Skip Bayless has been rightfully criticized for his initial reaction after the scary injury to Bills safety Damar Hamlin.
It seems Pro Football Hall of Famer and well-known NFL analyst Michael Strahan took issue with his colleague, as well.
Strahan, while speaking on FOX’s pregame coverage Sunday before the Week 18 afternoon slate, didn’t call out Bayless by name, but it’s fair to assume he was referring to the FS1 talking head. Bayless was, after all, one of the very few who didn’t show immediate, clear-cut support for Hamlin.
Hamlin, who has continued to make a remarkable recovery in the last week, suffered from cardiac arrest on the field at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati and needed to have his heartbeat restored. Bayless’ initial tweet showed more concern for the impending NFL playoff schedule than the player, which rubbed many including Strahan the wrong way.
“I’ve struggled with this in a lot of ways because it’s not so much just about being an athlete and experiencing being on the field and being that close to guys. And you see something happen to a young man like that, you don’t need to be a football player to understand how big this was,” Strahan said Sunday on FOX, per NFL reporter Ari Meirov.
“And you spoke about humanity, but there were things done here, by someone here at this network that were inhumane. And we sit here and we talk about how good, and I’m sorry to take it this way, but I just felt like sensible people and sensible human beings have a heart,” Strahan continued. “And they understand that your words and what you say really have an impact, on that young man’s family. And so all the attention should be on this young man, his recovery.
“For sensible people like us here, to say it didn’t affect anybody at this network, nobody at this network minded, that’s a lie. Obviously didn’t talk to us because it matters to us and it matters to any sensible human being that this young man’s life was bigger than any football game. That this young man will hopefully be back, and forget about football, but just have a life and his family has him. That’s the most important thing and I think that was lost a little bit in all of this.”
After facing backlash, Bayless tried to clarify his tweet and shared an on-air apology Tuesday. But another moment with co-host Shannon Sharpe one day later again proved that Bayless continues to ruffle the feathers of those he works with.
More importantly, however, Hamlin has made a remarkable recovery in recent days. He remains hospitalized in Cincinnati, though has been able to watch Buffalo take on the New England Patriots in a regular-season finale Sunday.
