Buffalo Bills return the opening jab for an emotional touchdown

We all know the cliché that comes up again and again during special sporting moments. It’s kind of like, you couldn’t write this script. That thought certainly crossed the minds of the tens of millions watching the opening kickoff of the Buffalo Bills and New England Patriots Week 18 matchup, and that includes the NFL social media team after Nyheim Hines shared the inaugural -Kickoff retracted for a touchdown. The Bills’ first game after their Monday Night Football matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals was suspended after Damar Hamlin suffered cardiac arrest on the field.

Variations on this phrase are not only overused, it’s also not true. Real live events are constantly being modified to allow a scripted product to elicit the maximum emotional response from the audience. Unlike the memorable Disney film Think of the titansTC Williams High School failed to win the state championship by scoring a touchdown on a double reverse with the quarterback as a lead blocker. They won that game 26-0and also played against a very different team than the one in the movie.

So in reality, a scene like Sunday’s in Buffalo is definitely one that could be typed into a Final Draft document. After a rousing performance of the national anthem by Janae Longo, the Bills would get the game’s opening kick. The players all had #3 patches on their shirts to honor Damar Hamlin. Bill Belichick wore a t-shirt in Hamlin’s honor when he first walked into the stadium. Hamlin has received many prayers, congratulations and donations drive toyand even a call from the President of the United States.

As the game began, Hamlin experienced a joy unique in the unscripted world of pro sports as Hines darted up the sidelines and then threw himself with several other teammates into the warm embrace of Bill’s mafia.

I’m not with Hamlin so I can’t tell you exactly how he felt at that moment. However, I do know that a smile appeared on my face as Hines sped into the end zone and judging by Hamlin’s tweet that result put him in a lucky position as well. Yes, this moment could very easily be scripted, but watching it in real time is truly unforgettable.