Damar Hamlin's on-field collapse sent shock waves across the sports world, and following the heroic efforts of the Buffalo Bills athletic trainer Denny Kellington performing life-saving CPR, the NFL wants to equip young athletes with the same skills.
In partnership with the American Heart Association and the American Red Cross, youth CPR training programs are being set up all over the country. The campaign is being boosted ahead of the Super Bowl and will last all February long, and the league will be holding a fundraiser to back its heart health efforts with a goal of $1 million.
"Amid the current national dialogue on emergency preparedness in sports, the NFL is supporting these efforts through activations during Super Bowl week, amplifying CPR educational materials, and enhancing long-term partnerships on the national and local levels," the NFL said in a statement.
For fans attending the big game itself, there will be interactive stations to learn the skills directly from professionals. Hamlin is also working closely with the league to bring awareness to heart health during Super Bowl week by promoting his #3forHeart CPR Challenge.
"The tools and trainings exist to keep young athletes safe — we embrace our responsibility to ensure that knowledge is in as many hands as possible for the greatest positive impact," said NFL Commissioner Roger Gooddell.
The NCAA tournament kicks off this week, so it's about that time to finalize your march madness brackets if you haven't already, and decide where to call the upsets. Iain MacMillan, senior editor at MacMillan, joins Cheddar News to discuss.
March Nadness is officially underway, and betting on this year's tournament has the potential to reach record levels. About 45 million Americans are expected to wager a total of $3.1 billion on just the men's tournament alone, according to a new survey from the American Gaming Association. Prince Grimes, Senior Writer for USA Today's sports betting media property, BetFTW, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss how betting could play into this year's tournament and other storylines surrounding March Madness.
March Madness is finally here as everyone is looking for which team to bet on and which teams to fade. Sports betting expert Alex Glaze joins Cheddar Bets to tell you which Cinderella team you should bet on and which teams to avoid for the NCAA Tournament.
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Sean Green, Co-founder of the Sports Gambling Podcast Network, discusses which teams he's leaning towards and away from, who the breakout stars will be, and explains why UCLA, a No. 4 seed, will leave New Orleans with the title.
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BetMGM host Olivia Harlan Dekker gives her plays for some of the NCAA Tournament's biggest storylines, and explains why she is selling on both Coach K and - yes - Sister Jean.
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Erika Nardini, CEO of Barstool Sports, joined Cheddar News senior reporter, Michelle Castillo at South by Southwest to talk about Barstool Sportsbook and the NCAA March Madness tournaments. "What we really believe is that there's going to be the next generation of sports bettor, [who] will follow sports the way Barstool Sports follow sports," she said. "They'll like winners. They'll like losers. They'll like the storylines. They'll like the drama with the fans.”
Amy Purdy, the three-time Paralympic medalist and first double-leg amputee competitive snowboarder, made her debut as a commentator at this year's games, and she joined Cheddar News to recap the event. "I like to challenge myself because I was challenging myself as a Paralympic athlete myself," she said. "But then to be able to be a commentator and be able to, you know, support the game, support the athletes in a completely different way, it was a lot of fun."
College basketball forward for the HBCU Texas Southern University, Mimi O'Neal, daughter of Hall of Famer Shaquille O'Neal, is pushing for more changes in light of gender equity scandals in NCAA college hoops brought to light on social media last year.
