Hamlin appears on field
Damar Hamlin has made it to the Super Bowl.
The Buffalo Bills safety made his third appearance in Phoenix during Super Bowl week, this time on the field at State Farm Stadium before Sunday’s game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles.
It’s been a little more than a month since Hamlin went into cardiac arrest and needed to be resuscitated on the field in Cincinnati. Sunday’s appearance was another milestone in his remarkable recovery.
“I’m allowing that to be in God’s hands,” Hamlin said in an interview with Fox’s Michael Strahan. “I’m just thankful he gave me a second chance.”
During the pregame pageantry, the NFL honored the Bills and Cincinnati Bengals training and medical staffs, along with the staff at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center. A minute later, Hamlin joined them, putting his hands together to form a heart.
He also received hugs from several of the first responders.
Hamlin, a McKees Rocks native, Central Catholic grad and former Pitt football player also appeared on stage at “NFL Honors” on Thursday night.
“My entire life, I felt like God was using me to give others hope and now with a new set of circumstances, I can say he’s doing what he’s always done,” Hamlin said Thursday. “I have a long journey ahead, a journey full of unknowns and a journey full of milestones, but it’s a lot easier to face your fears when you know your purpose.”
Hamlin collapsed on the field after a collision with Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins on Jan. 2. The sight of an elite- level athlete nearly dying on the field sent a shock across the NFL and the world.
Rihanna
Rihanna was pregnant with her second child as she performed her Super Bowl halftime show.
The singer’s representative confirmed the pregnancy shortly after she ended her 13-minute set at Super Bowl 57.
The baby bump that was visible in the tight clothes she wore under her baggy red jumpsuit during the show set off a wave of social media speculation that she might be pregnant again.
The 34-year-old has a 9month-old son with rapper A$AP Rocky.
Griner
Brittney Griner was in the crowd representing the Eagles at the Super Bowl.
It was the third public appearance for the WNBA star since her release from a Russian prison.
Griner has said she’ll play for the Phoenix Mercury again this season, although she’s still an unsigned free agent. She hasn’t talked about her international future and potentially playing in the Olympics next year in Paris.
Baby bonanza
The Kansas City Chiefs welcomed two new fans to the world on Super Bowl Sunday with a third apparently on the way.
Chiefs offensive lineman Nick Allegretti’s wife, Christina, gave birth in the early hours to twin girls back home in Chicago, a team official confirmed to The Associated Press. Allegretti was able to watch everything unfold on FaceTime from the lobby of the team hotel while the rest of the Chiefs slept ahead of their game against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Allegretti, who has started three games this season, will be available for the Chiefs in the big game.
About the same time his wife was giving birth, Chiefs wide receiver Mecole Hardman tweeted that his girlfriend, Chariah Gordeon, had gone into labor. Hardman went on injured reserve this week and was not available to play in the game.
There are plenty of Eagles on baby watch, too.
Starting center Jason Kelce, whose brother Travis is a tight end for Kansas City, and his wife are expecting their third child at any moment. In fact, Kylie Kelce, who is 38 weeks pregnant, has said that her obstetricians would be on hand at State Farm Stadium on Sunday should the baby make a dramatic appearance during the game.
That happened just last year to Rams receiver Van Jefferson.
After helping Los Angeles beat the Cincinnati Bengals to win the Lombardi Trophy, Jefferson learned that his wife, Samaria, had gone into labor and was taken out of the stadium on a stretcher. Jefferson bolted from the postgame celebration with his father, former NFL player Shawn Jefferson, and made it to the hospital to meet his son.
The couple appropriately named him Champ.
Betting
FanDuel says it is still going to give $10 million in free bets to spread among its Super Bowl bettors.
In a much-hyped ad for betting site FanDuel customers, Rob Gronkowski attempted a 25-yard field goal. A voiceover said he missed the kick, but they’d still give out the free bets. But online, onlookers were confused and thought it was good.
Gronk’s “Kick of Destiny” landed the gaming site plenty of free publicity for the stunt, as well as plenty of new customers who registered to be part of the campaign.
Colts
Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Shane Steichen is the leading candidate to be the next head coach of the Indianapolis Colts, a person familiar with the team’s decision told The Associated Press.
The person spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity Sunday because Steichen is coaching the Eagles in the Super Bowl against the Chiefs and a deal hasn’t been completed.
Steichen, who was one of three finalists for AP Assistant Coach of the Year, would become the second Eagles offensive coordinator hired by the Colts as their head coach. Frank Reich, who was fired by the Colts earlier this season, was Philadelphia’s offensive coordinator before becoming Indianapolis’ head coach in 2018.
The Colts fired Reich in early November after a third straight loss and replaced him with Jeff Saturday on an interim basis. After winning his first game, Saturday and the Colts lost their last seven to finish 4-12-1.
Saturday, a former twotime All-Pro center who snapped the ball to Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning for 12 seasons with the Colts, had been working as an ESPN analyst when the Colts brought him in to replace Reich.
Saturday was a candidate for Indianapolis’ permanent position. Reich was hired last month as head coach of the Carolina Panthers.
Reich’s offensive coordinator in Indy from 2018-2020 was Nick Sirianni, who led the Eagles to the Super Bowl in just his second season as a head coach.