ESPN's Dan Orlovsky — a 'follower of Jesus' — prayed out loud for Damar Hamlin on 'NFL Live' broadcast. Marcus Spears, Laura Rutledge also bowed heads, said 'amen.'



ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky — a "follower of Jesus" as noted on his Twitter bio — prayed out loud for Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin during the sports network's "NFL Live" broadcast Tuesday, an unusual gesture for television.

What did Orlovsky say?

Hamlin, 24, collapsed on the field in cardiac arrest during a Monday Night Football game against the Cincinnati Bengals after he appeared to take a hit to his chest while tackling Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins.

Orlovsky, a former NFL quarterback, spoke on the "NFL Live" broadcast with fellow analyst Marcus Spears and host Laura Rutledge at the table with him.

"Football gave me everything, you know, and I think even through the midst of the absolute tragedy last night, I think you saw some of the beauty of football as well, that it's brought us all here together," Orlovsky began.

He continued, saying that "this is a little bit different. ... I've heard it all day ... 'thoughts and prayers' ... 'all we can do is pray for him.' I've heard the Buffalo Bills organization say that we believe in prayer, and maybe this is not the right thing to do, but ... it’s just on my heart that I wanna pray for ..."

"It is," Spears affirmed.

Orlovsky continued: "... Damar Hamlin right now. I’m gonna do it out loud, I’m gonna close my eyes, I'm gonna bow my head, and I’m just gonna pray for him."

Rutledge and Spears bowed their heads along with Orlovsky.

Then Orlovsky began to pray:

God, we come to you in these moments that we don’t understand, that are hard, because we believe that you’re God, and coming to you and praying to you has impact. We’re sad, we’re angry, and we want answers, but some things are unanswerable. We just wanna pray, truly come to you and pray for strength for Damar, for healing for Damar, for comfort for Damar, to be with his family, to give them peace. If we didn’t believe that prayer didn’t work, we wouldn’t ask this of you, God. I believe in prayer, we believe in prayer. We lift up Damar Hamlin’s name in your name. Amen.

Spears and Rutledge added an "amen" each after Orlovsky's prayer, while Rutledge remarked that it was "beautiful."

Check it out:

ESPN's Dan Orlovsky Praying for Damar Hamlin on NFL Liveyoutu.be

What is the background?

After Hamlin's collapse, medical personnel rushed to the field and gave him CPR and oxygen, after which he was taken by ambulance to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center. He remained in critical condition Wednesday morning.

Players were visibly distraught on the field, the game was paused after the teams' head coaches conferred, and the NFL officially suspended the game around 10 p.m. ET.

Sports Illustrated said Hamlin was on a ventilator at the hospital. Dorrian Glenn, Hamlin's uncle, said Hamlin had to be resuscitated twice, once on the field at Paycor Stadium and once after he arrived at the hospital, ESPN said in an updated story. There is also concern surrounding potential lung damage, the sports network added.

But Glenn told ESPN's Coley Harvey outside the hospital Tuesday evening that Hamlin is sedated and "improving from where he was yesterday." Hamlin's agent, Ron Butler, told ESPN's Jeremy Fowler that Hamlin's oxygen levels have improved.

There’s Nothing Wrong With Asking Questions About Damar Hamlin’s Sudden Collapse

The voices shunning questions about Hamlin's collapse are the same ones who shunned questions about the government's Covid response.

Troy Aikman says NFL should 'take the dresses off' regarding too many penalties for roughing the passer. Now woke mob wants ex-QB canceled over his 'misogyny.'



Troy Aikman — the NFL Hall of Famer who's arguably the game's best color commentator — said during ESPN's Monday Night Football broadcast that the league should "take the dresses off" in regard to the numerous penalties for roughing the passer that have been called so far this season.

As you might imagine, the woke mob now wants Aikman's head on a platter over his "misogyny."

Here's audio of his comment after a penalty against Kansas City Chiefs defensive end Chris Jones after he tackled Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr:

\u201cTroy Aikman wants the NFL to \u201ctake the dresses off\u201d and fix roughing the passer penalty \u201d
— Gifdsports (@Gifdsports) 1665452410

“My hope is the competition committee looks at this during the set of meetings and, you know, we take the dresses off,” said Aikman, who won three Super Bowls calling signals for the Dallas Cowboys in the 1990s.

How are folks reacting?

Aikman's comments drew plenty of attention on social media, and the woke mob demanded punishment.

  • "Did Troy Aikman really just say what I think he said? Did he really just say that it's time for the league to 'take the dresses off'?" sports commentator Jason Page asked. "The 60s called, they want their chauvinist back. Seriously @ESPN... do better than that crap.“
  • "Troy Aikman really needs to find a non-misogynistic way to critique the call besides 'take the dresses off,'" Chuck Modi — a self-described "justice journalist" — said. "And I say this as someone who heard this misogyny normalized by coaches as a kid & even participated myself. Way past time to end such sports talk."
  • Rachel Schallom Lobdell, editorial director at Fortune Magazine, noted the "truly awful call, but let’s not overlook Troy Aikman’s sexist comment ..."
  • "Did Troy Aikman just say that he hopes the competition committee 'takes their dresses off'? As in trying to demean them by calling them women? Is he actually serious?" asked Arielle Orsuto, sports reporter for Denver's KUSA-TV.

Others agreed:

  • "Troy Aikman just said 'we need to take the dresses off' on national TV about a call," one Twitter user said. "Can we as a country cancel him so I never have to hear his voice again?"
  • "Troy Aikman is a dumb ass; he needs to be fired," another commenter said. "There's no place for that kind of talk in broadcasting. There's plenty of people who can do his job; they don't need Aikman."

But many — including the vast majority of those responding to above tweet with audio of Aikman's comment — weren't offended and ripped the woke mob:

  • "As a woman, who watches every minute of RedZone, NFL Network, and anything else football related, I found Troy’s comment hilarious NOT misogynistic!" one commenter said. "So sick of all the PC in this country!"
  • "Incredible hilarious and a comment that is so overdue, both for football and society," another user said.

(H/T: The Daily Wire)

LA Rams linebacker Bobby Wagner annihilates animal-rights activist who invaded playing field during game — and everybody loves the hit



Los Angeles Rams linebacker Bobby Wagner absolutely leveled an animal-rights activist who made the mistake of running onto the playing field during Monday night's football game against the San Francisco 49ers — and getting a tad too close to the Rams' sideline.

What happened?

The activist ran onto the field during the second quarter — with a device emitting pink smoke — and was successfully evading security personnel, one of whom slipped and fell in the process.

But Wagner is paid big money for not missing moving objects on the field — and he clobbered this guy for free.

As the woke demonstrator skirted near the Rams' sideline, Wagner emerged and put a full-speed lick on the interloper, who immediately collapsed to the turf.

Image source: YouTube screenshot, composite

Fellow Rams linebacker Takkarist McKinley assisted, ESPN said.

Peyton and Eli Manning sure enjoyed it:

Bobby Wagner tackles fan that ran onto field | NFL on ESPN youtu.be

"Yes! That's what we're talkin' about!" Peyton Manning shouted while punching the air during a replay of Wagner's hit.

What did Wagner have to say?

Wagner told ESPN that he was intent on "keeping it safe" for those around him.

"You don't know what that fan got or what they're doing," he added to the sports network. "You see it all the time, and we don't know what they're carrying in their pockets. It's whatever that little smoke stuff is, but that s**t could be dangerous. One of the guys on the other side, it looked like he got hurt, and security looked like he was struggling, so I was frustrated, so I took it out on him."

Here's a look from a few other angles; onlookers were pleased:

Bobby Wagner tackles fan on the field (fan angles) youtu.be

49ers Coach Kyle Shanahan enjoyed Wagner's hit as well. "I saw Bobby Wagner take somebody out," he told ESPN. "That was kind of cool to see."

The Rams lost to the 49ers, 24-9.

What's the story with the demonstration?

Direct Action Everywhere appeared to take responsibility for the demonstration, Fox News reported.

Two activists were identified as Alex Taylor and Allison Fluty, both of whom are from the Bay Area, Fox News added. Direct Action Everywhere tweeted a photo of the pair wearing "RightToRescue.com" T-shirts and holding their citations, noting that Taylor is the activist whom Wagner tackled:

\u201cRELEASED: Alex and Allison, the 2 activists who disrupted tonight\u2019s NFL game, have been released from police custody. Alex, who was tackled by Bobby Wagner, has a burn on his arm. Otherwise, they\u2019re a bit beaten up but in good spirits.\u201d
— Direct Action Everywhere (@Direct Action Everywhere) 1664852554

Direct Action Everywhere said in a press release that two of its investigators, Paul Darwin Picklesimer and Wayne Hsiung, were charged with multiple felonies for "rescuing" piglets in 2017 from Circle Four Farms, which is owned by Smithfield Foods, Fox News said.

"Smithfield will do anything to shield its abuses and protect its profits," Taylor said in a news release, according to the cable network. "We must take action to stop the violence and create a better future for us all."

Leftists completely lose it after Aaron Rodgers says Ayn Rand's 'Atlas Shrugged' is on his bookshelf: 'Trade him. F*** it.'



Aaron Rodgers — superstar quarterback of the Green Bay Packers — continues to cause fits among leftists far and wide.

From the moment he called out hypocrite politicians who don't obey their own COVID-19 mandates a year ago to his more recent takedowns of the "woke mob" and "cancel culture" — particularly with regard to vaccines — and his revelation that he consulted with podcaster Joe Rogan for COVID-19 treatment after contracting the virus a few months ago, the free-thinking Rodgers has been rising fast on the left's most-hated list.

And on Monday night, he gave them another reason to froth at the mouth.

What happened?

Rodgers was a guest on Monday Night Football's "ManningCast" — during which brothers and ex-NFL quarterbacks Peyton and Eli Manning discuss the game at hand — and the subject of what Rodgers reads came up.

The quarterback, who led the Packers to the top NFC playoff position with their Sunday win over the Minnesota Vikings, told the Manning brothers he reads "a lot of French poetry" and then pointed at a bookshelf behind him and said he's "got 'Atlas Shrugged' by Ayn Rand over here."

Aaron Rodgers, from a justified hater of awful Scott Walker to \u2026 having \u201cAtlas, Shrugged\u201d from nutty Ayn Rand. \n\nYIKES.pic.twitter.com/82GlB5YYiu
— TWDTV (@TWDTV) 1641269851

Fighting words!

Rand and particularly "Atlas Shrugged" increasingly over the last decade or so have become favorite targets of the militant left, who say the author and her famous book espouse a me-first ideology. But fans counter that Rand's writings inspire and uphold individual freedom.

And just like clockwork, leftists jumped all over Rodgers for what's on his reading list.

Philadelphia Inquirer sports columnist Marcus Hayes appeared to lead the charge as he mocked the QB:

Aaron Rodgers brags he has Ayn Rand\u2019s \u201cAtlas Shrugged\u201d on his bookshelf.\n\nExplains everything.pic.twitter.com/fYHmGeY7FX
— Marcus Hayes (@Marcus Hayes) 1641270066

The Palmer Report offered the following brutal take:

Aaron Rodgers just bragged that he has Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged on his bookshelf. Explains all his lying about being vaccinated and such. He's one of those "screw everyone else before they can screw you" wackos. People like this are always a danger to others.
— Palmer Report (@Palmer Report) 1641273196

Others followed suit in bashing the quarterback:

  • "Pre-college, I had an [opportunity] to read Atlas Shrugged, write an essay, and have a chance at $10,000. I thought, 'easy money!' Until I started to read it. Long story short: I took out college loans instead of subjecting myself to any more of that drivel," one commenter said.
  • "The least surprising news ever is that smug, faux smart guy Aaron Rodgers’ favorite book is Atlas Shrugged," another user noted. "What a tool."
  • "Bragging about 'Atlas Shrugged' is something emotionally crippled undergraduates do, which....explains a lot about Aaron Rodgers, who is of course in his late 30s," another commenter said.
  • "It's been very difficult watching Aaron Rodgers, my all-time favorite player, embrace everything I loathe. But Atlas Shrugged? Trade him. F*** it," another user declared.

But not every observer agreed with the left-wing talking points.

  • Conservative commentator and radio host Jason Rantz shot back at Hayes: "If only Aaron Rodgers had some Ibram X. Kendi book, woke Twitter wouldn’t pretend to be upset."
  • Brigitte Gabriel, another conservative figure, remarked: "Just incredible, Aaron Rodgers bragged about having Ayn Rand's 'Atlas Shrugged' on his bookshelf. This man is a PATRIOT!"
  • Jim Hanson, author and executive director of America Matters, gave "kudos" to Rodgers: "Atlas Shrugged is ponderous but everyone should read it. It's a brilliant contrast of statism v. individualism. It perfectly captures the dismal failure of leftist rule & points to a choice: Live for the state or yourself. I chose me."
  • And John Ziegler — senior columnist for Mediaite and a self-described "conservative/libertarian" — mocked the left's reaction to Rodgers: "Actually, Atlas Shrugged really DOES explain everything ... Damn, Aaron Rodgers really triggered the woke crowd, tonight!"

Couch: Peyton and Eli Manning debut the future of sports broadcasting



I'm not sure exactly why the Manning brothers' Monday Night Football telecast worked so well. Peyton and Eli weren't even wearing yellow blazers! A fire alarm went off at one point. And when they had Russell Wilson on as a guest in the fourth quarter, Peyton wouldn't let him get a word in edgewise.

But they did work. There probably is some big reason for that, for why we're ready for a show like this now. There just was this feeling that you weren't being talked to, but instead were in on the whole thing with them.

They told funny stories, poked fun at each other, explained what was going on, and best of all, they gave great insight into what a quarterback is thinking during a game. Who knew that quarterbacks were so nerdy?

"Ray," Eli asked guest Ray Lewis, "would you want one of (Peyton's) helmets filled with quarters or $10,000 in cash? Which would be worth more?"

Eli liked to poke fun at the size of Peyton's forehead.

ESPN2 is going to give us 10 weeks of Peyton and Eli doing an alternative MNF broadcast. Next week is Detroit at Green Bay, and neither of them will be brutally honest about the brutal play of Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

For yesterday's Baltimore-Las Vegas game, they had guests Charles Barkley, Travis Kelce, Lewis, and Wilson along the way. And there is no doubt that they should be in the main booth doing the game on ABC.

What worked for the Mannings was when they stopped trying so hard and became a cross between Beavis and Butthead and the two old Muppet guys sitting in the theater box.

Turns out, Peyton is just like he is in those Nationwide commercials with Brad Paisley, where he shows off massive Peytonville and all the tiny doll people in the city have backstories. He's just that nerdy.

"Onsides kick, onsides kick, onsides kick!" Peyton yelled in the final seconds before overtime. The Raiders beat Baltimore 33-27, and the Mannings really didn't explain the narrative about how Lamar Jackson's fumbles did the Ravens in.

"What would you do if it's third down and all of a sudden Gruden calls a play you don't like?" Eli asked Peyton at one point.

Peyton started waving his arms, "'I'm gonna call my own play. I'm gonna call my own play. I can't hear you.'"

The trick, Peyton said, is to blame it on technical problems with what he's hearing in the headset. But the backups have to go along with it and not tell the coaches that they could hear the call fine:

"Everyone has to buy in," Peyton said. "You cannot sell your starting quarterback out."

For sure, they got off to a rough start. Peyton was talking too much. When they stopped performing, they became way more entertaining. It started hokey when Peyton did a little skit where he was drawing things up on the whiteboard.

Peyton kept smirking and shaking his head all night, or yelling "horrible call" when he didn't agree with the officials. He told one story about how he cursed out an official and felt so guilty about it that he asked the league for the official's home address so he could write him an apology note.

The league wouldn't give him the address. Peyton said they must have been afraid he was going to egg the official's home.

We got to find out how deeply quarterbacks hate crowd noise. When the Raiders, the home team, failed to pick up a first down on fourth and short, because the Baltimore defense broke through the line, Peyton jumped in:

"That's crowd-noise penetration. The offensive line is not getting off on the snap because they can't freaking hear … Drink your beer, quiet down, and let (Derek) Carr play quarterback."

Eli said this about Peyton: "He had that stadium trained. The fans would get fined if they talked while the Colts were on offense. If a guy was trying to order a beer, everyone would tell him to quiet down until the defense was on the field."

I'd call this a new model for broadcasting games, or even for sports talk shows. No one was yelling at me. No one was pretending anything at all. These guys were genuine, having a running conversation for more than three hours.

But I'd be afraid to see others pretending to be genuine.

My favorite line of the night was when Lewis was the guest and Eli talked to him about what it was like being a young quarterback facing him:

"I get up there and I'm saying, 'No. 52's the mike.' You were like, 'I'm not the mike, he's the mike.' I said, 'Wait, Ray's right. The other guy is the mike.' Then Ed Reed starts saying 'Hey, I want to be the mike.'"

They messed with Eli's head, and it worked that day.

"I had a 0.0 (passer) rating," he said. "That's hard to do."

ESPN will televise NFL players' protesting, singing of black national anthem on Monday Night Football



ESPN will televise any NFL players protesting the national anthem beginning on Monday — and will also feature the singing of the "black national anthem," according to reports.

What are the details?

Monday Night Football's Monday debut will likely be chock-full of protesters and will have two songs.

According to Front Office Sports, ESPN — which typically shows the honor guard and the singing of the national anthem — will have a decidedly different format this season.

The network also reportedly has plans to televise the singing of the "black national anthem," a song called "Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing."

ESPN Executive Vice President of Event and Studio Production Stephanie Druley told reporters, "Our policy is to cover the anthem when it's newsworthy. That's not going to change. We are going to continue as we've done with the NBA and the WNBA. We will cover social justice movements, actions, as they happen. We're not going to shy away from that."

Druley added, "Look, we're going to keep our main rule, which is when it intersects with sports, we're going to cover it, and look, we don't see the social justice movement as being political. It's social justice."

When asked if viewers would be able to see the playing of the national anthem, Druley said she didn't know.

"We will make a judgment call every week," she responded. "But I can tell you that Week 1, that first game, you will see the anthem — and you will see 'Lift Ev'ry Voice.'"

'The country is going through a lot of political situations'

According to the report, NFL players will "be encouraged to salute victims of police brutality by placing details with their names on their helmets."

"The league will also stencil social justice statements such as 'End Racism' and 'It Takes All of Us' in end zones this season," the report continued. "The league will play 'Lift Every Voice and Sing' before each game during opening weekend."

On Tuesday, CBS Sports Chairman Sean McManus issued similar remarks.

"We don't forget the fact that the country is going through a lot of political situations with Black Lives Matter, social justice and social injustice," he said. "We're not going to ignore that. Obviously, we're going to address it in our pregame show, with interviews and features. But the coverage of the game, once we get to our game coverage, will obviously be focusing on presenting the action on the field. But we don't forget and we don't ignore those other two elements."

McManus pointed out that a delicate balance needs to be struck with regard to this highly unique season's viewership.

"We need to thread the needle just the right way. Because there are people who are tuning in just to hear about football. So we need to make sure that we don't overdo the emphasis on what's going on in our country," McManus explained. "But we're not going to ignore it. Our announcers on-site at the games are not going to condone and they're not going to condemn what's going on. They're going to report it — and they're going to move on."

The New York Giants will face off against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday, and the Tennessee Titans will square off against the Denver Broncos.