Head Injury

Improved Essays
Concussion and head injury prevention have become a huge part of modern helmets. Additionally, ideas that were once thought back in the earlier time periods are no longer allowed (single face bar). Also, certain aspects are required at all times: the helmet, the full facemask, and the chin straps. Combine these changes in helmets, with the changes in rules, and the way tackling is taught, the NFL and football in general is in the right direction towards safety. However, as mentioned, concussion rate is increasing. The players are bigger, faster, stronger, and football is a dangerous sport either way. Players know this when signing up, and it relies on researchers and medical providers doing what he or she can to protect the players in an ethical …show more content…
Omalu discovering CTE in many former NFL players’ brain tissue, including Mike Webster, a former player who sued the NFL for denying the sport’s role in concussions and not helping him after his career ended, and the spike in media attention through the continual lawsuits helped give concussions, especially CTE, the attention they needed. Many former players are still suing the NFL for them denying the connection between football and head injuries, failing to help them after their career ended and was then ridiculed with health issues the rest of their life, and lastly, denying repeatedly for years upon years about any involvement with any of it. Dr. Omalu’s groundbreaking research on CTE was a step in the right direction, even if the NFL did what they could to prevent his findings from going public and denied his work as true. Whether it be the NFL’s safety committee denying it, the team doctors denying it, or the head physician of the committee, also known as Dr. No for constantly saying “no” about the relationship between football and head injuries both short term and long term, denying the relationship, former players are getting what was owed to them many, many years ago. While no monetary value can give them their life and health back, these current lawsuits, the NFL changing rules to increase player safety, the concussion and head injury policy changing to better the understand the clearing of players to return to play, the consistent helmet versus no helmet …show more content…
Football is high-monetary value business. Children are getting banned from football until a certain age, and rules are changing for some of the younger leagues to prevent head injuries. The NFL has acknowledged the relationship between football and head injuries, and are a part of the research as they are settling in the courts with the plethora of lawsuits. The only question left up to date is if the NFL is really sorry, or if they are sorry that they got caught. For many of them, money is always going to be the main goal. From my perspective, and the perspective of most is that each player’s health will always be worth more than money. More and more players are retiring young, especially after sustaining multiple concussions, to prevent future issues. Only time will tell how future football, player health, and research will consist of. The one key element behind all of it is change. The current time period changed from the 1970s-1990s for better, and hopefully the next time period does the same for today’s time. After all, even if someone is a die-hard fan of sports as I am, life is more than sports. CTE does not discriminate; health is always more important than the loud hit or the money. The discovery of CTE will lead to further research on how to make the game safer, which can possibly save future lives, and that is all that

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