...Jose A. Jilpas Rebecca Millan Engl-1302 VF1-Composition 2 - Rhetoric 9 December 2014 The Big HIT in the NFL: Head injuries are changing the way the game is played I firmly believe that the future of the NFL and all of its players is in jeopardy of being lost as the American sport as we know it simply due to the fact that too many injuries are occurring in the NFL today than what was happening in the past. Sure past players got hurt, but players now hit ten times harder, play ten times tougher, it’s obvious they are due for a serious injury, it’s just a matter of time and when, surely they make millions each year, but is all that money worth the risk of losing your life or possibly harming it? Imagine this, you’re at your sons final football game as he’s a senior about to graduate, he’s got the crowd rooting for him, he’s the one who snaps the ball, yes the quarterback of the team. The defense is running full force, showing blitz when suddenly “ WHAM!” he takes a huge hit from a defensive player and stays laid out on the floor , suddenly coaches and staff from the team rush to the field while he remains still, the crowd silent , awaiting the outcome . Slowly he gets up with the help of the staff and coaches, he’s then carted to the locker room by team staff where they tell the parents that they are checking him for a concussion because it’s UIL protocol when it comes to hard extensive hits taken by a defenseless player. Not one person who loves football can deny that...
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...Head injuries in the NFL Imagine being in charge of a multi million dollar company and one person that knows something that could end up putting your company in jeopardy. That person was Doctor Bennet Omalu and that company was the NFL. Omalu discovered a disease by the name of CTE (Chronic Traumatic Encopathly). Which is caused by massive hits to the head. With this knowledge the sport went into a “concussion crisis”. The NFL also ignored the rising numbers of concussion and many others brain related injuries. The NFL has been willfully negligent in the protection of their athletes, turning a blind eye to serious head injuries and going as far as attempting to silence Dr. Bennet Omalu The NFL players thought they were safe when in reality...
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...Out of 1,500 kids evaluated for tests on how many hits they take per year to the head. This number came out to be 11,978 in 2013. 40 of those kids took 16,500 hits in the head. This is due to the violence of the sport and people thinking they have more protection than they actually have. Concussions account for 15% of all injuring in athletes. 1 out of every 5...
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...made by many TV announcers during NFL (National Football League) games. Hard hits are a major part of football, but they also come with their consequences. All kinds of injuries can occur from devastating hits, but the most destructive injury is the concussion. According to a video done by Sports Science, “100,000 concussions occur in all levels of football, and 60% of these are from head-to-head collisions.” According to an article on NFL.com, “154 concussions were reported in 2010, while there were 127 in 2009. Statistics show a 21% increase in head injuries.” In order to reduce the amount of concussions suffered by players, not only should the NFL put in new rules to protect the players and improve equipment, but the NFL players also need to do their part during and after their careers in order to keep their bodies healthy. When the offensive player is catching the football, he is in a defenseless position. He not only has to catch the football, but he also has to watch out for the defender. Many times, the defender tries to prevent the offensive player from catching the football. As a result, he unleashed a hard hit on the other player. Because of these hits, both the offensive and defensive players are put in a position where they are highly susceptible to a head injury. Basically, this situation is caused because of the defensive player; therefore, the NFL should take action to further discipline these players. Currently, the NFL fines and sometimes even suspends players...
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...Hall of Fame running back Eric Dickerson. This quote explains that players don't always admit or realize when they have a concussion or a head injury whenever they receive them and that they can hurt them badly. Concussions and head injuries in football aren't something new and happen all the time on the field. Players are constantly getting hurt from big hits to their head in the NFL and aren’t always showing the big picture of this. Even though fans of the game of football won't be as amused if there were new rules of less hard hits in the upper region of the body, the NFL should be more aware of players getting hurt from constant blows to the head because this can affect their mental mindset in the future and players can get severely hurt....
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...Concussions in the NFL Concussions have been and will continue to be a major threat and liability risk to the National Football League. Head related injuries can have devastating long-term effects, causing serious brain damage, neurological disorders, and other cognitive health problems (“Concussions in Sports”). Within the past couple of years, suicides by former professional football players have been linked to Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, a disorder attributed to multiple concussions (Hanna). As a result, numerous class-action lawsuits have been filed against the NFL alleging “negligence, fraud, and concealment” (Brandt). Although the League has implemented new safety mechanisms and rules regarding head injuries, the main focus of the lawsuits is based on the NFL’s past failure to perform its legal duty of protecting and informing players about the true dangers and life-long impacts associated with concussions. The various lawsuits filed by football players demonstrate a liability risk to the NFL. Under the United States legal system, a liability risk arises when a person or entity can be held financially responsible for the life, income, or health to someone else (Rejda). Brain injuries and severe cognitive repercussions suffered by former NFL players can be categorized more specifically as bodily injuries. This type of liability damage imposes legal responsibility “for losses a person may incur because his or her body or mind has been harmed” (Rejda). In addition...
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...The NFL’s Head Case The NFL and its teams have a professional medical staff that is assigned to each team. Their responsibility is to treat and evaluate players after an injury. While they claim that they only release players if they are completely free of symptoms and that also the players consent to feeling normal, the NFL should take on more responsibility with current and former players and acknowledge fact that they have knowingly allowed players to compete in games when they should have been kept on the sideline. There have been over 4100 former players who have been diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) which also includes illnesses like dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. There have been several suicide related deaths that have left many unanswered questions. Some have even left suicide notes that requested that their brain to be researched. Additionally, medical research has been able to show connection through several studies that head injuries, especially repeated, can cause traumatic brain damage. The main point of this research paper is to argue that repeated head injuries suffered by current and former NFL players are directly related to the neurological problems and the deaths of Junior Seau, Jovan Belcher and others, while also presenting the reactive measures that are taking place to prevent future occurrences in regards to rules and equipment. Every NFL football team is assigned a medical staff that is a paid member(s) of the organization. Their...
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...The NFL’s Head Case The NFL and its teams have a professional medical staff that is assigned to each team. Their responsibility is to treat and evaluate players after an injury. While they claim that they only release players if they are completely free of symptoms and that also the players consent to feeling normal, the NFL should take on more responsibility with current and former players and acknowledge fact that they have knowingly allowed players to compete in games when they should have been kept on the sideline. There have been over 4100 former players who have been diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) which also includes illnesses like dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. There have been several suicide related deaths that have left many unanswered questions. Some have even left suicide notes that requested that their brain to be researched. Additionally, medical research has been able to show connection through several studies that head injuries, especially repeated, can cause traumatic brain damage. The main point of this research paper is to argue that repeated head injuries suffered by current and former NFL players are directly related to the neurological problems and the deaths of Junior Seau, Jovan Belcher and others, while also presenting the reactive measures that are taking place to prevent future occurrences in regards to rules and equipment. Every NFL football team is assigned a medical staff that is a paid member(s) of the organization. Their...
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...“( Dr.Joseph Marron ) deemed the sport ( NFL football ) safer than riding a bike.” Neurosurgeon Dr.Joseph Marron hosted a study on Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy and NFL concussions, and in conclusion stated that the NFL was safer than riding a bike. The research by Neurosurgeon Joseph Marron shows that the NFL is not too dangerous, also the NFL is safe because the NFL has made and enforced new rules to limit NFL injuries and also because the NFL has been getting the best equipment to keep their players safe. Because of the injuries in the NFL, many believe that the NFL is not safe. The NFL is dangerous because constant head trauma can cause CTE. An excerpt from document #2 says “A brain injury study by Boston University School of Medicine showed that 33 of 34 players (NFL) tested post-mortem showed clear signs of CTE.” The head trauma from the NFL could be potentially dangerous but CTE does not result from just one hit in the NFL, it takes multiple hits to the neck, head, or jaw. Another reason the NFL is dangerous...
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...contributing to the concussion total, football is by far the main contributor. “High school football accounts for 47% of all reported sports concussions, while 33% of these concussions occur during practice,” (“Head Case - Complete”). The main reason for this could be improper technique and teaching, neglect, and other factors. But for these players, high school is followed by college and possibly the National Football League (NFL), where concussions get much more attention and criticism. Concussions in the NFL...
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...The first official helmet was made with leather and protected the head down to the ear. Next came the plastic helmets, which had a facemask and minimal padding. Much later in the 1990s, the modern helmet debuted. This new, technologically advanced helmet has great features such as inflatable padding, a visor, and a durable material known as polycarbonate, a harder and safer plastic.The changes to the helmet have greatly made the game safer, but there is still room for improvement. Based on an article in the Chicago Magazine, “if the facemask attached to the sides of the helmet instead of to the top, much of the force would be released away from the player’s head.” With this new placement of the facemask, there would less impact on the head, causing a reduction in the number of concussions. According to Dr. Mawji from the Chicago Magazine, the NFL should use helmets with Kevlar and should place sensors in every helmet. Kevlar is a material used in bulletproof vests and would provide enough protection in the helmet to protect the head. Also, by placing sensors in each helmet, medical professionals would be able to see how hard each hit really was, which would make it easier to diagnose them with...
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...trauma such as symptomatic concussions as well as asymptomatic subconcussive hits to the head. Most athletes found with CTE are boxers, football players, even motorists. CTE starts off with no symptoms which makes it hard for people to realize that they might have CTE. Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy ik eventually leads its victim to rage, impulsivity, depression and even suicide. Confusion and memory loss are the eventual symptoms of CTE that follow after rage, impulsivity and depression. The last stage of CTE is advanced dementia which makes the brain become deformed...
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...With new knowledge of head injuries and there possible long-term effects being discovered every year, organizations like the National Football League (NFL) face greater challenges in protecting their athletes. From changes in the rules to the development in safer equipment, new measures are being taken to protect those who compete in the sport. The NFL was founded on August 20, 1920, originally as the American Professional Football Conference before changing its name to the American Professional Football Association (APFA) on September 17, 1920. They finally became the National Football League on June 24, 1922. The organization has since undergone many changes though out the years to become the giant they are today. The NFL currently has 32 teams from the The NFL is a not-for-profit organization; they are considered a trade association made up of, and financed by its 32 member teams. The organization has three officers, the commissioner, the secretary, and the treasurer. The commissioner, Roger Goodell, has ultimate authority. Elected in 2006 he is described as “the ultimate company man, having joined the NFL office 24 years ago as an intern. Now he is the most powerful man in sports, overseeing a league with long-standing labor peace, handsome television contracts and enormous popularity (Maske).” His primary focus is the game and its players as a business. Football has always been violent. “In 1903, before the NFL existed, the New York Times compared college football...
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...Risk of getting a concussion or severe head injury by helmet to helmet hit in the NFL Football is known to be a hard hitting sport and its spectators claim that those who play it already know the risks. One of the major injuries in football is a concussion or severe head injury which can lead to paralysis or fatality hence ending their career. This has been a big issue in the past years the National Football League and many solutions have been brought up to avoid these injuries. Every season the NFL introduces new rules outlining proper ways to hit in order to avoid certain injuries. Although these rules are introduced, concussions and other head injuries are still increasing by each football season. It is therefore important to understand the basis of this risk by performing an analysis and understanding its probabilities and consequences. The purpose of this project is performing a risk analysis of the underlying issue and come up with mitigation action. First the decision is identified, in this case, helmet to helmet hit or an illegal hit as defined by the NFL. The undesired outcome of this decision is players having concussions or severe head injuries while others even end up getting paralyzed. A risk avoidance or mitigation action will then be taken. The project will include statistical data available from numerous sources provided by the NFL and other independent studies. These data sets will be used in analysis from a set number of seasons. Methods of analysis such...
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...Concussions In The NFL The Problem * A hit or a bolt to the head ultimately causes a concussion, which is classified as a traumatic brain injury. * Concussions can also be caused by an excessive blow to the body that causes a person’s head to move back and forth, which causes the brain to bounce around or twist in the skull. * Concussions within the National Football League have become a serious health risk due to the fact that athletes were playing in games before their concussions had completely healed, which puts athletes vulnerable to increased injury. * Many retired NFL football players have suffered memory and cognitive issues, such as dementia, Alzheimer’s, chronic traumatic encephalopathy, and depression. Indicators of Concussions * During the 2012 NFL football season, there were 265 concussions reported. * From the 2010 season to the 2012 season, the amount of concussions per season only decreased from 270 to 265. * In the 2012, players who suffered concussions have been linked to severe memory loss, chronic traumatic encephalopathy, and player suicide. * Mike Webster’s death in 2002 was the first to relate concussions in the NFL with Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy and death. * In 2012, autopsies of Ray Easterling and Junior Seau both showed evidence of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy. * This concerning evidence led to relation of concussions and deaths for several more NFL players. * Chris Henry, a former Cincinnati...
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