"Now that I 'm getting older, I start thinking about it more. In 10 years, am I going to be one of those guys that 's suffering?" Denver Broncos defensive end Vonnie Holliday. Concussions, in the NFL, should be taken more seriously. It may cause depression, may lead to serious health issues, and it may cause domestic violence.
In the past few years, the number of concussions per year has only spiked. The NFL calls it a “cultural change” in that the staff are more willing to report head injuries instead of neglecting them. However, to many like Christopher Nowinski- one of the founders of the Concussion Legacy foundation- this increase just shows that the NFL does not care to prevent head injuries, only treat them when they are developed. The number of concussions between the 2013 and 2014 season actually increased by 58
Head injuries have evolved into such a heavy topic, that many football programs are starting to take initiative, to show players in any level of football, the basics of how to properly tackle the opponent. For unknown reasons, defenders have forgotten the correct way to tackle and this has led to most of the injuries that have been accumulating over time. Nowadays, squaring up, thrusting your hip into your target and wrapping up, has been out the window. This tactic is overwhelming, as defenders have now become human torpedoes. By forcibly launching themselves into their target, they are putting both players at high risk of serious I hurt. This unprofessional and dangerous form of bringing down someone is highly likely to create a helmet to helmet to collision, resulting in concussions. Programs such as “Heads Up Football” were created with the idealistic purpose to show the players how to properly tackle. The NFL commissioner is behind this program due to the fact that he believes, by affecting the learning process in the football, little leagues, this will impact the future of the NFL. Strictly because the foundation of football is now being taught on how accurately and precisely perform a tackle. With the abundance of head injuries that players are unfortunately suffering with, the NFL is trying to change the game so that it can be a safer zone for the players. They are making
After researching this topic extensively as well as talking to Dr. Peter Deluca who now acts as the head team physician for the Philadelphia Eagles I have come to the conclusion that concussions are a problem that are not controllable by the NFL. Dr. Deluca explained that these athletes are using the most up to date technology in the world as far as their padding and helmets go and unless hitting is completely eliminated from the NFL concussions is a problem that you will see not only within the NFL but also with every contact sport. Major traumatic brain injuries are something that needs to be taken more seriously especially in youth sports as well as in highs school. I strongly believe that there is more that the NFL can do to help protect these athletes and these athletes should be compensated for the injures that they sustain over the course of a given career. Some other things that I believe that NFL should consider to make the game safer include, Eliminating kickoffs, having a mandatory sit out period after sustaining a major traumatic brain injury, having more support programs for athletes who suffer from concussion issues such as short and long term memory loss and PTSD and lastly, Larger fines for helmet to helmet hits. I think that the team physicians do everything in their power possible to help protect their players but integrity and honesty should be something that they should really demand from these players. Not lying about injuries and allowing the doctors to do their jobs can help reduce the number of concussions by a great deal in hopes that one day we see a game that both the fans and athletes can enjoy equally still while playing at the highest level.
Many of the famous sports today are played with great enjoyment, however, contact injuries can always occur at any time. Many of these injuries are concussions. Couple of years back studies showed concussions were not a major subject to be dealt with, but until later this idea was proven wrong. A simple Concussion can change many things in your life even the way you act. Many have died due to multiple major concussions even famous athletes. Young high school athletes are starting their sports journey and face these same injuries and when it happens it should be dealt with very seriously.
“Deadly Hits” by Lauren Tarshis analyzes the topic of concussions. Over 300,000 concussions, or brain injuries, occur each year in sporting events. Ms. Tarshis analyzes 13-year-old Zackery Lystedt, a Tahoma Junior High football player, who suffered a near-fatal concussion while playing football in Seattle, Washington.
The project that I decided to research was concussions in sports, focusing on the National Football League. Though the NFL is famously known for being hammered with controversy surrounding concussions, they are trying to improve the health and safety measures to prevent them from happening, and to protect players. These measures are usually tagged with a term called “Concussion protocol”. This term has been thrown around for years by announcers, coaches, players, and probably the most by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. The question I had was, was the concussion protocol actually being effective and reducing the amount of concussions in the NFL?
On Any Given Sunday injuries happen just as they do in any other sport that either has
The NFL has seen an increase in concussions over the years due to the style of play, and the speed of the game is much faster paced. In the past five years, the NFL has taken steps to try to limit concussions. The reason why it has taken so long to make changes was because in the past no one really knew the dangers of concussions. Some precautions that have been put in place are fines when hits to the head occur to restrain player from violent head to head collisions. The NFL has restricted teams to only allowing 14 full-contact practices during its 18-week season. Not only has this happened at the professional level but at the collegiate level as well. Players who make contact with another player by using the crown of their helmet are subject to a penalty as well as ejection upon review of the hit. The Ivy League has even gone as far as to starting in the 2016 season to non-contact practices. These new rules have upset some football fans that say that the game is meant for hard hitting and violent collisions. Fans do need to take the time to look at the reason as to why these new rules have been put into place. The game is being changed because of the research that has been conducted and the shocking results of life after football. The major demographic of the fans who do not appreciate the new rulings are males who are middle aged and played the sport when they
Although there is a lot more work to be done, the NFL and other leagues have taken a stance on the egregious situation that befalls those with concussions. There has been a recent decrease in the concussion rate due to the latest concussion protocol that the NFL and many other leagues have implemented that allow for professional trainers to look over players that are suspected of being concussed. Those players are not allowed to go back into the game if they still seem like they have a concussion, increasing the safety of those players who are unwilling to report a concussion for the purpose of being able to continue play. The enhanced detection and examination protocols have led to an 11.3 percent decrease in concussion rate. However, as stated previously, there is much more to do to eradicate concussions once and for all.
Now, one might argue that because of the fact that the NFL ignored the fact that concussions were an issue that they have no right to continue operating. However, that was the mistake of Tagliabue, a former commissioner. Robert Goodell, the current commissioner, has actually put forward a conscious effort to, among other things, protect the livelihood of the players. Opponents to the NFL may also argue that it took an external force to bring light to the situation; however it is very likely that eventually an internal case would have been undertaken, and the same results would have been found, equally unbiased. Finally, critics on the handling of the issue may claim that concussions are still very much a threat in the NFL. This is true, however the number of incidents is on track this year to be even lower than last years. Concussions cannot be abolished entirely, they are present in every athletic activity, from Hockey to Gymnastics. Because of the effort, and the fact that it is showing results, the NFL should be credited for lowering the amount of concussions, an injury which is basically an occupational hazard of all athletes (excluding perhaps
As concussions occur more and more in the NFL and among teens, more research has been conducted. There has been research on teens that concussions had occurred in teen’s brains, to find out what type of hit teens gotten by football may of suffer from it. There are many concussions in the NFL and especially teens who play football that have suffered death and never to play the sport they love. Teens and athletes who love the sport football, have been suffered by concussions that had ruin their playing for the most of this moments but research has been conducted of ways to help out teens and NFL.
In football today, concussions are the number one leading injury in the National Football League. In the past 7 years alittle over 10 national football players have died due to concussions. The list of players getting concussions during the past couple of years have just increased more and more as time goes on. A reason why the NFL concussion protocols are so strict is because the NFL does not want to get sued for mistreatment of players and insufficient care. That could possibly cause permanent damage physically and mentally to players.
The National Football League (NFL) is one of Americas greatest past time, and although this sport has brought many people closer together, there are devastating events starting to surface about this breathtaking sport, and the athletes that play it. Concussions are becoming a problem in the NFL and also at football at every level. Many people are starting to see the effects of it, which is a concerning for the NFL. The NFL has done a lot to change the outcome of concussions, and they have also come up with numerous rules and techniques for players to use to protect themselves and others, and to put a stop to traumatic injuries these athletes are facing.
Football, is known to be one of the most contact sports. Players tackle one another to defend their touchdown zone and to try and steal the ball. There are many moments where players collide and hit their heads against each other or the ground. Though the players might not realize it, they possibly had a concussion. In “Hard Knocks” it states, “Monti, then a 17-year-old Hortonville junior, says he knew the helmet-to-helmet collision was a hard hit. But he shook it off and played the rest of the game. He had no idea that he’d sustained a concussion until his parents took him to the emergency room later that night.” Most players that have