Controversy over the National Football League and Head Injuries

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Controversy over the NFL and Head Injuries
Football is the most loved sport in the United States with young and old alike keenly following the NFL fixtures. Many boys in schools always hope to one day get a chance to be in an American football team. Controversy has however rocked the American football as well as the National Football League due to emerging details that have linked it to head injuries and concussions. Parents are discouraging their children from playing the sport. Some people even suggest that the NFL and the sport should altogether be abolished as it poses a significant danger to players’ health. This essay looks at the various controversies relating to the NFL. The paper looks at the major injuries associated with the disease, their symptoms and what has been done to minimize the injuries.
The heightened awareness and fierce debate on the connection between American football and concussions, the NFL’s poor handling of the issue, and the depiction of these injuries in new films have led to the supposition that American football may not survive in the long term. But should there be a need for concern or has the issue been blown out of proportion? Research shows that there is a need for concern about the dangers of playing in the NFL. A study was carried out in the year 2000 in which one thousand and ninety former NFL players were interviewed; it found that around sixty percent had suffered one or more concussions in their playing career (Fainaru-Wada and Fainaru 52).

Another study carried out by the Center for the Study of Retired Athletes at the University of North Carolina found that around twenty percent of the retired players who had three or more concussions in their career had depression.
An American Academy of Neurology (AAN) study completely removes doubt regarding the role of football in brain injury by offering a conclusive report on the two variables. The research found that the rate of severe brain damage was greater in football players as compared to the rest of the population. From the study, it was seen that over forty percent of retired players suffered from traumatic brain injury. In the study, forty retired players who had played for a minimum seven years were tested, and their brain scans were taken. MRIs were used to measure the level of damage to the white matter whose main work is to connect different brain regions.
As seen from various studies, concussions are the most common injuries from NFL football. Concussions are brain injuries resulting from blows to the head. Some of the symptoms include difficulty in concentration and memory, nausea and vomiting, and headaches. Other symptoms include the inability to speak and altered memory. Those who have suffered repeated concussions or got repeated blows may develop a condition called Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE). This is a severe condition that has caused the death of many American football players and resulted in a huge uproar against the NFL.
CTE is a degenerative brain disease that affects those who have suffered traumatic brain injuries as well as those who had repeated concussions. The condition whose name has Greek roots was traditionally believed to affect boxers. Normally, chronic traumatic encephalopathy causes the brain of an individual to deteriorate gradually and with time waste away (Omalu 26). It is odd that only certain areas of the brain that are prone to atrophy; others may experience growth in mass. The disease also leads to accumulation of tau protein which is normally responsible for the stabilization of cellular structure in the neurons. The substance at times becomes defective leading to inhibition of the neuron functions.
Dr. Bennet Omalu, who was a forensic pathologist as well as co-founder of the Brain Injury Research Institute together with his partner Julian Bailes are credited for the discovery of CTE in NFL players. In 2002, Dr. Omalu found CTE in the brains of Mike Webster, a former NFL player who had committed suicide. Dr. Omalu in 2005 alongside his colleagues at the University of Pittsburgh in the Department of Pathology published his findings in a paper titled “CTE in a National Football League” He also authored another article on the CTE condition one year later.
CTE can have very adverse symptoms and effects to the individual and can render one totally unproductive. It is due to this reason that there have been many cases filed against the NFL for their failure to inform the players of the dangers involved in the sport (Reid 41). The most common symptoms include impaired judgment, difficulty with balance, loss of memory, behavioral disturbances such as depression and aggression, gradual onset of dementia, difficulty in controlling erratic and impulsive behavior (Didehbani et al. 418-420). The major drawback in the detection of the disease is that many people attribute its symptoms to other medical condition such as Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer as they have similar symptoms. Other people attribute the symptoms to the normal process of aging hence it becomes difficult to control the disease.
Behavioral disturbances such as depression and the difficulty in controlling erratic behavior are known to contribute to the risk of many patients becoming suicidal (Omalu 37). From research, most of the patients have either committed suicide or attempted to take their life. Unlike other diseases, this condition is diagnosed when the individual is dead. Doctors usually take the brain of a dead player who showed symptoms of the disease and does some scans and tests to determine the cause of the disease. This situation has led to the failure to contain the disease or come up with a suitable cure for it.
Many notable players have in the past died under the cruel hands of the disease. These deaths have led to serious questions about the viability of the game and the dedication of the NFL towards awareness and resolving of the issue. The first NFL case to be discovered was that of Mike Webster in 2002 by Dr. Benedict Omalu. The former player had committed suicide. In early 2013, Junior Seau, a former NFL player for the San Diego Chargers was found dead after succumbing to self-inflicted gunshot wounds (Maroon et al. N.Pag). According to reports, Junior Seau shot himself in the stomach and not in the head so that research could be done on his brain. Seau had earlier admitted to his neighbors that he had experienced effects associated with concussions. A report affirmed the speculation that he indeed died from CTE.
Another case that rocked the nation was that of Jovan Belcher in December 2012. The Kansas City Chiefs linebacker is reported to have killed his girlfriend then shot himself in the club’s stadium (Maroon et al. N.Pag). The player’s family filed a lawsuit against the team for ignoring his CTE signs and also hired a medical examiner to determine the role of CTE in his death. The report showed that he died from the disease. On July 2012, former Atlanta Falcons player Ray Easterling was found to have had CTE after having committed suicide.
Former Miami Dolphins and Houston Oilers linebacker John Grimsley, eight-time Pro Bowler and former Detroit Lions player Lou Creekmur, former Cincinnati Bengals player Chris Henry died from the disease. Former Chicago Bears safety Dave Duerson, former New England player Kevin Turner and Tom McHale of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are also some of the players that were diagnosed with CTE after death.
In the past, the NFL has been insisting that there was no clear link between CTE and playing football. They have been insisting that the media has been engaging in falsehoods against it (Fainaru-Wada and Fainaru 35). Anyone who was critical of their operation was totally opposed; this was clearly seen in the report on Junior Seau’s death. Dr. Omalu’s participation in the autopsy of the player was terminated after interference by the NFL. The NFL management called the player’s son informing him that the doctor was not qualified to handle the autopsy and that his professional ethics were not good enough. The major reason for the denials could have been to protect the league’s reputation to prevent their profits from tumbling down.
It is right to say that the NFL is undoubtedly the most successful league in history; this can be clearly seen from the profits that the league makes each year. In the year 2015, the NFL split revenue of around $7.3 billion for all the thirty-two teams in the league, with each team receiving around two hundred and twenty-six million dollars (Inabinett N.p). The figures showed a significant rise from the previous year’s six billion. That number would make the NFL to be ranked at number fifty according to Forbes were it to be treated as a private company. This profitability clearly explains the efforts by the NFL to cover up the risk that comes from playing the American football. But how does the league make such huge amounts of money?
The league enjoys a huge fan base worldwide and hence huge viewership. The super bowls are no doubt the most-watched TV programs in history (Oriard 16). The Premier League which also has a global acclaim generates about half of the NFL revenue. This shows that the NFL is very popular among the young and old alike and would, therefore, get a more than enough TV viewership any day. It is due to this reason that the league enjoys very lucrative TV deals with the major TV programs providers such as Fox, NBC, ESPN, CBS, ABC, and the NFL Network. The CBS deal is currently worth around $300 million (Inabinett N.p). It is widely expected that the revenue from TV deals will continue rising in the coming years.
The violent nature of the game is known to attract more fans (Oriard 48). We live in a world where violence is celebrated. Every day children and the old are exposed to hours of violent scenes in various films and games; this is what makes them captivating. A great hit is celebrated just like a goal and hence a game that has high incidences of hits will gunner more viewership. The game is one that glorifies the strength and power. It is this bit of violence; the tackles and collisions that separate it from other sports (Rush 39). Others argue that watching a game with some elements of violence may help relieve the emotions and frustrations of the fans by triggering the release of endorphins. If these incidences of violence were totally eliminated, the game would therefore no longer pull the support and appeal that it widely enjoys.
Though the violent nature of the game leads to more viewership, it would be morally wrong to allow more deaths to happen just for the sake of profits. It is also not quite scientifically clear how the watching of violent incidences leads to one being happier. Should the negative perception against the game increase due to its associated deaths, the NFL management would be forced to close down the league-leading to total losses and loss of revenue altogether. The NFL, therefore, has to step up its efforts to make the game safer than it currently is.
Some changes have been introduced and implemented by the NFL to reduce the cases of head injuries from football and their resulting complications. These changes were preceded by a series of lawsuits against the league’s management for its negligence and failure to warn the players of the risks and dangers involved in the game (Reid 41). In the year 2013 alone, the NFL paid seven hundred and sixty-five million dollars as the settlement to former NFL players for their head injuries.
In 2010, the NFL introduced a new rule that prohibited a player from striking another player in a defenseless posture in the neck or head. Violations of the rule would result in a fifteen-yard penalty (“New NFL Rules” N.Pag). In case a player lost his helmet on the field, the game would immediately stop. In the same year it was ruled that during field goals, defenders were expected to line up in a position that would not make the snapper susceptible to injury in case he was in a position of vulnerability. The NFL also made the two-man wedge in kickoffs the right play and outlawed the three-man wedge. The amount of space available for a run-in was therefore significantly reduced. Certified athletic trainers were also allowed to be in press boxes to assist the team doctors in the identification of concussion cases (“New NFL Rules” N.Pag). The NFL has also come up with more serious return-to-play rules for concussion cases. The team is expected to consult an external neurologist to determine whether a player can go back to play after an injury.
Though the NFL has tried to reduce the number of head injuries in the game, much needs to be done as the new rules have not significantly reduced the concussion cases. For example, the 2015 season saw an increase in the number of concussions as compared to the previous year, yet many changes had been introduced. The total number of concussion-related cases was two hundred and seventy-one, a thirty-one percent increase. The penalties imposed are not quite sufficient and hence do not scare away potential offenders. Stricter penalties should be imposed such as fining of more than a quarter of the player’s salary. The NFL managements should also invest in research on the best helmet for use in football; this is because the available helmets offer little help in concussion prevention.
In conclusion, the NFL is one of the most watched leagues in the world. Violence in the games leads to more fans and viewership and consequently more profits. However, the level of violence in the game needs to be reduced if the NFL hopes to maintain American football as a sport in the coming years. The reason for this is that many people have been up in arms against the NFL for its complacency that has led to the deaths of many notable players.
Works Cited
Didehbani, N. et al. “Depressive Symptoms And Concussions In Aging Retired NFL Players”. Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology 28.5 (2013): 418-424. Web.
Fainaru-Wada, Mark and Steve Fainaru. League Of Denial. 1st ed. Print.
Inabinett, Mark. “How Much Money Did The NFL Rake In Last Year?”. AL.com. N.p., 2015. Web. 14 Nov. 2016.
Maroon, Joseph C. et al. “Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy In Contact Sports: A Systematic Review Of All Reported Pathological Cases”. PLOS ONE 10.2 (2015): e0117338. Web.
“New NFL Rules Designed To Limit Head Injuries”. NFL.com. N.p., 2010. Web. 13 Nov. 2016.
Omalu, Bennet. A Historical Foundation Of CTE In Football Players. 1st ed. Bennet Omalu, MD: N.p., 2014. Print.
Oriard, Michael. Brand NFL. 1st ed. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2010. Print.
Reid, Lindsey. Is The NFL Responsible For Concussions Sustained By Players?. 1st ed. Print.
Rush, Richard Allen. The Impact Of Knowledge Of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy And Perceived Violence On Sport Spectator Enjoyment. 1st ed. Tuscaloosa, Ala.: University of Alabama Libraries, 2015. Print.