NFL pundit Skip Bayless was forced into a grovelling apology after fans called him out for a disrespectful tweet during Monday night's game between the Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals. Bills star Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest on the field and remains in a critical condition in hospital.
The game was suspended and eventually postponed in the first quarter with the Bengals leading 7-3 at the time. And Bayless questioned how the NFL was planning to deal with the scheduling of the re-arranged game, writing: "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."
NFL fans were quick to call out Bayless for his tweet, questioning why he was thinking of the schedule rather than the 24-year-old's health. NBA star Isiah Thomas called on Fox Sports to fire the talkshow host, while Jacksonville Jaguars punter Logan Cooke called the tweet "disrespectful."
Bayless apologised for the tweet, writing: "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 & will continue to."
And on his Fox Sports show 'Undisputed' on Monday, Bayless apologised again, and insisted he never intended to cause any offence. He said: "The last thing we want to do is come off as insensitive to what this young man is going through in a life or death situation. The last thing we want to do is offend anyone."
Bayless' co-host on 'Undisputed', Shannon Sharpe, was absent from Monday's show. Sharpe is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and is widely regarded as one of the greatest tight ends ever to play in the NFL.
Tweeting immediately after the incident, Sharpe posted an apparent response to Bayless' message. He wrote: "Please keep Demar Hamlin and his family in your thoughts and prayers. NFL doesn’t have a manual on how to proceed after an incident like this."
As of Tuesday evening, Hamlin remained in hospital in a critical condition. The Bills posted earlier in the day: "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."
