Page 15 - aruba-today-20230106

A15
SPORTS Friday 6 January 2023

Back to work not business as usual for Damar Hamlin’s peers

By ROB MAADDI Cox said. “You think about
AP Pro Football Writer this game, you think about
For Damar Hamlin’s team- all the guys that were right
mates, peers and everyone there when it happened.
in the NFL community, go- You always think about
ing back to work is not busi- those guys. What’s going
ness as usual. through their mind. You
Players returned to prac- know that those guys are
tice with heavy hearts on going through it. Everybody
Wednesday, two days af- that was right there seeing
ter Hamlin went into car- what was going on, they’re
diac arrest and needed to going through it.”
be resuscitated on the field Cleveland Browns corner-
during Buffalo’s game at back Greg Newsome II
Cincinnati. said it will be challenging
Hamlin, the 24-year-old Bills to play the season finale in
safety, remains hospitalized Pittsburgh Hamlin grew up
in critical condition, but his in the area given the ex-
teammates are set to play traordinary circumstances.
the Patriots on Sunday, and “It’s definitely going to be
all games for Week 18 re- tough to finish out this last
main on schedule. game and just go on the
Some players across the field knowing that there’s
league have expressed Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow speaks with the media, Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023, in somebody out there that
concern about playing this Cincinnati. is in a life-or-death situa-
weekend because they’re Associated Press tion,” Newsome said be-
still processing what hap- I think getting back to as social worker or counselor. be an ongoing need. This fore practice Wednesday.
pened to Hamlin. Many normal as you can as fast “I think it is certainly key is something that will con- “It’s definitely going to be
were in tears watching him as you can is how I deal that we acknowledge how tinue and it’s something very tough and hopefully
receive medical attention with these kind of things. great a strain this places on we will continue to empha- that’s why we got our guys
on the field. They’re pray- But like I said, everybody everyone involved,” said size.” around us and we can all
ing for his recovery and has a different way of deal- the NFL’s chief medical of- The Bills held team meet- talk through it and things
are dealing with emotions ing with it.” ficer, Dr. Allen Sills. “Certain- ings and a walkthrough like that, but it’ll for sure be
they’ve never experienced The league and the NFL ly, the teams, the medical practice without any me- tough.”
playing a sport. Players Association have care providers, the staffs dia availability on Wednes- The New Orleans Saints had
“I’m sure if you polled the shared with teams, players and this is not just for Buf- day. the team psychologist pres-
locker room there would and coaches the mental falo and Cincinnati but They are scheduled to re- ent when they gathered for
be mixed votes on that,” health-related resources across all our teams. ... We sume practice on Thursday, a meeting Wednesday.
Bengals quarterback Joe available to them. Each have resources at each of with coach Sean McDer- “It’s OK to admit if you need
Burrow said about playing team has a licensed be- our clubs, and we’ve em- mott and some players ex- a little help,” coach Dennis
against the Baltimore Ra- havioral health clinician on phasized preparation in pected to speak to report- Allen said.
vens on Sunday. staff, as well as a pain man- this way. Our clubs have ers. Allen experienced firsthand
“Personally, I think playing agement specialist. deployed those resources Philadelphia Eagles defen- the death of a teammate.
is going to be tough. But The players’ union makes with their counselors and sive tackle Fletcher Cox He was a safety at Texas
there’s people that want a directory available to all their mental health profes- said he couldn’t play this A&M in 1991 when kicker
to play, and there’s peo- players to help them locate sionals. And that support weekend if Hamlin was his James Glenn died of heart
ple that don’t. Personally, a clinician near them, be it extends throughout the teammate. failure on the field while
I probably want to play. a psychiatrist, psychologist, entire NFL family, and it will “That’s too hard, man,” warming up for practice.q

AP source: Red Sox, Devers agree to 11-year, $331M deal

By KYLE HIGHTOWER uneasy fans after All-Star contract signed by Japa-
AP Sports Writer shortstop Xander Bogaerts, nese star Masataka Yoshi-
BOSTON (AP) — Rafael De- slugger J.D. Martinez and da.
vers has agreed to an 11- pitcher Nathan Eovaldi de- Devers was the AL’s start-
year contract worth $331 parted in free agency. ing All-Star third baseman
million to stay with the Bos- The 26-year-old Devers each of the past two years.
ton Red Sox, a person with reached the new deal a In 141 games last season,
knowledge of the agree- day after he and the team he batted .295 with 42 dou-
ment told The Associated agreed to a one-year, bles, 27 home runs and 88
Press on Wednesday. $17.5 million contract to RBIs.
The person spoke on condi- avoid arbitration in his final The Red Sox are trying to
tion of anonymity because season under club control. bounce back from a 2022
the team had not an- Devers’ 11-year deal is the season in which they fin-
nounced the deal. longest commitment this ished 78-84, last in the ultra-
Locking up Devers, a two- offseason by the Red Sox competitive AL East.
time All-Star third baseman, and Chief Baseball Officer A year earlier, they won 92 Boston Red Sox’s Rafael Devers watches his RBI-single against
the Tampa Bay Rays during the third inning of a baseball game
was an important move Chaim Bloom, supplanting games and reached the Monday, Sept. 5, 2022, in St. Petersburg, Fla.
for the Red Sox and their the five-year, $90 million ALCS.q Associated Press