and cnn sports analyst christine brennan joins us as well.he way the world stopped watching and watch what was happening on monday night football, just 3 weeks ago. it's shocking to think that that's where we are. but why are conspiracy theorists, do you think, trying to exploit this opportunity? what is? it >> i agree, it's horrifying. this young man almost died. and i think that the fact that he is in a football stadium -- he is alive, he is okay, or is getting better -- he is in a football stadium, cheering on his team in the middle of a snowstorm, by the way, that somehow this becomes fodder, laura, for these people? it is horrendous. it is awful. i kind of hate we are even talking about it. but of course we have to talk about it because it's an issue in our society. think of the things we could be doing, not talking about this, all these people who have to debunk these theories. it is atrocious. and to pry on this particular man, arguably the biggest story of the year so far in terms of -- not politics -- but in terms of culture and our

and joining us, as we watch it, is cnn sports analyst christine brennan. and that was it. , seeing that, they cut away to another shot just because nothing was happening after the tackle. and it was just seconds later that damar hamlin stood up and then suddenly went limp and fell. your thoughts right now? >> yes, anderson, coy. i was just listening to coy as well because he played the game. anderson, i've covered football for the entirety of my career. and i've always -- pro and college, so for decades. and this is that worst fear, that worst thought that you have in the back of your head really at every game. as a journalist, obviously family members, your heart is going out to his family right now and his friends, teammates and everyone who watched this, saw this, and is now wondering, of course, this incredible, tense, horrible moment of trying to figure out what happened. is he okay? but it is such a violent game. and yet, we sometimes forget all the fans and stadiums over the weekend. college, games programs. you forget sometimes offended screaming that these are youn

also here, cnn sports analyst christine brennan. and for manafort player dante stalwart.bob costa. he's here with me. when we go to downtown this because you are actually watching this game, live. and you saw this play happen. and you literally thought it was just a routine hit. nothing to worry about. and so you saw him fall. what went through your mind? >> well, it was a routine play. he was a catch and tackle, players both jumped up. i was watching the players after the place. i like a little trash talk. that's kind was expected for both players. when i saw them our fall back to the ground after standing up for a couple seconds i just knew that it was something wrong. after they delayed for a while. and he was lying down on the ground, and you heard enough to say that they were good to administer cpr. that's when it became concerned. because i had known and i had played the nfl for ten years. i've coached, and everything like that before. i'm midlife, and a level. high school, college, a pro. >> you never seen apartments on the field? >> during the rigorous practices i

ganz is here with more on you spoke to christine brennan, who has covered the nfl. that's right. you know, we always appreciate insight from veteran reporters on these types of incidents. but christine told me what happened on monday night is something that even the most established journalists have never seen. for lifelong football fans. the tamar hamlin injury proving a once in a generation worst case scenario. this truly is unprecedented. i have covered sports for a long time, and i've covered the nfl since the eighties college football since the eighties, and i've never seen anything quite like that collapsing after sustaining an open field tackle . americans want football to be violent americans love i love those big hits in 1971 the lions chuck hughes suddenly collapsed mid game in front of a packed stadium in detroit. he became the first and to date only nfl player to die on the field tragedy of chuck hughes with the detroit lions. that game was not stopped. that game went on. the fans sat in stunned silence for much of the rest of that game tragedy, striking the gridiron a

. >> michael holmes discussed pele's legacy with cnn's sports analyst christine brennan. the football icon has meant to brazil, given the scale of these tributes. >> obviously not only a great soccer player but a great ambassador for the game and for his nation. for brazil. it got to the point where he was so popular in brazil, they didn't want to lose him, that they basically -- the government said they couldn't trade hill, they couldn't have him play for any other team, at least in his heyday before he came to new york to play for the cosmos in 1975 and brought sacker, really, to the united states. a country that definitely we had not really heard about soccer, didn't know the game of soccer. other than that, he is brazil's, he is a legend, and of course larger than life. i think by the time -- at the end of the year, there's always a lot of introspection as we look back. and the fact that he passed away so soon before the year's end i think a chance to even look back more. and also, of course, the world cup just a few weeks earlier. again, we were thinking of soccer. p

. >> joining me now, former nfl player, marcus smith, the second and cnn sports analyst, christine brennanst time we were both speaking, it was a very different set of circumstances, we were hoping he'd be able to go home, hoping he'd have a chance to recover. wondering a lot of things. but you heard the bills coach, marcus, talking about this. i was called your player, a turn to the bills coach. talking about the player. i'm wondering if you believe there really is this shift about prioritizing the players, about prioritizing it's his decision, because, so often the way the contracts are written, sometimes there isn't incentives for players to play hurt. >> right. yeah. i think there is a shift with the nfl, i think they're pushing for this mental health thing. and i really appreciate it's the work that you do as a life coach, but i really truly feel they're pushing more for mental health, because we as players feel that we need today as mental health today in the nfl. i really believe that we need that in the nfl. >> it's important, because talking about mental health as opposed to his p

a lot of talk with former nfl player marcus smith the and sports analyst christine brennan.lad with both of you are here, i have to start with you marcus. we are hearing this and we are hearing, it is pretty calm at least at the outward appearance, the coordinated effort to save his life. we know that it has saved his life, that he is in critical condition. but i'm wondering, what is like for you as a former player to have the knowledge that this is happening? what is this been like, even to seeing this play out? >> so for, me i think, as it was playing out i started to cry. that was the first thing that i did. i was grieving because of what happened because i know being a player and how it looks and how it may be perceived, i know how that feels. so for me i was crying, as emmeram i was looking at it like man, what's this guy's gonna life gonna be like after this. i'm just so after be to see that he's doing well, he's breathing, everything is going in the way that should be going. so for me, i am -- i just really believe that through playing in the nfl and seeing that this

william: christine brennan, always so good to see you. thank you. christine: william, thank you.ff: returning to our lead story, as police continue their investigations, we're learning more about how the communities affected by the mass shootings in california are faring. let's go back to amna in monterey park. amna: it has been remarble to see over justice past day alone, the memorial behind me has grown exponentially in size. flowers, candles, notes of prayer, people of all backgrounds and ages coming to have a moment. this scene of such horrific violence has not become a place of peace and remembrance. just today someone came and punctuated that by hanging an american flag. it echoes what we have heard from residents here over and over again, which now they are part of this community all over america that has been touched by gun violence. but they do not want to let it define who they are. and that's the "newshour" for tonight. i'm amna nawaz. geoff: and i'm geoff bennett. thanks for spending part of your evening with us. >> major funding for the "pbs newshour" has been provid

i'm joined again by christine brennan sportswriter and , comnist for usa today. rson, welcome back. christine: great to be here. william: for those people who last focused on mikaela shiffrin during the beijing olympics when she really struggled, can you remind us overall of her remarkable achievements? christine: you alluded to it, how she burst on the scene as a teenager, winning national titles and world cup's quicker than anyone we've ever seen. incredible staying power in a sport where there is often injury. obviously it is on edge, as you are watching, your heart is in your throat as you watch anyone try to ski. time and again she has been able to win world cup races. two olympic gold medals and a silver medal. then came beijing and that was going to be the crowning achievement, potentially winning five metals, who knew how money gold. instead none as she skied off the course or had a disappointing after disappointed. the way she met that and talked about it, the dignity, the honesty of how difficult it was. we had to know there was more to come because she

i do want to play something for you that christine brennan said to me earlier tonight.ther end. >> this was it appears a freak injury in the sense of where he was hit at the exact moment, that millisecond, with his heartbeat, as we're hearing. but the fact that it was a routine play and it could happen like this, i think for everyone to take a step back and to have that conversation. i wouldn't be surprised if we hear about more players potentially retiring at the end of this season or considering retiring. when you go back and talk to your family and all of a sudden you see what you saw the other day. so i have no or thing on that. but my intuition covering football for all these decades is that maybe we will see people saying, you know, is it worth it. >> so coy, you played in the nfl for a decade. you know the nfl. do you think what happened to damar hamlin will make players ask that question, is it worth it? >> make it ask the question, maybe. make people retire, to put it succinctly i would say no, probably not. you know, i say that from experience. for one, pamela

. >> christine brennan, thank you so much. >> thank you. >>> turning south now, all of the way to the u.s./mexico border where president biden is making his first trip to the region since taking office. he is in el paso meeting with officials to evaluate border enforcement operations. and this hour he has been touring a migrant aid center. earlier the president went to a bridge spanning the u.s./mexico border. republicans and even some within his own party say this trip is long past due. he is now on his way to the airport and a flight on airforce one to mexico. cnn's senior white house correspondent mj lee is in mexico city, the president's next stop on this trip. mj, the governor of texas, greg abbott, wrote a letter to president biden saying that he is going to be involved, he is not going to actually see the real reality on the ground. so what will the president actually be seeing in what has he seen? >> reporter: you know, you make a really good point. republicans in particular have been hounding president biden for months and months to go down to the u.s. southern border and see