injury called “commotio cortis,” a Latin term that means agitation of the heart.

The event is very rare, and usually results from a blow to the chest.

Hamlin made a tackle on Bengals receiver Tee Higgins, whose shoulder struck him on the upper torso. Hamlin got to his feet, took a few steps and then crumpled to the turf.

THAT’S THE short version of the event, and an even shorter summation of “commotio cortis,” which could have been fatal at the scene if not for medical personnel at the stadium with proper skills and all necessary equipment.

Beyond the obvious — I’m hoping this young man recovers to enjoy a long, fulfilling life — there are a few other things on my mind right now.

First, I’m thinking of comments from some former NFL players, men who have competed in this violent game, and have a perspective that the rest of us probably need to hear.

Marcus Spears, a nine-year defensive lineman, told ESPN …

“We have to remember that we’re talking about humanity here — humanity in real time — where a mother and father and family are frightened and praying."

“We (media) will move on, and pretty soon it’ll be the playoffs. This (Bills-Bengals) game will probably be replayed. Everything will keep going. “But they will still be hurting and worrying about Damar.”

Ryan Clark, a former defensive back who also contributes to ESPN, talked about the suddenness of something so serious.

“We all make statements, you know, like we’ll give our lives to win this game — or we’ll die for this team. You’re not actually thinking about real life and death, not until it’s in front of you."

“We all know football can be dangerous, but we’re thinking about knee injuries or spraining an ankle. “We understand there can be terrible consequences from playing this game, but you never think about that when you go out there.

“So, when something like this happens — Damar on the ground and players crying — it becomes real.”

LAST ITEM …

I’m miffed, and need to vent for a moment about social media, and some of the mind-dead people who use it to display their ignorance.

When there’s an event like this — you see a healthy NFL player topple to the ground and be rushed off in an ambulance — we apparently have to suffer fools whose IQ is just barely high enough to type something on Twitter or Facebook or whatever.

Millions of people saw Damar Hamlin collapse, and far too many of them immediately offered their own absurd diagnoses.

I prepared to sign off after reading that Hamlin’s spine had snapped, that his neck was broken, blah, blah.

But, wait …

That’s just the tip of the stupidity iceberg. Plenty of “experts” decided that Hamlin had been victimized by a COVID-19 vaccination.

Or had been felled by COVID itself.

Monkey pox?

Really?

I even noticed that a few people blamed the incident on climate change.

I mean …

Are you serious?

A 24-year-old man nearly lost his life Monday night, playing football for your entertainment.

The only good news, besides the hospital update, is that an endless line of wonderful people donated more than $5 million to Hamlin’s personal GoFundMe page — meant to provide toys for underprivileged kids. You folks can keep your phones and laptops.

But all you amateur doctors …

Out of the pool.

Email: scameron@cdapress.com

Steve Cameron’s “Cheap Seats” columns appear in The Press four times each week, normally Tuesday through Friday unless, you know, stuff happens.

Steve suggests you take his opinions in the spirit of a Jimmy Buffett song: “Breathe In, Breathe Out, Move On.”