At this point in time, there is not enough evidence to answer the question of how successful the NFL concussion protocol is. The statistics regarding concussion incidences in the NFL provides outsiders with inconsistent data. There is no clear pattern of steady increasing or decreasing rates over the course of multiple seasons. These results seemed to support the evidence that not all concussion present the same way. This variation in clinical presentation might be an explanation as for why some seasons had a drop in concussion rates. Even though a player might not show drastic signs of a concussion such as loss of consciousness or changes in gait, it should not be assumed that the player has not sustained an…
After contacting Bobak Abdolmohammadi, research assistant at the Boston University CTE Center, of the brain samples donated to the center, around eighty percent are of former football players. His opinion echoes, based upon the findings at BU, that it is the cumulative exposure to repetitive head impacts that is most likely the main explanation behind CTE. He believes it is clear that something must be done to help solve this issue at the basic foundational level. In conclusion,the injury rate in the sport of football in relation to a child/adolescent’s vulnerability to physical injury creates a very precarious situation for a child participating in tackle football. With a high risk of physical injury for a child and the injury rate of football, those constant injuries can develop into overuse injuries like concussions.…
Frontline’s League of Denial explains how the glorification of violence plays a role in head injuries in the NFL. The National Football League’s chronic brain injury rates are increasing very quickly, causing the league to increase protocol to provide better protection for the players. It is hard to find a football player today whose body hasn’t paid a very high price; the love of the game may be destroying the brains of NFL players.…
The N.F.L created the head, neck, and spine committee with the intention of diagnosing, preventing, and treating any N.F.L football player that sustains an injury, including concussions. However, concussions remain a major issue happening in the football world and players continue to remain affected by them. In fact during the 2015 pre and regular season games, 271 players sustained concussions, making it a 31.6 increase from 2014 (Breslow). This set of statistics proves that the concussion crisis continues to increase because each year more players continue to become affected by concussions. Furthermore, it tells people that concussions don’t only happen in regular games, but during pre season games as well. In addition concussions regularly occur in highschool and little league football. As a matter of fact, around 47% of concussions occur in high school students (Sports). Which represents one of the highest percentages among other high school sports. This again proves that concussions do not only happen in the major leagues. The N.F.L also plays a major rule in these outside leagues. The New York Times stated, “the league’s public position could influence other levels of football because many college, high school and youth leagues take their cues…
According to Ken Belson of The New York Times (2014) one in three NFL players is affected by brain trauma. The New York Times has also stated that NFL players are eight times more likely to develop Alzheimer’s or dementia than the general population. The NFL has come across a rise in concussions over the past decade. Over the past three seasons there have been over 690 recorded concussions throughout the league. Not only are current players being affected, but so are retired players. 87 of 91 deceased NFL players were found to have Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, or CTE, after years of concussions and hits to the head during their NFL careers. CTE is a brain disease with symptoms of memory loss, aggression, confusion,…
September 28, 2002. No this isn’t the day that Title IX came into play, or the day that Roger Bannister ran a four-minute mile, or the day that LeBron James decided he would leave the Cleveland Cavaliers to play for the Miami Heat. This is the day that we would see an NFL legend, Mike Webster, laying on an autopsy table at the Allegheny County coroner’s office in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. The significance of this day? After this day, the world of football would be turned upside down. Webster died of heart failure, but there was more to it than what met the eye. Webster was the first confirmed case of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE). CTE is defined by the Brain Injury Research Institute as, “a degenerative brain disease most commonly found in those who have suffered multiple concussions or mild traumatic brain injuries (Omalu What is CTE?).” In this essay, I will explore CTE and what the NFL has-or rather has not-done to help its players in order to determine if football does cause CTE. Under the microscope, you can see CTE as a “buildup of tau, a…
Cited: Coats, TA-Nehisi. "NFL 's Response to Brain Trauma." The Atlantic. Atlantic Media, 25 Jan. 2013. Web. 7 Apr. 2013.…
In an everyday game of contact sports a variety of things can happen to an athlete, however, it’s how you deal with those “things” that counts. A concussion on an athlete can be fatal if not treated properly and diligently. An approximate 60 tackles are made in a single football game, but it only takes one to possibly change an athlete’s life forever.…
The NFL (National football league), a standout amongst the most watched games on the planet and is famous for the aggressiveness of the game. This sport is played by two groups of 11 players each on a rectangular, 100-yard-long field with objective lines and goal posts at either end, the objective being to pick up ownership of a ball and propel it in running or passing plays over the rival's objective line or kick it through the air between the adversary's goalposts. Despite the fact that this game is generally supported by the public it seems to come with the dangers of wounds and injuries. One of the most common injuries in the game is when a player his hit with a violent shock to the head resulting in a wound on the brain. This injury has…
The alarming effects of Concussions in the NFL has become a major topic of discussion with a wide variety of opinions from medical professionals, NFL representatives, academic institutions and Anti-NFL advocates. While there has been action taken on behalf of the NFL, some believe that these actions still aren’t enough and that the complete mitigation of concussions has yet to be addressed. There has been many new outlets and sports forums that have called out Roger Goodell and the NFL on their continuous practice of masking the true dangers of head trauma. The New York Times published an expose that revealed that the “NFL omitted 100 diagnosed concussions from its supposedly all-encompassing study from 1996-2001, which understated the risks…
Although many activities and sports may be enjoyable, some may cause long-term consequences specifically to the brain. There have been several reports of brain trauma and head injuries due to certain sports, such as football. Research shows many individuals who have experienced the dangers of brain damage because of physical infliction during a game of football. The movie Concussion shows a forensic pathologist who discovers chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, while performing an autopsy on deceased former football players. An article by New York Times also discusses the risks of football and the company, Pop Warner, that disregarded the harm of brain trauma. Some dangerous activities that could potentially harm the brain by repeated injuries to the head should be prevented to protect certain individuals, such as athletes, from CTE because some companies are ignoring the long-term consequences.…
Football, America’s sport may be the most dangerous sport because of the long-term effects that one may have after one’s career. Many unsuccessful attempts to come up with a solution to concussions still puzzle those who are influenced by the game While the NFL would be concerned at the loss of fans and there revenues that maybe the least of the worries that NFL have. The number of concussions among the players becomes an enormous concern for the rule makers and the equipment makers and even the agents of the players.…
Steelers legendary Mike Webster died from a heart attack in 2012, but a forensic pathologist, Dr. Bennet Omalu, had concerns and knew there was something wrong in Webster’s brain. Dr. Omalu did more research and used Webster’s brain, and he eventually found something interesting and discovered chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) which is a disease caused by multiple head injuries and it was exactly what Mike Webster…
Every year, when summer begins to wind down and the children are getting ready to go back to school, football season is ready to ignite. The NFL professionals have been practicing for a little while now and the high schools and youth leagues are ready to suit up as well. Football in some families is considered a passage to life for many boys. Many players step onto the field with all of their protective gear, never even considering how dangerous the sport really is. What it is to medicals professionals and some parents is a concern for recurring concussions and lingering brain damage.…
Ellenbogen, R., Berger, M., & Batjer, H. (2010). The National Football League and Concussion: Leading a Culture Change in Contact Sports. Elsevier.…