FOX and Joe Buck completely missed the mark when trying to provide coverage of Donald Parham’s injury. Twitter made sure to let them know that.
Los Angeles Chargers tight end Donald Parham suffered a scary head injury that resulted in him having to go to the hospital. And somehow FOX and Joe Buck missed the mark in finding a way to appropriately provide coverage of Parham’s injury and what was going on.
First, FOX apparently decided it was a wise idea to show what appeared to be Parham seizing as he was being carted off the field following his injury. Then Buck, for whatever reason, decided to make a comment on how the cool weather might be causing what appeared to be a seizure.
The whole thing is an absolute mess and it should not be this way.
Joe Buck: “We aren’t going to speculate about Donald Parham”
— Josh Hill (@jdavhill) December 17, 2021
Also Joe Buck: “But hey, it’s cold so maybe that’s why a guy who just suffered a head injury is shaking” pic.twitter.com/ciePUztRK8
Donald Parham injury: Joe Buck makes asinine remark when discussing Donald Parham’s injury
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
There’s no Way Joe Buck just said that 😑
— Snap (@snaponic) December 17, 2021
I appreciate Joe Buck trying to put a brave face on it, but I don't think Donald Parham was cold...
— Patrick Daugherty (@RotoPat) December 17, 2021
This is just flat-out irresponsible and absurd. Buck and FOX really need to reevaluate a few things when it comes to determining how to provide coverage of an incident where a player suffers a significant injury.
First, they’ve got to realize that it’s tasteless to zoom in on a man who appears to be suffering a seizure so that they can show a slow-motion replay of that happening. Then they’ve got to go over what’s actually appropriate to say after a player suffers a devastating injury, especially one that involves the head.
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."
— Chris Nowinski, Ph.D. (@ChrisNowinski1) December 17, 2021
Ladies and gents, meet rock bottom for sports broadcasting. pic.twitter.com/s3RbdE0ouO
Joe Buck just said he hopes the Chargers player having a seizure was because he was cold. He is in a dome. In Los Angeles. What a moron.
— RedditCFB (@RedditCFB) December 17, 2021
With the way the NFL historically struggles to handle injuries to the head and neck, this is a remarkably awful way to frame what was going on.
To say, in one breath, how it’s awful to speculate about what’s going on, and then in the next breath to speculate that maybe the relatively “cold” weather conditions is what was causing “the issue” is asinine.
Joe Buck: We don’t want to speculate about an injury of this nature
— heatdaddy (@heatdaddy69420) December 17, 2021
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
I don’t think he was COLD, Joe Buck.
— Michael Hurley (@michaelFhurley) December 17, 2021
Jesus.
I think Joe Buck should have stopped when he said he would never speculate about an injury like Donald Parham's, rather than immediately go on to speculate that Parham was just shivering because it's cold.
— Michael David Smith (@MichaelDavSmith) December 17, 2021
Parham deserves better than this. Any player who gets hurt during a game deserves better than this.