The NFL: The Cognitive Effects Of The NFL
explanatory Essay
1086 words
The National Football League (NFL) has become one of the most popular sports leagues in the world. The NFL was founded in 1920 and since then has blossomed into the favorite sport in the United States. In fact, the NFL has been voted as the most popular sport in the United States for the last 30 years. Much of the popularity of the NFL comes from the hard hitting, high speed collisions that happen each play in games. However, the collisions are putting players at risk for injuries that can threaten the long term health of players. A study done by Virginia Tech University measured the force of football hits. This study done with college players showed that the hits of a football game are similar to what is experienced in a car crash. Those …show more content…
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the national football league (nfl) has become one of the most popular sports leagues in the world.
- Explains that concussions and brain injuries occur when the brain moves rapidly inside the skull. in the nfl an average player will receive around 900 to 1500 blows to the head in a single season.
- Explains that each concussion has different symptoms based on the severity and how the brain works.
- Explains that concussions are not a new problem of the nfl. before major research was done, players were encouraged to continue playing after "seeing stars".
- Explains that the nfl's concussion protocol is a complex document that can be broken down into five steps.
The symptoms can also depend on each individual and how their brain works. The different kinds of symptoms are dependent on what part of the brain is affected. The effects can be physical, cognitive, emotional, or general upkeep. The physical effects are generally headaches and nausea. The headaches are often one of the symptoms that last the longest. Athletes who have had a concussion are always asked if they are having headaches as part of the protocol. However, players often lie in order to return to the field as quick as possible. Cognitive effects come in the form of memory issues, and difficulty concentrating.If a player loses consciousness because of his concussion, most likely some memory issue will also occur. Emotional effects are often sharp mood swings. A concussed person will get very irritable but can also have sadness. A person who is affected emotionally by a concussion can go from laughing about something to crying uncontrollably. Lastly, the symptoms can be considered “maintenance”. These symptoms affect the general living of the person. The main area is sleep disturbances, changes in appetite, and change in energy level. These symptoms can last up to weeks and lead to a difficulty in everyday life. Although these are symptoms are a common occurrence in diagnosed concussions, it is estimated that 47% of athletes feel no symptoms after a concussive blow. When no symptoms occur it makes diagnosing a concussion very difficult. Also, in less than 10% of concussions does the athlete lose consciousness. While each concussion diagnosed in the NFL adds to the problem of brain injury; undiagnosed concussions put players at a greater risk than anything. A player who has not fully recovered from a concussion is at an immense risk for further brain damage. Research shows that for every concussion suffered, a person is one to two times more likely to get a second. After the second
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- The NFL: The Impact Of Technology In The NFLcomparative essayProfessional Sports have been around for over a hundred years in America. Millions of people each year watch the National Football League. Technology has increased greatly over the last 20 years and has had a major impact in the NFL. The NFL uses technology for player’s health, scouting, and on the field with headset communication and instant replay.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that many helmet companies are designing what is supposed to be concussion proof helmets to help prevent these injuries. without this technology, football would continue to have horrible injuries and would lead to the sport dying out.
- Explains how the nfl has used technology for scouting and weekly game plans. microsoft signed a 5 year, 400-million-dollar deal to make the microsoft tablet the official nfl tablet.
- Explains that technology is influencing the way football is played on the field. players can listen to plays called from their coordinators up in a skybox in the stadium.
- Concludes that technology has greatly affected football and will continue to affect the future of the sport.
- Explains that the national football league uses technology for player's health, scouting, and on the field with headset communication and instant replay.
764 wordsRead More - Nfl Differences In Sportsanalytical essayThe National Football League (NFL) has been a part of American culture since its conception. Although it is popular, football is not the safest sport to be played. Many say that football’s brutal style of play has led to injuries that can not be detected until after death. There are multiple scientific studies that prove this point, but the real question is; How can the sport be reformed in order to make the it safer for athletes? This question can be seen through multiple lenses, but in order to fully comprehend this question, we must view football’s relationship with injuries through a historical lens. The history of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) in the NFL is a very long and complicated history, but it can be narrowed down to a
In this essay, the author
- Opines that the national football league is not the safest sport to be played because of its brutal style of play. the history of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (cte) in the nfl is complicated.
- Explains that the history of cte in the nfl began with mike webster, a center for the pittsburgh steelers, who committed suicide in 2002.
- Analyzes how dr. omalu's findings were revolutionary, so he went to the nfl to tell them about the dangers of football. johnny dodd is a staff writer for people magazine.
- Explains that dr. omalu was told that his findings were incorrect by the nfl, but his thoughts and ideas would not have been rejected that way. ben reiter may have some bias, due to the nature of his job.
- Explains that the history of cte and the nfl is complicated, but due to unbiased sources, it could be condensed down into a few points. this gives an overall knowledge of the topic and allows someone to answer the question stated in the introduction.
1005 wordsRead More - Subconcussions In Footballexplanatory essaySince the emergence of one of the most popular sports on November 6th, 1869, football has captivated the interests of a variety of ages, young and old. However, this prominent sport has been dealing with issues of concussive and subconcussive hits since its conception and has become an even larger concern of late. Starting from young athletes in pee wee leagues, to collegiate athletes striving to make the game a profession, all the way to professional athletes in the National Football League, also known as the NFL, the game of football has been criticized by many for its hazards, especially concerning the egregious damage caused to the head area. In entirety, approximately 3,800,000 sports concussions occur yearly, with the majority of them
In this essay, the author
- Explains that football has been dealing with concussive and sub-concisive hits since its conception and has become an even larger concern of late.
310 wordsRead More - The Causes And Effects Of The Human Brain And Concussionsanalytical essayHuman brains are surrounded by spinal fluid and encased in a protective shell but are not capable of taking hard hits. When a person takes a blow to the head their brain shakes and collides with the shell it is held in. The best example would be a football player. In a helmet-to-helmet collision a player can receive 100gs of force. That is two players colliding at 20 mph and equivalent to being hit in the head with a sledge hammer. This research was done by ESPN 's Sport Scientists. After a player is concussed he or she will have symptoms depending on how bad it may be. Some cases include loss of consciousness, blurred vision, nausea, headaches, loss of memory and coordination. There are also possibilities that there will be no symptoms and the athlete will not even know until it begins to worsen. If there are symptoms it is crucial to receive medical care right away. There are three different levels for concussions: grade one (mild), grade two (moderate), and grade three (severe). The most important treatment is rest. If a person does not rest from activities the symptoms will never go away and the concussion will drag on. Staying away from watching television, playing games, reading and other activities that involve thinking will help the brain rest. It is also extremely important that someone who has a concussion is monitored 24 hours to make sure all is good. Although doctors know how concussions occur and know what the symptoms of them are it does not stop the
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the human brain is the working force for the entire body. it instructs humans, grows and becomes stronger, and allows humans to think of new information whenever they want. concussions have been a focus point for doctors around the world.
- Explains that concussions are more commonly seen in athletes, especially football players. dr. omalu discovered a new disease called chronic traumatic encephalopathy.
- Explains that concussions occur with numerous and violent blows to the head. the brain is surrounded by spinal fluid and is not capable of taking hard hits.
- Explains that concussions can lead to parkinson's disease, alzheimer’s, and anxiety disorders. chronic traumatic encephalopathy has taken the lives of 87 nfl players.
- Analyzes how the movie 'concussion' reveals the true story behind the discovery of cte in pro football players.
1155 wordsRead More - What Good Is Glory If It's Forgottenopinionated essayFootball is the leading cause of concussions in modern sports and is responsible for more than half of the 3.8 million kids who suffer from concussions in America alone. In a recent study, the gravitational force experienced by the brain of a football player can be up to 289 times that of gravity (Kluger). This number demonstrates just how violent the game of football is when in comparison to the average gravitational force experienced by fighter jet pilots, which is around nine times that of gravity. There is no doubt that hits like those delivered in all levels of football can cause concussions, and that concussions are quite common in the sport of American football. However, questions linger such as what kind of long term affects do concussions lead to, especially in the modern day where officials are cracking down on violent hits and unsportsmanlike conduct. Hefty penalties and fines are becoming more and more prevalent in football whether or not the players oppose them. The imposition of more strict rules regarding violent helmet hits should continue in order to prevent the likelihood of grave danger for present and future athletes. The studies have spoken and the data has words of its own that prove the brutes of the gridiron risk more than society can imagine.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that football is the leading cause of concussions in modern sports and is responsible for more than half of the 3.8 million kids who suffer from them.
- Explains that american football was developed over 100 years with the intention of being a sport for tough men. the dismay of fans and players alike is all too noticeable as football officials implement yet more penalties and fines to decrease the violence.
- Explains that a concussion occurs when severe blows are taken to the head that results in the brain swelling. the hits system recorded 19,224 total impacts for the players studied.
- Explains that the problem observed in the study was not the average magnitude of the impacts experienced; rather, it was the greatest impacts.
- Explains that when a human suffers trauma to the brain, tau proteins are neurodegenerative, meaning that they cause our brain to degenerate.
- Explains that a pennsylvania football star committed suicide in 2010 without any signs of mental illness. his brain was filled with the accumulations of the tau protein.
- Explains that purdue engineers studied the immediate effects caused by the hits through testing of memory and concentration.
- Opines that the long-term effects suffered by post-football players are the most impressive facts that any study could provide.
- Argues that officials are on the move to decrease the threat of head trauma in football. penalties such as spearing and helmet-to-helmet contact have become vigorously prohibited.
- Opines that football has succeeded because of the danger and risk that the players willingly partake in. as the sport progresses, athletes are getting bigger, faster, and stronger.
- Analyzes crossman, matt. "lost (cover story)." sporting news 231.26 (2007): 12-26. academic search complete.
- Summarizes dekosky, steven t., milos d. ikonomovic, and sam gandy's article, "traumatic brain injury — football, warfare and long- term effects."
- Opines that epstein, david, “the damage done.” sports illustrated 113.16 (2010): 42-47. academic search complete.
- Opines that gregory, sean, “the problem with football. (cover story),” time 175.5 (2010): 36-43. academic search complete.
- Describes jerrad zimmerman's findings on head impacts during high school football: a biomechanical assessment.
- Cites kluger, jeffrey, “headbanger nation.” time 177.4 (2011): 42-51. academic search complete.
1860 wordsRead More - Head Injuries In Sportsanalytical essayFootball is a great game, for most people. Football is one of the most played sports in the United States, with Pop Warner leagues all the way up to the NFL. But according to John Branch and Billy Witz of New York Times, it's starting to show that the number of football players are decreasing, and the number of athletes playing other sports are increasing. A major part of this is due to the injuries football can cause, especially head injuries. (Branch and Witz #2/1 ) Tom Ferry of ESPN, emphasizes that head injuries and concussions are not given the attention they deserve, in fact most head injuries go unnoticed and unreported. (Tom Ferry #1)
In this essay, the author
- Explains that football is one of the most played sports in the united states, with pop warner leagues all the way up to the nfl.
- Analyzes how mary dallas of philly.com demonstrates that 50% of high school athletes do not report their injuries, and 25% of college athletes don't.
- Opines that head injuries are not given the attention and attention they deserve, and that communication between coaches and parents/players is limited and not meeting standards.
- Analyzes how head injuries and concussions can ruin bright futures for young high school and college athletes, but they don't realize it.
- Opines that coaches, parents, and players need better education and knowledge of the risk with playing football. players need to realize and be aware of how traumatic head injuries can be.
616 wordsRead More - CTE Argumentative Essayexplanatory essayThe brute force of the game is what draws millions of people around to the world to come and watch. However, what millions of Americans don't see if the consequences of what makes the game how great it is today, the hits. With players getting bigger faster and stronger it only leaves players in more danger of getting injured. Concussions are one of the most common injuries among NFL players mainly because of the constant contact, and how the design of the helmet is to protect against major head injuries, not concussions. CTE is common in many NFL players, and most former NFL players. A study by the national institute for Occupational safety and health found that, “the brain tissue of 59 of 62 deceased former NFL players tested positive for CTE” also when studying, “the causes of death of 3,439 former NFL players concluded they were three times as likely as the general population to die from degenerative brain diseases,such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's”(Karaim). However there has been remarkable facts on how CTE has been found in NFL players more commonly than any other sport the NFL refuses to acknowledge that there is any correlation between player who played professional football and CTE. Because of this direct correlation of football and CTE many players are unable to work of fully function after their career as a professional
In this essay, the author
- Explains that retired nfl players are 19 times more likely to be diagnosed with alzheimer's disease than any other similar memory loss diseases. the nfl has been taken to court multiple times over the topic of cte.
- States dr. bennet omalu first discovered cte in the brain of the retired player mike webster, after he passed in 2002.
- Explains that football is one of the most popular sports in america, with the nfl pulling millions of views per game. the nfl refuses to acknowledge that there is a correlation between football and cte.
- Explains that the nfl ignores serious disabilities and resumes to pay them long-term disability benefits. brain demarco, who had his back broken 17 times, was denied by the league for long-term disability benefits.
893 wordsRead More - Cause And Effect Essay: The Effects Of Concussionsexplanatory essaySome concussions can cause brain function leading to cognitive, physical and emotional symptoms, such as confusion, vomiting, headache, nausea, depression disturbed sleep, moodiness, and amnesia. In fact, healthcare professionals in the field of brain injury often say, “If you’ve seen one concussion, you’ve seen one concussion.” Traumatic brain injuries can have wide ranging physical and psychological effects. Most signs or symptoms of a concussion are evident soon after the traumatic event, while you may only become aware of others days or weeks later.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that concussions are dangerous and can cause temporary loss, and not all people have a great recovery from them.
- Explains that a blow or jolt to the head can disrupt the normal function of the brain, and that concussions can be serious.
- Explains that concussions can cause cognitive, physical and emotional symptoms, such as confusion, vomiting, headache, nausea, depression disturbed sleep, moodiness, and amnesia.
- Opines that rest is the most appropriate way to allow your brain to recover from a concussion.
- Opines that stating strong facts to get people scared about concussions will make them take it serious about going to a doctor and getting their head checked out.
352 wordsRead More - Essay On Brain Damage In Sportsopinionated essayThe National Football league (NFL), has been a violent sport since its inception in 1920. Close to a century has past, and while little has changed by way of the padding, the speed and strength of today’s premier players has caused the sport to become extremely dangerous. Most notably, the aggressive nature of football has increased, therefore resulting in more head to head collisions. Consequently, these collisions are causing severe concussions and life-threatening brain damage. The NFL should implement new rules and regulations, with regards to equipment and provide better safety measures for its players.
In this essay, the author
- Opines that the nfl should implement new rules and regulations with regards to equipment and provide better safety measures for its players.
- Explains that recent developments by leading neurologists have linked concussions to irreversible brain damage. brain damage, noticed well beyond a player’s active years, has been linked to players becoming delusional, psychotic and in rare cases extremely dangerous.
- Reports that the nfl tried to influence a government study on football and brain disease by pulling funding on concussion research.
- Explains that modern football helmets are clad with flashy designs and logos, drawing attention away from the helmet’s true purpose; head protection. the antiquated and inadequate padding on the inside is goes unseen.
- Opines that allowing the game to be toned down in order to save lives feels like a small step for any level of football enthusiast.
- Opines that football is in dire need of rules and equipment change. whistleblowers and cover-ups continue to find their way into mainstream media and government documentation, yet the nfl continues to sidestep taking responsibility for prior, present, and future players’ safety.
426 wordsRead More - Argumentative Essay: Is Football A Harder Sport?analytical essayHowever, football playersare not in constant motion throughout a game like soccer players are.” People form their ownopinions about the subject based on their values.Why do football players acquire more injuries than athletes in any other sport? Thehelmets. They are meant to protect you, but instead when you get tackled or hit, your headrattles around inside that helmet. When you hit the ground really hard, the helmet slams onthe ground, also causing your brain and head to also slam. Causing concussions day after day.The safety features don’t them out too much. I hope they can find a safer way to make it safeone day because the safety features are outdated and inefficient. “Football players are morelikely to suffer injuries to the cervical spine, which can be catastrophic or life-threatening,” saysAllen again later in comparing both soccer and football and their injuries.According to another Article called NFL Vs. Soccer: Which Version of Football ReignsSupreme? By Justin Block and Gavin Evans, “The rest of the world sees “beauty” in the game,while many Americans have nodded off for a nap. When you wake up to catch the ending,
In this essay, the author
- Argues that football is a harder sport than soccer, and that the safety features are outdated and inefficient.
- Argues that football is the third most dangerous sport, while soccer follows behind in fourth.
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