MSNBC presenter Joy Reid attacked the NFL on Tuesday - calling it a brutal 'modern day gladiator spectacle' in which a lack of care is shown for the wellbeing of players.
Her comments came as she questioned how long tournament organizers took to stop play after Buffalo Bills player Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest on the field on Monday night and was left in a critical condition.
'A horrifying on-field injury raises new questions about America's obsession with the violent spectacle of professional football,' she said during her show The ReidOut on January 3.
'It's yet another tragic reminder of the inherent violence of the sport and the humanity of the young men who put their health and safety on the line for the NFL's modern day gladiator spectacle.'
Reid also hosted on her show William Rhoden, the author of 40 Million Dollar Slaves, a book that examines how African American athletes are at the center of modern entertainment, culture and the lucrative sports industry.
'One of the things people have been thinking about a lot,' said Reid, 'is the level of concern that the NFL in general has for the bodies of these players.
'It's a violent sport, it's a brutal sport in a lot of ways, what do you make of the fact that it took a long time for that game to be stopped?'
Also on her show was cardiologist Bernard Ashby who discussed the nature of Hamlin's injury, and told the host that the random accident could happen to anybody - even someone with a healthy heart.
The NFL took around an hour once Hamlin collapsed to officially suspend the game as league executives were gathering information and communicating with the referee, coaches, and the NFL Players Association.
Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest on the field on Monday night and was resuscitated by medics, but updates have been positive in the days since, with his ventilator usage reduced from 100 percent to 50 percent late on Tuesday.
Hamlin collapsed following a collision with Cincinnati Bengals receiver Tee Higgins and was rushed to hospital after receiving emergency medical treatment at the stadium.
Doctors believe the blow to the star's chest threw his heart's pumping mechanism out of rhythm, disrupting blood flow around his body and shutting off his brain.
Experts speculate this may have happened during a vulnerable moment in the heart's electrical cycle, triggering a condition called 'commotio cordis'.
Reid's comments come as fans have called for the NFL to revise its rules around uniforms in the days since the accident, arguing players are able to use the hard body armor as a weapon.
