Damar Hamlin meets Joe Buck, Troy Aikman months after collapse

On Jan. 2 in a highly anticipated game in Cincinnati, Hamlin fell to the ground after tackling Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins. Though he stood up from what appeared to be a routine play, he collapsed on the field and remained motionless.

As paramedics and trainers administered assistance, Buck, Aikman and sideline reporter Lisa Salters pivoted from calling a game to relaying information about a medical event. It was revealed that Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest, and he was rushed to a nearby hospital once he was stabilized by medical professionals.

In the moment and for days after the game, Buck, Aikman and ESPN (on their behalf), defended themselves from criticism by the NFL for stating that the league had asked for the game to resume once Hamlin was carted off the field. 

Buck frequently stated that the league office said the teams were given a warm-up period before returning to action. All of that became moot once Bengals coach Zac Taylor, Bills coach Sean McDermott and the players pushed back on the league, leading to the game's cancellation.

As noted by media observers, ESPN and its personalities took a greater role than usual during Disney's presentation in light of the ongoing writer's strike. Typically, media companies will enlist talents on their scripted and talk shows to present their upcoming programs for the next season as well as provide some entertainment. 

However, as Deadline mentioned, Disney spent half of its time on ESPN while condensing announcements from its other properties.