Concussions

We all know that the concussions have made headline news recently throughout the sports world, especially in football. Where the NFL has reportedly had 53 players diagnosed with concussion (Sports Illustrated 37). The NFL has fought to make football a safer game. But some players think that takes away from what football really is. Is it possible to change the culture of such a historically violent sport? A sport where down to it’s inner core is renowned for the violence it impacts on human beings. A sport that glorified the vicious hits done by its players. The NFL has sought to change the mindset and culture of the game. Some people within the game welcome the change, others find it a horrendous idea though up by the power hungry NFL commissioner.
    The main concern that has been brought up with concussions is the chance for permanently damaging a persons brain. The NFL has sought to reduce the number of concussions in it’s sport. They have done this by trying to change the culture of football, by imposing fines on the players that produce the lethal hits that we all have seen. Many  players have a strong animosity towards this new rule “It’s a sad day for the sport.” said Ryan Clark Steelers Safety, referring to the new rules imposing fines on players making vicious hits (Sports Illustrated 36).  Kevin Mawae Players Union President said that “The skirts need to be taken off in NFL offices.” (Sports Illustrated 36) A former NFL player and current ESPN NFL analyst Mark Schlereth, ranted about the move the NFL was making, and is adamant about calling it a hypocritical league. He argues that the NFL makes money off oh these glorified hits and now they are imposing fines on the very players that have made them millions (usatoday.com). He argues that it is just the speed that the players play the game at that creates these violent hits. "You can't take the NFL and what we do and eliminate contact," he said. "The game of football is about going out there and separating the man from the ball. Going out there and playing hard. It's reaction. The players are so fast, so big and so strong. It happens in a moment's notice. It's not like players are saying, 'Watch me try to decapitate someone.' "(usatoday.com) Schlereth also states that if you take the contact out of the game that all the NFL has on it’s hands is soccer, and that is not what made the NFL the most popular sport in the country.
    Like all other issues there is another side to this. The other side of this applauds the NFL in its attempt to change the violent culture of the game. Many doctors are know the effects of brain damage and are glad to see this rule be enforced more strictly. Dr. Ann McKee has examined the brains of past NFL players and has time and time again seen Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). She has never seen the occurrence of CTE’s in a brain that has not had the repetitive violent hits of Football. Recent studies have shown that it is not just the big violent hits that cause brain trauma but the constant repetitive hitting does as well. Many parent and doctors are happy to see the NFL take the matter of human brains seriously. Hopefully this will lead to more and more football teams below the NFL to take head injuries more seriously.


Mark Schlereth comments: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_SMavliBT38&feature=related


Epstein, David . "The Damage Done." Sports Illustrated 1 Nov. 2010: 42-47. Print.


King, Peter . "Concussions." Sports Illustrated 1 Nov. 2010: 34-41. Print.


"Mark Schlereth: NFL a 'hypocrite league' with unfair punishment of James Harrison - The Huddle: Football News from the NFL - USATODAY.com." News, Travel, Weather, Entertainment, Sports, Technology, U.S. & World - USATODAY.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Nov. 2010. <http://content.usatoday.com/communities/thehuddle/post/2010/10/mark-schlereth-nfl-a-hypocrite-league-with-unfair-punishment-of-james-harrison/1>.