Football is an amazing tradition that is ingrained in American culture. Americans are drawn to it’s amazing athletes, big hits and a fan culture like no other. It’s a hard hitting, violent sport and that’s why we love it, but that comes at a cost. The collisions that occur during these games are putting athletes at high risk of serious brain injury. Athletes, coaches and fans everywhere are becoming more and more aware of the dangers of concussions. The tradition of watching a violent sports has been popular since the age of gladiators in ancient Rome. Plain and simple, people like watching men compete physically. Football is obviously not a fight to the death, but the premise of the sport is rooted in physical violence. It’s an amazing test of mental and physical ability. These athletes are the most elite in these areas which raises the problem of injuries. Athletes are so mentally tough that even when they are truly hurt, they will play through it. Granted, that is amazing in itself but it becomes extremely risky with head injuries. Not long ago, if you got your “bell rung” you were expected to play through it. By doing so, athletes are putting themselves at risk of what’s called “second impact syndrome” or SIS (NCBI). This occurs when an athlete has been previously concussed, even mildly, then experiences a second impact to the head. If the second impact can occur anywhere from minutes to weeks after the initial blow. The second impact causes catastrophic swelling
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.
Even though football players are aware of the dangers the game can bring upon them, they take part despite it. The passion, the joy it creates; for professionals it’s also the devoted fans and compensation they receive is what keeps the players motivated. Today players are much bigger, faster, smarter, bigger, better. The game is more physical. The sport has never been so competitive. The popularity has reached new peaks, as much that the NFL has thoughts of moving a team to London, England. Additionally, Super Bowl XLVII (47) was one of the most watched television events of all time; an astonishing 108.4 million viewers (The Associated Press). Fans worship their teams and love to see big hits. Football is a contact sport; injuries are no
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.
The quarterback drops back into the pocket and begins looking down field towards his receivers. One of the defensive linemen breaks through the offensive line and the quarterback quickly throws the ball away, but not before he is slung to the ground. As the quarterback lands on the ground, his head cracks back and hits the turf with tremendous force; and despite wearing a protective football helmet, the quarterback suffers a severe concussion. Concussions happen weekly in the NFL to players of all positions due to the tremendous force these players are hit with weekly and need to be noted more carefully. The short and long term effects of multiple concussions can be devastating to the human mind. Not only does the brain suffer long term
It was September 30th, 2004. Former Pittsburgh Steeler Justin Strzelczyk drove his Ford pickup drunk the wrong way across highway I-90 colliding head-on with a tanker truck and died on impact (Finder). Justin wasn’t on drugs or drinking(Finder). Justin had a bipolar disorder from concussions from when he played football (Finder). According to WebMD “The brain is made of soft tissue. It's cushioned by spinal fluid and encased in the protective shell of the skull. When you sustain a concussion, the impact can jolt your brain. Sometimes, it literally causes it to move around in your head. Traumatic brain injuries can cause bruising, damage to the blood vessels, and injury to the nerves” (Lava). In a short and sweet version; it is a bruise to the brain. Concussions also have different levels
The sound of two helmets bashing together sends a piercing crack through the stadium, soon to be followed by a roar of thunderous applause from every fan in the stadium. The next day the paper reads that one of the players in the collision suffered a concussion, nut the only thing people care about is watching the highlight on SportsCenter. Yet, people watching the games, coaching the games, and playing the games have never fully understood the danger of concussions. It is important for people in the football community to become aware of what head to head hits in football cause because they do not know the true danger of concussions and how often they occur, what concussions can lead to, and how drastically football can decrease the quality
Concussions can damage you in two ways, causing a long-term and short-term effects.CTE plays a major role changing the way the person's mental state of mind.These effects do not only apply to male sports players it also can happen to female sports players as well changing the way that young sports players receive their education.
There are many consequences to playing football, but the greatest is concussions. Football is a game of tackles, sacks, and other hard hitting plays that involve big men playing their hearts out. Within the game of football, whoever has the ball is the one to be hit the hardest, on most plays. These immense blows to the body and head lead to awful injuries, both physically and mentally. Most players will be injured in some way during their football career, with the worst injuries being those that are mental. The worst and most frightening injury for a football player to have is a concussion. A concussion is a form of traumatic brain injury that results in a temporary loss of brain function. Concussions have been known since the 10th Century AD of which Abu Bakr Muhammad Ibn Zakariya Al-Razi-Rhazes was the first to use the term. Al-Razi was the first to “make a distinction between a concussion as an abnormal physiologic state and severe brain injury” (Mccrory & Berkovic). He also stated that there would be no physical damage seen, only neurological damage (Mccrory & Berkovic). Football is a very dangerous sport, not just physically, but neurologically as well.
18% of people in the U.S. have stopped watching football in two years when the original percent was 58%. Even though sports do have physical benefits, children or middle-aged people shouldn’t play games that include your head having the chance of getting hit. There are so many risks that a very capable of happening because of what you could lose altogether. You can have a concussion that can cause deadly diseases such as CTE, a concussion has negative effects on a child's education if not treated properly, and concussions can vary depending on which league they’re in. Brain diseases have taken their toll on players especially football players.
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
NFL players vs concussion should we stop football because of concussion or should we let the players make their own decisions? A concussion is a temporary unconsciousness caused by a blow to the head. The term is also used loosely to describe the aftereffects, such as confusion or temporary incapacity. Many players who stuffer a concussion have memory loss, and some have personally. Even committed suicide like Junior Seau he was a NFL player who suffer many concussions, by playing football. There are many cases of the NFL getting sued by former players who suffer from the traumatic brain injury like how is the NFL preventing concussion in the games. Dr. Bennet Omalu stated that there are no equipment that can prevent such injuries.
Football is a sport of grit, strength, and toughness. It’s a matter of if you can dominate the man across the line from you. The game is filled with amazing runs, graceful catches, but more often, big hits. Today’s game of football has evolved to bigger and stronger athletes, and that takes a physical toll on someone. The biggest problem in football today is concussions.
Organized sports have been a quintessential part of American society for generations. Many young boys and girls grow up watching and rooting for their family’s favorite sports team, which typically turns into their favorite. These professional sports players become role-models for these young girls and boys, guiding them into asking their parents if they can join a sports team. Football, for instance, has numerous young athletes playing the often aggressive, sport. Through this influence these children strive to become like the athletes they see on television. The big trending topic that is surrounding football today is concussions and other head injuries. Retired professional National Football League (NFL) players are currently suing the
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.
Football can be a very dangerous sport. And although those who play the game believe that they are being protected by the helmets that they wear, the truth is that this may not be the case. In a recent study released by the American Academy of Neurology it has been found that “protection against concussion and complications of brain injury is especially important for young players, including elementary and middle school, high school and college athletes, whose still-developing brains are more susceptible to the lasting effects of trauma”(Science Daily, 2014). The study also found that standard football helmets worn by the majority of players on the field today, only reduce the risk of traumatic brain injury by 20 percent compared to not wearing a helmet at all (Science Daily, 2014).