Football fans grapple with violent side of a beloved sport
By JOCELYN NOVECK
AP National Writer
NEW YORK (AP) — The harrowing on-field collapse of Buffalo Bills defensive back Damar Hamlin has forced some fans to confront a truth they’ve always known but hated to think about: Football, a game with violence in its DNA, can go from exciting and joyous to dark and tragic in a flash. Now, as Hamlin remains in critical condition in a Cincinnati hospital, fans like Max Cerone are reflecting on their relationship with the sport they love. Cerone says he’s thinking of the players who put their bodies at risk but are often not seen as regular human beings. Other fans are grappling with the perennial question of whether to allow their kids to play.
