Pittsburgh Steelers celebration draws backlash after Damar Hamlin incident. ‘Bad look’
The Pittsburgh Steelers are drawing major backlash online following a celebration move that has some NFL fans steaming.
During the last seconds of their 28-14 win over the Cleveland Browns on Jan. 8, the Steelers celebrated a Alex Highsmith sack of quarterback Deshaun Watson by performing a “CPR” motion on the field.
The move comes on the heels of Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin collapsing in Cincinnati during a match against the Bengals during Monday Night Football on Jan. 2. Hamlin went into cardiac arrest and was revived by a defibrillator before being rushed to the hospital.
According to a Steelers fan account, the celebration move has been done throughout the season prior to Hamlin’s tragic incident.
“Fans who haven’t watched much of the Steelers haven’t seen them do the CPR celebration before, but think it was bad timing,” the tweet read. “Steelers do it all the time prior to Hamlin’s situation. They weren’t intending to mock Damar Hamlin whatsoever.”
However, some football fans took to Twitter to express their anger at the move.
Highsmith shared a photo of the Steelers and the Browns united in prayer on the field prior to the game in support of Hamlin.
Even though the Steelers secured the win over Cleveland during Week 18, they weren’t able to get a spot in the AFC Playoffs for the 2022 NFL season.
Meanwhile, the entire NFL and its fan base have shown waves of support for Hamlin as he recovers from a Cincinnati hospital with his family surrounding him.
This story was originally published January 9, 2023 at 1:47 PM with the headline "Pittsburgh Steelers celebration draws backlash after Damar Hamlin incident. ‘Bad look’."