I watched my old hometown from far away, hoping the Christmas holidays would bring some peace, joy — and a Buffalo Bills title.
It has been a hard, sad and tragic year in Buffalo. 2022 was marked by a mass shooting by a white racist in May who killed 10 Black people in a supermarket. Then, on Christmas Eve weekend, a killer blizzard left nearly 40 people dead and paralyzed the region.
“2022 was one of the most difficult years in our community’s history,” tweeted Mark Poloncarz, executive of Erie County, where Buffalo is located. “After being challenged in so many ways…let’s hope for better days ahead in 2023.”
And then – on Jan. 2 – came Damar Hamlin.
He is a safety for the Bills who went into cardiac arrest after a tackle on Tee Higgins of the Bengals in Cincinnati. There was 5:58 left in the first quarter when Hamlin’s heart stopped. He was revived by CPR and other methods.
Hamlin was rushed to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center where, at the time of this writing, he remains in critical condition. The Monday night game – with huge playoff implications – was postponed.
Players from both teams on the field were in tears and emotionally spent. They gathered and knelt in prayer. Quarterbacks Josh Allen of the Bills and Joe Burrow of the Bengals, embraced as did many others, including opposing coaches Sean McDermott of Buffalo and Zac Taylor of Cincinnati.
Once again, fate delivered another cruel blow to Buffalo. Even the Bills offered no escape from the hard reality of life – and death – this time on a faraway football field. It hurts, because that’s the place where Buffalo dreams are shared — no matter what the weather brings or senseless violence takes away.
In Buffalo on game days, TV screens create a global village for rich and poor, black and white, suburban and city dwellers. Football provides a means for a city and region to not only come together but also define itself.
No matter what happens, Buffalonians will remain emotionally invested in their football team.
“Our Buffalo community has been through so much this past year, but our love for our neighbors and the Buffalo Bills never wavers and brings us together,” stated New York State Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Buffalo native. “Praying for Damar Hamlin.”
The Bills Mafia – the name fans call themselves – is as much a part of the fabric of Buffalo life as chicken wings and Lake Erie.
It’s been that way since I was in grammar school, watching Jack Kemp throw passes to Elbert Dubenion.
They were followed by such players as Jim Kelly, Thurman Thomas, Bruce Smith, Andre Reed, Billy Shaw, Tom Sestak, Joe DeLamielleure, O.J. Simpson, Steve Tasker, Josh Allen, Stefon Diggs, Matt Milano, Tre’Davious White and so many others.
Damar Hamlin must now be added to that unforgettable list.
He’s 24, and was a sixth-round draft pick out of Pittsburgh two years ago. He was a backup forced into the lineup when starting safety Micah Hyde suffered a neck injury.
Now Hamlin is fighting for his life and no one cares that the Bills, won-12 lost-3, and Bengals, won-11 lost-4 – were fighting for playoff positioning in one of the biggest games of the year.
“The game doesn’t matter,” Jim Kelly tweeted. “Prayers for Damar Hamlin.”
Ryan Clark played in the NFL and offered these words on ESPN about the way players feel about living out their football dreams.
“We forget that part of living that dream is putting your life at risk. And tonight we got to see a side of football that is extremely ugly. It was the most afraid I ever was watching a football game.”
A group of fans from both the Bengals and Bills gathered outside the hospital Monday night and held candles.
“This isn’t about football; it’s about life and death,” said Booger McFarland on ESPN. Joe Buck, who was announcing the game for ESPN, agreed. “This went from a sporting event to life and death just like that (snaps fingers).”
There was some positive news. Damar Hamlin, who is from the Pittsburgh area, had a GoFundMe toy drive for children in need and it had raised about $2,900. By Tuesday morning that number jumped to over $3.5 million.
“As I embark on my journey to the NFL, I will never forget where I come from and I am committed to using my platform to positively impact the community that raised me,” Hamlin wrote.
That kind of spirit says so much about Hamlin, and also what the Bills mean to their fans.
A few days ago I was walking near Sumter Landing, wearing my Bills hat. “Hey, are you from Buffalo?” a guy shouted out. “Yea,” I replied. “So am I,” he said.
We shared Buffalo tales of snowstorms; eating Beef-on-weck sandwiches, chicken wings and Bocce Club pizza. Other memories included Dyngus Day, the Old Rockpile and shopping at Wegmans.
“How do you think the Bills will do Monday night in Cincinnati?” he asked.
“I think it will be a tough game, but I think we can win,” I replied.
After what happened to Damar Hamlin Monday night, there were no winners. But it’s important to remember that in Buffalo, there were no losers.
“The game is not important,” football star J.J. Watt tweeted. “Life is important.”
He’s right. Right now, the love, care and prayers for Damar Hamlin is all that really matters.
Tony Violanti covers arts and music for Villages-News.com. He was inducted into the Buffalo NY Music Hall of Fame as a music journalist.