Damar Hamlin as leading candidate for AP NFL Comeback Player of the Year receiving fan blowback

[Malazan]

Hamlin came back?

[Warcodered]

13 minutes ago, TheBrownBear said:

It's weird how many of our own fanbase have seemingly turned on Hamlin, a guy who literally died for the sake of our entertainment.

He's a backup safety still being a backup safety and everyone just hopped on some hate train that he was only being kept because of the incident. No he's still in the role he's been having it's just unlike last year our starting safety hasn't been on IR since week 2 while the other one has been repeatedly out games forcing him to start essentially all season.

[eSJayDee]

I can see both sides of the argument -

Hamlin is playing & contributing at about the same way he was previously, which is to say he's a bottom of the roster contributor.  But he LITERALLY came back from the dead to be the player he previously was.

Although Flacco went from couch potato to starting caliber QB that has (significantly?) contributed to some wins, he's still not anywhere near the level he previously was.

So...is backup to nothing to decent starter better than backup to dead & back to backup?

[Saxum]

17 minutes ago, TheBrownBear said:

It's weird how many of our own fanbase have seemingly turned on Hamlin, a guy who literally died for the sake of our entertainment.

 

I do not think fanbase has turned on Hamlin but realize he was not starter material. 

Some later picks and UDFAs develop and others do not.

 

And "died for the sake of our entertainment: is over stating it. 

Other people die on the job as well in accidents and there is no indication it is other than an accident.

He is able to compete for position unlike other players hurt on the field and off the field.

 

Should he be given a perpetual job performance waiver based on the injury?

I would not mind if Pegulas or Beane found him a job working for Bills if he was not able to make 53 man roster or practice squad.

 

[Goin Breakdown]

Come back to life player award? Then there would be no doubt there. 

The dude is brave

[BBFL]

Should be Flacco. Especially after watching that TNF game. 
 

 

[wppete]

He barely played when dressed and he has only been dressed for a few games. So silly. Makes no sense at all. 

[Punch]

As good as Flacco is playing, what is he coming back from besides the waiver wire?

[Heavy Kevi]

1 hour ago, TheBrownBear said:

It's weird how many of our own fanbase have seemingly turned on Hamlin, a guy who literally died for the sake of our entertainment.

 

Is it turning on Hamlin?

 

I don't think that's it at all. Everyone knows he literally almost left it all on the field.

 

But... He should not be a candidate for comeback player of the year.

 

He deserves all the credit for everything he has done and everything he has sacrificed; which I'm sure is more than we realize.

 

But Baker Mayfield or maybe even Joe Flacco deserves CPOY. We can’t dilute awards and achievement just so the NFL can exploit damar's situation for PR.

[RobbRiddick]

Hamlin's situation was obviously terrible, it shocked the hell out of me, and he's done great to come back and play. But if he gets this particular award I personally find it kind of embarrassing,  almost patronizing. 

 

When they do the NFL honors they can do an special presentation for him where they show his story abs the good he's done for charity since the incident . But don't give him this award, you'll actually turn so many fans from around the league against him 

[BillnutinHouston]

53 minutes ago, Punch said:

As good as Flacco is playing, what is he coming back from besides the waiver wire?

 

Whether intended or not, I think you put your finger on the dilemma here.  Is the award intended to recognize what a player came back FROM or what a player came back TO BE?

 

[LeGOATski]

3 hours ago, mrags said:

No thanks. Should be Flacco or Mayfield. 

Lol, Flacco and Mayfield are just journeymen QBs. 

 

That's fine in years where no one really stood out. But when you have someone who literally died on the field and recovered to play again, that's something special. That's something to be honored.

12 minutes ago, BillnutinHouston said:

 

Whether intended or not, I think you put your finger on the dilemma here.  Is the award intended to recognize what a player came back FROM or what a player came back TO BE?

 

What did guys like Flacco and Mayfield come back TO BE? Still journeymen QBs? Or are they suddenly the franchise?

 

How do you compare coming back from the dead to be part of the team again and coming back from being benched/fired to being a starter again?

[LeGOATski]

3 hours ago, TheBrownBear said:

It's weird how many of our own fanbase have seemingly turned on Hamlin, a guy who literally died for the sake of our entertainment.

A bunch of insecure people

54 minutes ago, RobbRiddick said:

Hamlin's situation was obviously terrible, it shocked the hell out of me, and he's done great to come back and play. But if he gets this particular award I personally find it kind of embarrassing,  almost patronizing. 

 

When they do the NFL honors they can do an special presentation for him where they show his story abs the good he's done for charity since the incident . But don't give him this award, you'll actually turn so many fans from around the league against him 

That's those fans' problem. ***** them. ***** their couch.

[LeGOATski]

1 hour ago, Heavy Kevi said:

 

Is it turning on Hamlin?

 

I don't think that's it at all. Everyone knows he literally almost left it all on the field.

 

But... He should not be a candidate for comeback player of the year.

 

He deserves all the credit for everything he has done and everything he has sacrificed; which I'm sure is more than we realize.

 

But Baker Mayfield or maybe even Joe Flacco deserves CPOY. We can’t dilute awards and achievement just so the NFL can exploit damar's situation for PR.

Giving the award to journeyman QBs definitely qualifies as diluting it. Those types of guys do things every year. 

[Scott7975]

4 hours ago, Cheektowaga Chad said:

No matter what you think of hamlins talent level

 

The dude died on the field, has come back to play a game that he died playing

 

Like how is that not the definition of comeback player of the year

 

He came back from death

 

Joe flacco came back from the couch and being a stay at home dad

 

I see it from both sides but looking up the reward its "The National Football League Comeback Player of the Year Award refers to a number of awards that are given to a National Football League (NFL) player who overcomes adversity to return to remarkable performance, in the form of not being in the NFL the previous year, a severe injury, or simply poor performance."

 

I don't think Hamlin should get it, personally.  It's amazing he has come back but to be fair he really hasn't played, much less came back to remarkable performance.

[Sierra Foothills]

4 hours ago, uticaclub said:

I’m so sick of hearing about Hamlin

 

So you click on a topic about him and post about him. Maybe next tine ignore the topic?

 

Regardless of how you feel, this is actually an interesting conversation to many.

 

3 hours ago, PetermansRedemption said:

I always hated when this award goes to someone who barely makes an impact on the field. Also hate when it goes to someone who was a superstar, got hurt, and returns to be a superstar. Joe Flacco is making a gigantic impact, Damar Hamlin likely should have been cut. Flacco deserves it. 

 

Any particular individual come to mind?

 

1 hour ago, BillnutinHouston said:

Whether intended or not, I think you put your finger on the dilemma here.  Is the award intended to recognize what a player came back FROM or what a player came back TO BE?

 

That is unclear... see below.

 

37 minutes ago, Scott7975 said:

I see it from both sides but looking up the reward its "The National Football League Comeback Player of the Year Award refers to a number of awards that are given to a National Football League (NFL) player who overcomes adversity to return to remarkable performance, in the form of not being in the NFL the previous year, a severe injury, or simply poor performance."

 

I don't think Hamlin should get it, personally.  It's amazing he has come back but to be fair he really hasn't played, much less came back to remarkable performance.

 

Re your bolded ("to return to remarkable performance"), the Wiki entry includes that language but when you click on the footnote link in their bibliography that bolded language doesn't exist (here are the two links to compare):

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Football_League_Comeback_Player_of_the_Year_Award

 

https://web.archive.org/web/20100113081439/http://www.football-almanac.com/awards/NFL_Comeback_Player_of_the_Year_Award.shtml

 

Adding to the confusion is that the award is given out by both the AP and the PFWA.

 

The AP started voting on the award in 1963 but didn't vote on the award from 1967 to 1997 whereas the PFWA has voted on the award every year since 1972. This  raises the questions, which one is "the official award" and what is the official criteria?

 

Edited December 29, 2023 by Sierra Foothills

[Scott7975]

13 minutes ago, Sierra Foothills said:

 

So you click on a topic about him and post about him. Maybe next tine ignore the topic?

 

Regardless of how you feel, this is actually an interesting conversation to many.

 

 

Any particular individual come to mind?

 

 

That is unclear... see below.

 

 

Re your bolded ("to return to remarkable performance"), the Wiki entry includes that language but when you click on the footnote link in their bibliography that bolded language doesn't exist (here are the two links to compare):

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Football_League_Comeback_Player_of_the_Year_Award

 

https://web.archive.org/web/20100113081439/http://www.football-almanac.com/awards/NFL_Comeback_Player_of_the_Year_Award.shtml

 

Adding to the confusion is that the award is given out by both the AP and the PFWA.

 

The AP started voting on the award in 1963 but didn't vote on the award from 1967 to 1997 whereas the PFWA has voted on the award every year since 1972. This  raises the questions, which one is "the official award" and what is the official criteria?

 

 

Fair enough on the definition and its vagueness of the award, but that doesn't change my personal opinion on it.  I feel that a player should at least be playing and making contributions on the field for their team to have been considered made a comeback.  If he wins it great, but I'm not mad if he doesn't.  He obviously made the biggest comeback in life but I don't think he has made a comeback to football really all that much other than getting a roster spot on a team with a lack of good bottom of the roster candidates to begin with.

Edited December 29, 2023 by Scott7975

[Sierra Foothills]

3 minutes ago, Scott7975 said:

Fair enough on the definition and its vagueness of the award, but that doesn't change my personal opinion on it.  I feel that a player should at least be playing and making contributions on the field for their team to have been considered made a comeback.  If he wins it great, but I'm not mad if he doesn't.  He obviously made the biggest comeback in life but I don't think he has made a comeback to football really all that much other than getting a roster spot on a team with a lack of good bottom of the roster candidates to begin with.

 

I totally agree with your opinion... I don't think he deserves the award but my blood pressure won't spike if he does.

 

 

[Buffalo_Stampede]

5 hours ago, uticaclub said:

I’m so sick of hearing about Hamlin

It was mostly about CPR awareness. 

[Gugny]

Hamlin has played 17 snaps on defense this season. 
 

To help put that into perspective, Von Miller has played 243 snaps. 
 

Tyler Matakevich has played 16 snaps. 
 

Thats not coming back. That’s wearing a uniform.