Tony Dungy references Damar Hamlin at anti-choice rally – Audacy
NBC Sports NFL analyst and conservative activist Tony Dungy spoke at an anti-choice rally in Washington, D.C. on Friday.
The NFL Hall of Famer, who is a devout evangelical Christian, referenced the scary cardiac arrest incident involving Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin while arguing against reproductive rights.
“Every day in this country, innocent lives are at stake,” Dungy said at the annual March for Life event. “The only difference is they don’t belong to a famous athlete, and they’re not seen on national TV.”
The Hamlin comment came as part of a larger explanation about Dungy’s belief in the importance of prayer in relation to “saving precious unborn lives.”
Earlier in the speech, Dungy mentioned the “miracle” of the millions of Americans who prayed in response to Hamlin’s injury.
“It could have been tragic, but something miraculous happened. … The real miracle was the reaction of everyone to that. The announcers on the broadcast, what did they say? ‘All we can do is pray.’ And all across the country, people started praying. … The Bills players prayed right on the spot.”
Dungy then claimed that the league and its broadcast partners have discouraged players and coaches from praying on-field.
“Now, usually when that happens, the cameras cut away from that, because ‘We don’t like to see that.’ Back when I was coaching in the 1990s, a few Christian players got together, and they said ‘We want to pray together after the games,’ and we actually got a memo from the NFL office that said, ‘Don’t let your players do that. If you do, you’ll be fined, because that’s not appropriate.’ Can you believe that? That’s a true story. But three weeks ago, everybody on that field was praying. And it continued. The next week, in every stadium in the NFL, teams got together and prayed, and it was amazing.
“Well, those prayers were answered. Damar’s recovering now, he’s home, he’s been released from the hospital. But what’s the lesson in that? An unbelievable thing happened that night in a professional football game with millions of dollars of ticket money on the line. That game was cancelled. Why? Because a life was at stake. And people wanted to see that life saved. These are people who aren’t necessarily religious, they got together and called on God. Well, that should be encouraging us, because that’s exactly why we’re here today. Because every day in this country, innocent lives are at stake. The only difference is they don’t belong to a famous athlete, and they’re not seen on national TV. But those lives are still important to God, and in God’s eyes.”
Dungy’s conservative beliefs have come under increased scrutiny of late, particularly after a recent controversial tweet which he later deleted without explanation.
In the tweet, Dungy repeated the transphobic myth that public schools have provided “litter boxes” in bathrooms for students who “identify as cats.”
The tweet was just the latest in a series of homophobic incidents from Dungy over the years. He spoke out against Jason Collins and Michael Sam, the first openly gay active players in the history of the NBA and NFL, respectively, and has continued to use problematic phrasing in reference to the LGBTQ community, often invoking the term “lifestyle.”
Earlier this month, Dungy and CBS Sports studio anchor James Brown were featured speakers at an event hosted by controversial evangelist preacher Andrew Wommack, who, according to Out Sports, has equated being gay to murder.
During his tenure with the Colts, Dungy was associated with the Indiana Family Institute, which has lobbied against marriage equality for same-sex couples and the right of gay people to adopt children.
NBC Sports was yet to comment on Dungy’s tweet or his appearance at the March for Life rally.
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