With fingers and hands grasping tightly around leathered dome shaped ball, Barry huffs as his foot begins to plummet toward the earth leaving all 245 pounds of body mass to fall on it. As the other foot begins to follow, Barry pumps his arms pulling the weight of his body along with them bringing him to full speed. Ignoring all that is around him, he guns for the end zone which is about 20 yards out. Barry looks up at the big screen to see who is behind him when a 235 pound safety smacks him from his right side while running at full speed jerking Berry straight to the ground causing his head to slam into the turf. Barry has just earned himself a concussion. The NFL and its players are experiencing more concussion in recent years and the organization needs to stop ignoring the ethical responsibility they own and take the appropriate actions to insure the safety of their players in a timely manner. The NFL has made changes to some rules of the game and equipment upgrades but they are not making them quick enough. Players and families are at risk and so are the values of Americans and all fellow Americanized football participants.
Concussions are a type of traumatic brain injury (TBI) caused by a bump, blow, or jolt to the head that disrupts the way the cells in the brain normally work. (Sarminto, 2010) Football players and athletes alike on all levels experience this risky TBI but there is no other league in sports that has had to deal with the increase in concussions like the NFL has. Concussions temporarily interferes with the way a person’s brain works, and it can affect memory, judgment, reflexes, speech, balance, coordination, and sleep patterns. In general population closed head injuries are classified as mild, moderate or severe. Patients are typically served with a scale called Glasgow coma scale also known as the GCS which ranges from a score of 3 -15. A score of 15 lands on the better end of the GCS. (Solomon, Johnston, & Lovell, 2006)
According to league data obtained by The Associated Press, the number of concussions being reported this season is up more than 20 percent from 2009, and more than 30 percent from 2008. Currently it is the NFL’s 2010 football season and before it could reach its mid season climax, big named players like Jay Cutler, Aaron Rogers, Kevin Kolb, Stewart Bradley, Matt Moore, Hunter Hilenmyer and Kevin Boss, are just a few of the many whom had suffered a head injury that result in a concussion. Although most people will recover fully after a concussion, the signs and symptoms of this injury may last from several minutes to several months, or even longer. Long-term problems associated with concussion can affect thinking, memory, learning, language, and emotions. Although the proportion of concussions that are repeat injuries is unknown, health risks are more likely among those who have had a prior concussion. A repeat concussion that occurs before the brain recovers from the first can slow recovery or increase the likelihood of having long-term problems. In rare cases, repeat concussions can result in swelling of the brain, permanent brain damage, and even death. (National Institutes of Health)
The first professional football game in the United States took place in 1895 in the town of Latrobe, Pennsylvania, between a team representing Latrobe and a team from Jeannette, Pennsylvania. (NFL History) In the following years many professional teams were formed and on all levels of football including the NFL, player safety has been one of the most controversial topics. The fist documentation of the first concussion received as a result of a NFL practice or game could not be found, but it is apparent that head injuries have been around for years. According to NFL.com, Steinberg states
“Going back to my earliest players from the '70s, the diagnosis and treatment of concussions was Neanderthal," he added. "A concussion was only when a player was knocked out. The phenomenon was largely unrecognized. The injury was subjective; it was not like he was wearing a cast, people would say.”
This is insight to the value Americans put on violence that is seen in media every day. Shows like the World Wrestling Entertainment, (WWE) where grown men trash talk and throw each other around the ring; hockey where professional athletes and remodels are allowed to duke it out while millions of fans watch; Boxing and UFC matches where the very objective is to “beat” your opponent and the list goes on. The radio media also encourages guys to be tough. Lyricists and rappers put out songs that boast and encourage “beef” or feuds where rappers call each other out of their names and implicitly or explicitly call forth acts of violence. Children at young ages are taught by their parents to never cry and always be tough; Society be belittles them with words like cry baby or tattle tale.
The NFL like any other business is driven by profit. The NFL and its players rack up big bucks when fans buy their favorite player’s jersey, posters, bobble heads, action figures, game tickets, V.I.P. passes and etc. Americans blood thirsty expectation to see violent hits from NFL players play a big role in players receiving concussions. The speed and strength of the game is what attracts the fan base, therefore the value in the size and strength of the athletes grows. Athletes are encouraged to become bigger faster and better or else their careers could be cut short. The size and strength of these players are what keep fans and enthusiast investing their time and money. If the NFL really cares about their athletes they need to spend more time on finding solutions instead of giving excuses. If the NFL wants to protect its image and keep profits up they need to take serious precautions in implementing regulations to help protect their players. These are the priceless investments that keep the entire football nation watching and coming back for more. Why not reward them with proper protection? The second congressional hearing investigating on how the NFL manages concussions for their current and retired players was held on January 4, 2010 at Wayne State School of Medicine by the House Judiciary Committee. The initial hearing held in October, 2009, ended with the NFL commissioner, Roger Goodell, denying any link between multiple concussions and permanent brain injury in football players leading the members of the committee to ask for continued investigation and an additional hearing.
The league has improved the rules for players like that of the new horse collar rule which prevents players from being yanked down from behind. The no helmet to helmet rule was brought in to prevent players from contacting one another with their helmets. Although these rules have been implemented players are still doing what they have been doing for years. Players like the Chicago Bears Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs (Definsive players) strongly object to the scrutiny as stated on the team’s website. They disagree with the new rules that “handicap” the sport and “baby” the players. Former football players “asked the Congressional committee to continue to put on the heat to educate millions of youth, high schools and college athletes, as well as their parents and coaches, about the lifelong implications of sports concussions” (Anstett, Patricia, Free Press Medical Writer, January 5, 2010).There are still additional steps the league can take in assuring the safety of their players. Enforcing fines and stiffening rules, setting up mandatory “how to” classes are affective but not effective enough. The league needs to invest money from revenue to do extensive research that develops better equipment for head and full body protection. The NFL and players around the league are experiencing more of these injuries as the league’s demand for bigger and stronger players has increased. From the first game played in 1895 up until current times, there have been repeated policy changes alongside of equipment upgrades for better player maneuverability and safety, yet these reforms are still not enough to prevent series head injuries from accruing. The NFL is moving in the right direction but unfortunately not as fast as we would like. It’d be unfortunate to see a player’s death spark an immediate output of efforts.
Works Cited
National Institutes of Health. (n.d.). A service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved October 19, 2010, from MedlinePlus: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000799.htm
NFL History. (n.d.). Retrieved October 18, 2010, from www.nflfootballhistory.net: http://www.nflfootballhistory.net/begin.htm
Sarminto, K. (2010, January 19). Evaluation of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Concussion Initiative for High School Coaches:. “Heads Up: Concussion in High School Sports” .
Solomon, G. S., Johnston, K. M., & Lovell, M. R. (2006). The Heads up on sports concussion .
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