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The Role Of Concussions In Professional Sports

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There is certainly a moral component that needs to be considered when examining the future of professional sports and the potential for long-term injury. This is especially true when looking at traumatic brain injuries in professional athletes. Health care professionals are facing conflicting obligations in working for professional organizations and athletes. They have the ethical dilemma of whether to try to get the athlete back onto the field as quickly as possible, as long as they are healthy. That being said, with concussions and the recent findings on CTE, the long-term effects of such injuries could be damaging. Thus, it creates a complex dilemma for leagues and health care professionals on how to avoid this issue. This is especially rampant in the NFL. Although there have been some changes in concussion protocol, helmet-to-helmet hits, the moving of kick-offs by five yards to reduce concussions in the league, protection of defenseless receivers, and others, players still constantly are affected by unavoidable injuries. There is a huge dilemma at play as the NFL and players are making tons of money every year. It is very difficult for athletes to retire to avoid such injuries, as the game that they play may be the only thing that they know. It may well very be their only stable source of income as …show more content…
In Ice Hockey, football, soccer, basketball, baseball, boxing, and other sports, there are plenty of injuries that can be caused on the playing field. However, a moral responsibility of society in addressing the future of professional sports should focus on brain injuries. Although each sport is doing its best to address this situation in their on way, the significant risks posed to their respective participants makes it a necessary moral obligation to change rules to lessen the chance of

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