Suspension: The Role Of Concussions In Professional Sports

Football is the most American of all of the sports we play. We have good memories of playing catch and watching games with our friends, however, there is a darker side to this all-American sport, the damage done to the brains of the players.

While the NFL has attempted to make great strides in preventing further damage to players on the field suffering from concussions, the rates of concussions continue to rise. In 2014, 206 concussions were diagnosed, while in 2015, that number rose to 271 concussions. If these new regulations truly had an effect upon the safety of the players, we would instead see little growth, if not a decline, of diagnosed concussions.

However, concussions caused by the game are not the true problem, that can have a

In 2002, when the first case of CTE had been officially diagnosed by Bennet I. Omalu, M.D. and Julian Bailes, M.D., the NFL had initially attacked the claims done by this independent study funded only through donations and fundraisers. However, now the NFL has begrudgingly come out in support of CTE research, donating 30 million to the National Institute of Health. Also, the NFL allowed doctors to intervene in the event of a bad hit, as well as the ability to keep him benched. They also did

However, there is much that the NFL can do to fix this. The NFL should continue to donate more to the research and possible treatment for those with CTE. Putting more into this will help to protect the players which we love most from anguish and pain in their retirement. As mentioned before, doctors have been given more power in preventing extended injury for the players. However, these doctors are funded by the individual teams instead of the league. This creates a conflict of interest for the doctor who both wants their team to win but also keep all of their players healthy. Instead, the league should put funds aside for unbiased doctors who work for neither side and work only for the safety of the player. Finally, players should be required to put a percentage of their earnings into a fund for the future health needs which they may face further in their life.

In conclusion, football is a great game, which many people have fond memories for, however, there is still a great danger in CTE, players most likely will face further in life. What the NFL has done to try and combat this is a start, however, we still need to build upon that and make sure that all players, from children to professionals, are kept as safe as possible from the mental degradation that decisions of lax football policy can