Football has been around for many decades. There have been all sorts of injuries throughout its existence. As the game evolved with plastic helmets and bigger pads, so did the number of big hits that players were landing. This was exciting for the spectators, watching players give it their all on the field. Players quickly found out that hitting with your head is much more effective than hitting with your shoulder. This new technique brought much more than excitement to the game. It came with concussions. Concussions were never a serious problem until the game evolved. Ever since these injuries came into the game, there has been a push to make the game much safer. In his article, Disposable Heroes, David Weisman expresses his …show more content…
He also contributes to Seed magazine on issues related to the brain. With Weisman being a neurologist, he has a lot to say about head injuries. “As force is applied to the brain, a shockwave ripples through. If large enough, the shock tears the axons and can result in catastrophic injury. Smaller forces stun the neurons, their electrical firing decreases, and symptoms of concussion occur.” Weisman explains how a concussion actually occurs. These shockwaves are hits to the head. Most of the time nothing will happen, but as the waves become bigger and bigger a person begins to feel its affects more and more. The waves can get big enough to paralyze a player, but the chances of that happening are close to none. With these ripples going through the neurons, symptoms of a concussion may occur. A person may go limp or stumble and appear unfocused. Even if these symptoms don't happen and one doesn't have a concussion, the effects are still felt. These aren't the only injuries we see though. “Other than the injuries that are so obvious that leave the player unconscious, impaired, or dead, we do not know exactly how harmful low-velocity impacts are.” The immediate effects are known and are classified as concussions, but this is just the calm wind before the tornado touches down. Studies have been made on former NFL players. Over time the low impact hits begin to add up and combine and turn south. When enough cells die, …show more content…
He is a former NFL player who played for six years. Jackson knows how difficult it is to play the sport at such a high level. In order to do so, players need to be able to use every part of their body, especially their head. The head is such an important part of the game: players need to understand their plays, what the defense is doing, and be able to tackle with it? That’s right. “Then I was moved to tight end, where I quickly learned that to have any chance of containing the large men across the line of scrimmage, I had to hit them square in the face with my helmet.” In order for Jackson to do his job right, he had to use his head. It is easy for non-players to suggest ways not to use one’s head. “Some say players should block and tackle with the shoulder pads instead. Doing that means choosing a side, trying to hit an opponent with the left or right shoulder. That technique will get you cut by any professional team before you can begin to perfect it.” Trying to predict where a player’s head is difficult when you’re tackling. The head can move suddenly and you won’t have enough time to move your head out of the way. The game of football is fast. Players are flying around trying to make a name for themselves. When players are running at full speed players are bound to collide heads. Hitting with one’s head is a part of the game. Not doing so may cost a player a tackle, a block, or even their
The article “New NFL rules designed to limit head injuries” published in 2012, explains the new rules applied by the NFL. I argue that, the league has improved its rules and regulations each year to prevent hits from occurring above the shoulders. According to the article, “The reworded rules prohibit a player from launching himself off the ground and using his helmet to strike a player in a defenseless posture in the head or neck” (“New”). In addition, the article goes on to say, “When a player loses his helmet, the play is immediately whistled dead. And now, during field-goal and extra-point attempts, the defense cannot position any player on the line directly across from the snapper, who's considered to be in a defenseless position” (“New”). The game of football is a very physical sport. Again, it cannot be fully stressed enough just how much physical contact is a crucial part of the game. Contact sports mean that players will be in close proximity to each other. I believe that the NFL is going above and beyond to do the most they can to prevent the occurrence of concussions. Facts and statistics show that the incidences of concussions are decreasing each passing year. The article “NFL reports reduction in concussions, new measures to protect players,” written by Lorenzo Reyes, discussed the decline of concussions by using statistics and facts
Most players have learned to inflict pain to the other person they are tackling or trying to get the ball. NFL have made new rule changes because of players leading with the head and also trying to hit the players head. When a player is targeted it means that a player aimed at an opponent for purposes of attacking with an apparent intent that goes beyond making a legal tackle or a legal block or playing the ball (Redding). The player who made the tackle will be ejected from the game. These types of hits are causing the concussions and also not knowing how to properly
Despite all these rule changes and equipment changes the game of football remains very dangerous for those involved. As it is observed in the game of rugby most of these head and neck injuries happen during the tackle (Hendricks, Lambert 2010). The same is said about football, most head and neck injuries don’t happen on every play but happen most during the tackle (Bachynski, Goldberg 2014). The question is why is this happening, why can’t someone figure out how to make the game safer for the players? This question is very interesting considering many governing bodies have tried to do just that.
Football is a sport beloved by Americans. Millions of boys from a young age enjoy playing football from recreational to dreaming of the NFL. Whether these boys end up play for their school team or the NFL, all levels of players experience head collisions. Recently, many people have questioned the severity of these head injuries, or concussions, induced by playing football and their lasting effects.
Admittedly, there are other views about concussions in football. One argument is that players sign up to play football so why are they and the fans complaining. It is a good point, players do indeed play the sport they love, but those same players were promised better safety measures to keep them out of harm's way. It is easy to blame the players for choosing such a brutal sport, but the NFL in years past has made promises to make the game of football safer for all those who play. The NFL has come up with the program of Heads Up Football, which teaches kids proper tackling technique to make them avoid from heading head first into hits.
Despite its long history, tackle football needs to evolve with modern times in order to prevent the following: concussions, their reoccurrence in players, and the long-lasting health problems that come with them. The National Football League (NFL) has acrobatic plays, hard tackles, and head to head collisions, which all lead to concussions. According to researchers, “[i]n a concussion, the jolt jars brain tissue and can stretch or break thin tendrils called axons that carry signals among brain cells, short-circuiting thoughts and commands to the body. Plus, jangled cells release chemicals that disrupt healthy cells” (LaMendola). This can lead to confusion and lack of performing simple actions. In the NFL, over a hundred diagnosed concussions
The NFL is watched all over the United States. There are many injuries during this game such as breaking a leg and arm. They can get their lungs collapsed if someone was to step on them with all force. Concussions though are the most dangerous you can get a concussion and not even know.”The Patriots tight end suffered a helmet-to-helmet blow from Jaguars safety Barry Church in the final minutes of the first half and was immediately taken to the locker room for medical evaluation.’’ Any of these injuries can happen to anyone so we gonna talk about how to try to avoid them and to treat the if they happen to you. So tune in and join us in reading this so you don't end up on the sidelines and are always playing the game that many people love,
Concussions in football have become more and more common even though the equipment has apparently gotten safer. In retrospect it seems the equipment has made concussions more prominent. Does this mean the sport of football altogether is unsafe or that the players are simply just not playing the game correctly? Is this the person running the ball fault or the defensive players fault or both?
Safety and equipment have come a long way in football in order to prevent brain injuries. A very important piece of equipment used to prevent brain trauma is the helmet. The helmet has evolved a lot over the years, even more in the past decade. The Helmets main purpose use to be just to stop skull fractures, then they added the facemask to prevent facial injuries. Concussions are more of a recent concern (Hand 1). Overconfidence in the helmets' protective power prompts many NFL athletes to deliver and accept hits that would have killed players of previous generations. Now the helmet is being revolutionized. Helmets aren't only being created to stop skull and face fractures but they are being created to help prevent brain damage such as concussions now. Helmets have gone through testing to see how to design a better preventative helmet. These newer helmets are being designed to reduce the amount of force that is being applied to the head by a hit that is received (Vandantam 2). Virginia Tech football has been monitoring helmet collisions since 2003, courtesy of Dr. Gunnar Brolinson. Dr. Gunnar Brolinson has outfitted the teams helmets with six sensors and a small antenna that records and transmits data to a computer on the sideline. This information collected is crucial because it will help find better ways to design a helmet that will prevent concussions(Goldman 1). Equipment isn't the only important part of football that can help prevent concussions.
Football, one of the most viewed sports in the U.S., but there is one serious thing that is making football players not play. What are the effect on this thing. Football is one of the most sports that has concussions, CTE is one of the effets on it but there is way one that just CTE like research about concussions and a person named Jim hushen that had CTE and how it affect his live.
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
A strong willed linebacker accelerates down the football field. He eyes up his opponent- the running back- both men lower their heads, bracing for impact, while helmets crunch, fans roar. Immediately after connecting, the running back 's head feels undeniably different, but at this point in the game, it would cost the team playoff contention if they lose. This man is young, rich, and famous, but little does he know that each concussion he gets brings him one step closer to his own grave. Multiple concussions relating to sports leads to early onset Dementia and CTE, loss of life, changes in how games are played, lawsuits, and even more unsettling concussion facts and statistics.
One of the biggest sports in America, also one of the most dangerous- football. People all
Concussions have been known about since the early 1900s. During this time concussions did not receive the attention that it receives now. In mainstream media today concussions are a growing issue, not only in professional sports but also at high school and college levels. It is believed that Dr. Bennet Omalu was the first person to come up with a study and show that concussions are very dangerous and the great effects it has. His focus was mainly towards American football but it was helpful to others who did not play football as well. Dr. Bennet Ifeakandu Omalu is a forensic pathologist who was the first to publish findings of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) in American football players while working at the Allegheny County Coroner 's Office in Pittsburgh. Chronic traumatic encephalopathy is a progressive degenerative disease of the brain found in people with a history of repetitive brain trauma, including symptomatic concussions as well as sub concussive hits to the head that do not cause symptoms (Boston University, 2015). CTE has been known to affect boxers since the 1920’s (when it was termed punch drunk syndrome or dementia pugilistic). However, in recent years the disease has been found in other athletes, including football and hockey players, as well as in military veterans (Boston University, 2015). CTE is not limited to professional athletes; it has also been found in athletes who did not play sports after high school or college. The repeated brain trauma
Playing football is not like playing other sports. Athletes in all kinds of sports risk injuring themselves, but in football, a lot of the risk comes from other athletes. While there are many ways to be injured playing football, one of the worst is head-to-head targeting. This has been a problem in football since the beginning of the game, especially, when equipment was not very protective. Over the past eight years, the National College Athletic Association (NCAA) has implemented rules and penalties specifically designed to protect players and to hopefully reduce the number of bad head injuries (Marshall). The NCAA is doing the right thing by protecting players from severe injury by calling and enforcing targeting penalties.