Concussion And Margin Call

First, I am going to talk about the science behind concussions, CTE, and why it is such an issue for a football player. Concussions are very damaging to the brain and experiencing a lot of them can lead to CTE. I will also discuss people that influenced the understanding of concussions and CTE. In 2002, a neurologist named Dr. Bennet Omalu tried to tell the NFL about the brain damage he found while doing a former NFL player’s autopsy, but the NFL did not really listen. In 2009, another researcher by the name of Dr. Ann Mckee tried to get the NFL’s attention about her concerns about football players and concussions as well. The NFL once again ignored these assumptions. However, the NFL did listen to Dr. Elliot Pellman, who told the league as early as 1994, that concussions were not a big problem and just part of the game. I will discuss how NFL players were treated when they got their “bell rung” during a big game; and what kind of medical treatment they

In the movie, Concussion, Dr. Bennett Omalu persevered through both professional and personal challenges and was ultimately vindicated. A lot of former NFL players went insane when something bothered inside their heads and they died so Dr. Omalu found neurological deterioration when he observed the dead players’ brains for an autopsy. Dr. Omalu worked as a forensic pathologist and he cut the bodies to take the things out of it. During the investigation, Dr. Omalu researched about neurological deterioration and he met the medical colleagues about the situations from the dead NFL players. Dr. Omalu was very religious and he used his faith for professional work. Also he received the critics from NFL because the committee didn’t support Dr. Omalu’s

The NFL: League of Denial, written by Mark and Steve Fainaru is one of the first books to publicly question the NFL’s concussion protocol. The book was originally produced as a documentary on PBS, which aired in 2010. The two authors, Mark and Steve Fainaru are ESPN reporters, and brothers. Steve Fainaru formerly worked as a war reporter in Iraq, while Mark Fainaru primarily focused on sports journalism. In an interview with the Chicago Tribune, Mark Fairnaru describes the book as documenting "pretty extensively two decades worth of denial by the league to basically bury the concussion issue as anything serious for the sport" (Chicago Tribune). The two authors became interested in the concussion crisis in the NFL after reading the research of Dr. Bennet Omalu. Dr. Bennet Omalu is a Nigerian, now American Medical Doctor, Forensic Pathologist, Professor, Medical Examiner, but most importantly, the discoverer of the connection between the brain disease, CTE and sports-related concussions. The book focuses on Dr. Omalu, and the case of former NFL player, Mike Webster, and his football related injuries, which later led to his death.

Omalu has made sense. He just speaks with facts from all the research that he and others like him have discovered. "We are born with a certain number of neurons. We can only lose them; we cannot create new neurons to replenish old or dying ones (Omalu, 2015)." That is one of the statements he makes from his essay that just speak to the types of logic he voices. Repeatedly receiving blows to the head is not safe for everyone, especially a youth. Would it make sense to put a person through that even if they haven't "consented" like Dr. Omalu would point out? To claim that there is no damage left over from concussions or other blows to the head is just absurd. However, people must also look at the other repercussions received by playing a sport such as football. Leadership, hard work, teamwork, companionship and the ability to rally around your peers for a common goal is only some of the benefits received by playing these types of sports. Some would say it's worth it, while some doctors and parents would agree with Dr. Omalu's discoveries and

Concussions can truly mess with an athlete’s brain and can give him or her lifelong troubles.

While examining his brain, they found the first case of CTE (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy) in a football player (Ezell). Dr. Omalu continued into the brains of football players. He diagnost another player with CTE. After that, two other doctors connect concussions to dementia. Dr. Bailes and Dr. Guskiewicz wrote, “that the onset of dementia-related syndromes may be initiated by repetitive cerebral concussions in professional football players” (Ezell). This was the first major finding connecting football to brain injuries.

Concussion, the biographical sports drama, is a movie directed by Peter Landesman. It is based on a true story of a Nigerian doctor named Dr. Bennet Omalu who is played by Will Smith. Finding his way into America as a surgeon, he encountered and diagnosed a former American Football player after their death. Dr. Bennet has to faced against a billion dollar organization, the national Football League, in order to justify his researches and enforce it to be publicity.The movie shows hardship and unfairness of the football company to Dr. Bennet Omalu. This movie have three particular points that audience should consider and notice. Director, Peter Landesman, was able to created the movie in a realistic and reliable way to the scenes. Though the movie was realistic, certain parts of the movie was out of context and confusing. Especially the actor expressions and feelings toward each other, they did not successfully execute properly to make it believable. It is an amazing and educated two hours movie, yet it felt as if there are missing scenes in the movie.

In the sports world today, there are many different injuries that athletes experience and one of the most devastating injury is a concussion. Concussions can happen to anyone, in any sport, but we tend to see most concussions in contact sports (Świerzewski 1). While having an informal conversation with my dad about football, he told me it was common for athletes to receive a head injury in a game and continue to play as if nothing was wrong. While watching SportsCenter, I found that some of the greatest retired athletes don’t remember the best moments of their careers due to the lack of treatment. The worst aspect of concussions is that the symptoms can be delayed; in some cases, it’s only a headache so athletes don’t seek medical treatment. Multiple concussions over time can lead to life-threatening complications due to the damage they cause to the brain. Concussions can happen to anybody at anytime, but there is more to concussions than meets the eye.

The number of concussions in professional and amateur football has been rising and has sparked much controversy in recent years. These concussions are most likely linked with disease and even the deaths of some pro and semi-pro football players. New research is attempting to solve the problem but the issue is still prevalent in football today.

Concussion revolves around Dr. Bennet Omalu and the research that established Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE). Omalu is a forensic neuropathologist from Nigeria who came to America to chase dreams as a doctor and researcher. Omalu’s discovery began in the brain of Mike Webster, a National Football

Head injuries, including concussions, particularly in the game of American football, have become a subject of deep concern, much study and even Congressional hearings in the United States.

Recent research found that when children who play football and other contact sports suffer repeated jolts to the head, it can cause lasting damage to the developing brain. That can be true even when kids do not suffer any concussions. This was startling news, given that Pee Wee and Pop Warner players sustain from 240 to 585 head hits per season between ages 9 and 12, a critical period of brain development. As a result, some prominent voices have urged parents not to let their kids play the game, among them neuropathologist Bennet Omalu, whose discovery of the progressive brain disease chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) in former NFL players is depicted in the film Concussion. Omalu contends that children under 18 should not be allowed to risk their future by playing football. "Our children are minors who have not reached the age of consent," he says. A growing number of athletes now agree, including the hard-nosed former NFL tight end and coach

This article was very intriguing to read. As a very competitive high school athlete, I had suffered from a severe concussion, as a result from taking the opposing team’s attempted shot on goal to the back of the head, which kept me out of any sports related activity for a month while also missing school for a week and a half. It was also very interesting to read about how concussions occur more in high school athletes than in college athletes. This can be due colleges only selecting from the most skilled pool of athletes, while high school coaches tend to allow players will little skill and no concept of the game to play in the game as long as they can perform to the level at which the can be successful from.

Concussions have been known about since the early 1900s. During this time concussions did not receive the attention that it receives now. In mainstream media today concussions are a growing issue, not only in professional sports but also at high school and college levels. It is believed that Dr. Bennet Omalu was the first person to come up with a study and show that concussions are very dangerous and the great effects it has. His focus was mainly towards American football but it was helpful to others who did not play football as well. Dr. Bennet Ifeakandu Omalu is a forensic pathologist who was the first to publish findings of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) in American football players while working at the Allegheny County Coroner 's Office in Pittsburgh. Chronic traumatic encephalopathy is a progressive degenerative disease of the brain found in people with a history of repetitive brain trauma, including symptomatic concussions as well as sub concussive hits to the head that do not cause symptoms (Boston University, 2015). CTE has been known to affect boxers since the 1920’s (when it was termed punch drunk syndrome or dementia pugilistic). However, in recent years the disease has been found in other athletes, including football and hockey players, as well as in military veterans (Boston University, 2015). CTE is not limited to professional athletes; it has also been found in athletes who did not play sports after high school or college. The repeated brain trauma

A recent study of college football players has shown that those who participate in high contact sports and have had a concussion before have a 300% higher chance of having another one in comparison to athletes that have never had a concussion before (Jolicoeur et al, 2007). The NFL and NCAA have enacted several rule changes in order to minimize the occurrence of concussions. These new rules, like many before them, have come under the scrutiny of the very athletes that they were meant to protect. The NHL and NHL Players Association in 1997 together created a program in order to get a better understanding of concussions and how to prevent them (Burke et al, 2011). According to Covassin (2008), athletes who have had more than one concussion take a longer time to recover with each concussion that they suffer from.