It was a frightening scene in the first quater of Thursday night’s game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers, when Chargers tight end Donald Parham suffered a serious head injury after hitting his head on the turf. The game was delayed for several minutes, and Parham was stretchered off the field while his arms were shaking. The Chargers have released an update, stating that Parham “is currently undergoing tests, imaging and evaluation for a head injury at UCLA Harbor Medical Center and is in stable condition.”
Well, after saying that “the last thing we would ever do is speculate about any injury, especially that type,” Fox play-by-play man Joe Buck proceeded to speculate with a bizarre statement:
“I will just add this- it is very cold, at least by Los Angeles standards, down on the field. Hopefully that was more the issue than anything else.”
Joe Buck bizarrely implies David Parham’s hands were shaking while he was stretchered of because it’s cold in LA pic.twitter.com/lPZnsTNsu2
— Gifdsports (@gifdsports) December 17, 2021
Buck has been getting destroyed on Twitter for his comment. Additionally, the Fox broadcast made things even more uncomfortable by zooming in on Parham, and that also drew plenty of criticism.
Here’s a sampling of the reaction:
LISTEN: Donald Parham Jr. is at the hospital with a brain/spine injury. Joe Buck says he'd never speculate on an injury, then speculates DP's arm tremors were bc "it's cold tonight, at least by Los Angeles standards."
Ladies and gents, meet rock bottom for sports broadcasting. pic.twitter.com/s3RbdE0ouO
— Chris Nowinski, Ph.D. (@ChrisNowinski1) December 17, 2021
“We won’t speculate on injuries. Allow us to speculate on an injury.”
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) December 17, 2021
I won't speculate about what announcers are thinking, but it’s possible Joe Buck’s “maybe he was cold” explanation for a traumatic brain injury was an attempt to prevent viewers from thinking about how bad the sport we love is for the human brain
— Rodger Sherman (@rodger) December 17, 2021
Did Joe Buck actually just speculate that Donald Parham’s arms shaking because he was COLD
— Jeremy (@JeromeyR0me) December 17, 2021
Joe Buck’s comments about Donald Parham potentially “being cold” as an explanation for why he was shaking while being stretchered off was ridiculous. Especially since he said you “never want to speculate on injuries.”
Fox has bungled the handling of that brutal injury.
— Jacob Camenker (@JacobCamenker) December 17, 2021
Joe Buck: We don’t want to speculate about an injury of this nature
Joe Buck 4 seconds later: it’s kinda cold for Los Angeles so maybe that’s why the guy convulsing from a serious head injury was shaking. He was probably just shivering because LA is chilly right now
— Heatdaddy (@heatdaddy69420) December 17, 2021
Chargers TE clearly unconscious on the field and the Fox cameraman stands over him like the Undertaker, nice dude
— rone’s gamblin corner (@rone) December 17, 2021
FOX seemed extremely slow to realize Parham's state of unconsciousness.
— Collin (@cmccollo) December 17, 2021
“He’s got a concussion zoom in on his face quick” – producer for Fox
Ts and Ps to Parham
— Football (@BostonConnr) December 17, 2021
https://twitter.com/MonsieurDL73/status/1471657344601894917
