Eli Apple was not disrespecting Damar Hamlin with Bills tweet

Nov 21, 2021; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Eli Apple (20) against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Eli Apple some negative attention for a tweet he sent after his team beat the Buffalo Bills, but the tweet was not as disrespectful as many people interpreted it to be.

The Bengals went into Buffalo on Sunday and dominated the Bills in the AFC Divisional Round as a 6-point underdog. Bills star wide receiver Stefon Diggs did not handle the 27-10 loss well and reportedly had to be stopped by a teammate when he tried to leave the stadium early.

Diggs sent a cryptic tweet about the incident on Monday, and Apple retweeted with a comment trolling Diggs and the Bills. The defensive back wrote, “Cancun on 3.”

“Cancun on 3” is a sports joke that is often used by people in the NBA when they want to ridicule a team whose season has ended. The joke is that a team is now breaking a huddle/meeting by saying “Cancun on 3” rather than “Raptors on 3” (for example) because their next stop is not to prepare for another game, but to go on vacation to Mexico.

Many people missed the joke. Since Damar Hamlin wears jersey No. 3, a lot of people believed Apple was trolling the Bills for trying to rally around Hamlin — who suffered a cardiac arrest on the field earlier this month — and coming up short. That was not the case, and Apple made that clear with a follow-up tweet on Tuesday.

“All love thoughts prayers and concerns to @HamlinIsland as he continues to recover from that tragic incident. Never would I make light of that scary unfortunate scene. This game is truly a dangerous risk to our bodies mind and spirit. Nothing but love to all my football brothers,” Apple wrote.

Once he cleared that up, Apple went right back to talking hilarious trash to Bills players.

Apple also dropped a great line on Monday night about Diggs and Josh Allen needing “couples therapy.”

Any outrage about Apple disrespecting Hamlin was unwarranted. He was simply giving a masterclass in the art of talking smack after a big playoff victory.