Concussion: Upcoming Feature Film

Science says concussions are inevitable; 96 percent of all NFL players and 79 percent of all football players test positive for brain disease (Source: Frontline League of Denial 9/18/15 Concussion Watch Article). Prior to 2002, the NFL’s approach to preventing, treating, and managing concussions and CTE was very different than it is today. My essay will explore what some of those differences were and whether or not changes in the NFL are improving the outcomes and quality of life for current and former NFL players.

The national football league has stiffened its policy on legal hits. The hit zone has shrunk, while player frustrations have grown. The policy is enacted in an effort to reduce the number of concussions in the game of football. The enforcement of these rules has strayed away from being all about safety. The policy on hits has created a divide among its players and fans alike. The policy of hits being enforced so strictly has had a significant impact on the sport. The sociology of the NFL and the rule itself drive this argument. By stepping on the field as an NFL football player, it is accepted that it is very dangerous. The players make enough money to make the concussions worth it. Profiting from the fine money for these hits has caused the NFL to be enforcing these rules unethically, the rules and the impact they have had on the sport have been detrimental to football.

In the past four years, the National Football League “NFL” has made several changes to the NFL rulebook advocating safety by adding rules and implementing fines on players who fail to follow these policies. Rules such as the two-a-days ban, kickoff return rule change, helmet to helmet contact fines, requirement of NFL players to use the HITS System, and banning of players to return to playing football the same day they received their concussion were examples of measures taken by the NFL that promote safety. Although most of these players oppose the reformed rules, the NFL executives support these rulings feeling it reduces the amount of serious injuries. It is imperative for the NFL to retain its recently added safety rules, since it

Steve Almond’s story “You Knock my Brains out This Sunday and I Knock Your Brains out the Next Time we Meet” speaks to the underlying truth about America’s Sunday pastime and how concussions can be prevented not only by the industry, but by its viewers as well. Football is well known after having been brought to the public’s eye as study after study was released proving that there was a link from football to head injuries. Although in our modern society we have already subconsciously made the connection between football and concussions. The fact that this problem is not decreasing, could be surprising, as the lack of understanding about who has control and the ability to influence change. We hear that football helmets and pads, are getting better, but that does not stop concussions. We do not hear how helmets make players feel and change their play style based on the feeling of invincibility that people feel while wearing a helmet. Pads and helmets do help protect the players but false senses of security due to lack of knowledge on what

In September, all around the country, football fans are preparing for the tailgating, football parties and eating, but none are looking forward to head injuries. As time goes on fans, officials, and players are becoming aware of the elevated numbers of head injuries that happen every day in the NFL. Football has been America’s sport for almost 100 years, but the overall statistics and continuous arguments involving concussion rates do not seem to agree. An increasing number of NFL players have shown signs of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), indicating that the NFL’s inconsistency in enforcing regulations to prevent concussions is resulting in a significant risk to players’ long term physical and psychological health issues.

Scientists, researchers, neurobiologists, etc. began the study of the effects of concussions on the brains of players and it has been very clear that concussions and head trauma can lead to CTE. This development has been backed by the life changing experiments of retired players who have developed CTE or other brain diseases, which lead to a decrease in their life span, or quality of life. Since the connection of concussions and brain damage, the media and fans garnered a negative view of the league and their treatments of their players because of the environment they are placed in, a hard-hitting concussion battleground. The negative attention on the league has caused a decrease in the number of people who watch the sport on Sundays and it will not stop as more and more evidence about CTE and football is released. The NFL is in a position to lose its place as America’s favorite pastime, but it can be reversed if the league decides to enact on new rules that decrease the amount of head-to-head contact as well as admit past mistakes and prove that they want to make themselves better.

Many memories are made in football, but sadly some of the greatest players cannot recall them. The National Football League has been associated with concussions and brain traumas throughout the years, but lately it has been exposed by media and NFL veterans. The league recently “reached a $765 million preliminary settlement with thousands of former players who were suing the league over its treatment of concussions…” (Waldron). Many former players are experiencing the effects of taking hard hits over and over again; they were not properly treated, which makes the injury worse and long term. The concussion issue in the NFL is more prevalent today, because it affects not only the players, but the league as a whole.

While the NFL is currently a very entertaining and popular American past time, there is one issue that threatens the future of the game-concussions. Concussions affect 1.6 to 3.8 million athletes and children annually in the United States. Among athletes, football is the most common sport involving risks of concussions for males, and soccer is the most common sports with concussion risks for females. The NFL has admitted that brain trauma effects a third of all NFL players (Knowles.) Concussions have been part of the game since the very beginning, but it 's only in the past 50 years or so that medical science and the public has become aware of the serious long term effects of concussions. The NFL is spending money on researching the problem, because they have been sued from hundreds of players that have suffered long-term damage from concussions. The NFL needs to dedicate more money and research into increasing helmet safety, implementing rules and policies to protect players, and utilizing the best response treatment to prevent and protect players from concussions.

Player safety has been an issue for the National Football League since the start of the league, but has taken on a greater importance in recent years. Now, when a player is injured after a play, he must sit out for at least one play to allow the team’s trainer to assess his injury and make sure he is fit to return to play. Many say the NFL is very invested in player safety, and the protocols recently introduced have drastically changed the way athletes are assessed and eventually released to return to the field. These changes were necessary in order to protect players from serious injury and long-term health issues. There are many possible reasons the NFL has increased its emphasis on player safety, including, many people are disturbed by the violence of the game, fewer kids are playing football at the youth and high school levels, league sponsors are worried about bad publicity, and there are lawsuits against the NFL dealing with the long-term effects of brain damage. These reasons make many ponder, “Does the NFL really care about player safety, or are they just saving themselves from bad public relations, and the detrimental economic effects that may result from them?”

This paper will discuss the NFL Concussion Scandal and analysis of the ethical issues regarding the scandal. American football has always been defined as a contact sport. Individuals know before playing the sport that they take on the risk of physical harm to their bodies. However, concussions and other repetitive head-blows could end in death and permanent damage. Also, American football has been shown to be the cause of chronic traumatic encephalopathy(CTE), which can lead to suicidal thoughts, memory loss, and dementia. With players undergoing a lot of physical harm without the proper care, many may see the NFL as an unethical business.

In 2007, the NFL finally started to take steps to slow down the rate of concussions in football (Lauren Ezell). Although concussions still occur today, there are specific protocols that were inserted to protect players’ health. This topic is so important to me because I am a big fan of the sport, and I would hate to see my favorite players end their career with disabling conditions. I hope to the see the NFL continually trying to find ways to limit concussions. I believe that one day football can be played without the risk of living the rest of your life with a critical

According to “NFL concussion statistics” Comparing 50 concussion patients with the same number of healthy people, researchers found that the brains of those suffering concussions showed abnormalities four months later. This happened despite the fact that their symptoms had already eased to some degree. Five days before the movie Concussion hit theater, one of the NFL’s brightest young stars took a running start and launched himself head-first at the earhole of an opponent’s helmet.This was one

Concussions are and will continue to be an ongoing issue in almost all sports today. This is especially true in the case of football and the NFL. Concussions are considered the most common and least devastating form of traumatic brain injury someone can receive. Although concussions are considered the least serious type of brain injury they can still lead to and cause many irreversible brain diseases and in some cases people have even lost their lives because of concussions. One of these diseases is called chronic traumatic encephalopathy or better known as CTE. There have been many recent medical developments that have allowed us to learn more about the brain and things that affect it. This increased knowledge has caused unrest

In the year 2013, during the National Football League’s preseason and regular-season practices and games there were a combined total of 228 diagnosed concussions (NFL Concussions Fast Facts). Any NFL team in a given season plays 16 brutal games, taking vicious hits at practically every snap of the ball, which does not include the four to six days of vigorous practicing that they have every week. In many cases concussions in the NFL cause serious long-term health issues as well as death, via concussions, which is why all precautions such as; well trained medical personnel at each event, no helmet to helmet tackling, and even mandatory neuropsychological tests to all current players, for concussions, in order to help prevent them.

According to the Concussion Foundation a concussion is a type of traumatic brain injury caused by a bump, blow or jolt to the head. The impact causes the brain to move back and forth inside a person’s skull, which stretches and damages brain cells. As a result, the brain becomes susceptible to more injuries until it fully recovers. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that about 3.8 million concussions occur in the United States (U.S.) annually through sports (“What is a Concussion”). Between 2000 and 2004, concussions were the fifth most frequent injury in the National Football League (NFL) (Viano, 2007). However, only five-10% are recognized and eventually diagnosed (“What is a Concussion”). The highest level of football in the U.S. consists of professionals that play for one of the 32 teams that make up the NFL (Yengo-Kahn, 2015). Although football is a sport that has been built on “toughness” it’s become apparent in the last two decades that many of the retired players had debilitating long term health issues, many of which have been related to repeated concussions (Relch, 2013). There have been many lawsuits filed by retired players and their families against the NFL claiming, “head injuries” have impacted their long-term health (Relch, 2013). It has been concluded that most “head injuries” experienced are in fact concussions. Science has linked concussions to long-term cognitive impairment and other health problems. The NFL must do more to protect its players from problems stemming from concussions. One factor, that has not been significantly studied is if a player’s position increases the likelihood of a concussion(s) (Relch, 2013). The purpose of this paper is to take fully reported data and analyze concussion incidence rates for several positions whom experience the highest rates of concussions. This will be done by taking player’s positions and analyzing the occurrence of concussions along with the factors that influence them. A concussion changes the way a person’s brain normally works. A player can experience several long-term consequences from just one concussion. So, multiple concussions are even more worrisome to one’s physical and mental health. For the present