User:Maxmattaaa/Concussions in American football

Helmets to help protect the players
In the article,Sports Law and Governance, it talks about how over 2,000 former NFL players are dealing with concussions later on in life. The players are complaining and the league is getting sued for how the helmets have led players to have severe lifelong brain damage. The NFL has been responding with a new "HIT" system helping players not get these problems so easily.

Wildman, a sports scientist shows how much of an ongoing criticism is about NFL helmets and just helmets in general. The NFL finally acknowledged the negative impact concussions have on its billion-dollar business and opted to start awarding research grants geared toward finding a solution. They are constantly trying to make better ways to protect the players without restraining them. The newest thing being done on the helmets is to make them more like a car bumper.

The Journal of Sociocultural Examanations of Sports Concussion, it shows significant data on concussions and every way the NFL is trying to protect the players as much as they can. No matter what it is they are always trying to figure out a new helmet or new material to use to make it a lot safer for players if they take a lot of big blows to the head area. The article stated, "suicides of former players linked to head trauma have combined to increase the public’s awareness about the potential dangers of concussions in all levels of football."

Effects of Concussions
This article shows so much about how NFL players and football players in general have been affected by concussions and hits to the head. They have come up with ways to make sure your brain is stable before you play games by taking a concussion test to make sure you are clear to play. So many of these head injuries have had major effects on players later on in their lives.  

Concussions are such a big issue in the NFL today. Many findings suggest that the onset of dementia-related syndromes may be initiated by repetitive cerebral concussions in professional football players. Studies have shown that "The purpose of our study was to investigate the association between previous head injury and the likelihood of developing mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer's disease in a unique group of retired professional football players with previous head injury exposure." With this being said, it is an issue if head injuries are causing these issues. 

CTE and other issues have been a very serious issue being caused by severe brain damage in football. According to ESPN, "The brain of former Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher -- the 25-year-old player who shot and killed his girlfriend in 2012 before committing suicide -- showed signs of pervasive brain damage like that found in other deceased NFL players, according to a neuropathologist." With a lot of studies, doctors were able to see that players with CTE or other brain damage have more chance to go out and act like this due to having so much brain damage.  

NFL Concussions
The NFL has constantly been trying to make changes and make it so none of this serious damage happens for much longer. Even in this article they state," Concussions in the NFL remain a key focus for player safety and injury prevention. The decreased incidence observed in 2018 and 2019 has provided a new benchmark from which to work toward further reduction in concussive injury in the NFL." People are constantly trying to state that the NFL doesn't do anything to help the players but they are always trying the fix or help lessen these issues.  

NFL Concussions have always been a big issue but now there is backlash because of all the former players experiencing things due to these concussions. We have seen many players go out and completely change who they are and go crazy because of all of this contact with the brain. Studies have shown that so much contact with the head can affect how you act and think. It is very scary and the NFL is trying very hard to make it so there are ways to play with a much reduced risk of injury to the head.

NFL concussions have increased by 18% since 2022. Practitioners think the concussion percentage should be going down instead of going up due to new technology and studies on helmets. Sills said, "We continue to become more cautious and conservative in our evaluation and diagnosis of concussions," "That's not just an opinion. That's backed up by the data." The NFL needs to change something about the helmets so the numbers decrease in concussion.. 

The Author explains how NFL concussions are very serious and needs to be taken a lot more serious. After last year, Miami Dolphins Quarterback had 3 total concussion last year. After getting that banged up the team had to take him out because he was dealing with serious brain injury. People were upset he was even playing after his second one. NFL protocol has to be done by a player who goes into the concussion protocol if they have received a blow to the head and exhibits or reports symptoms or signs suggestive of a concussion or stinger (a nerve pinch injury) or the team athletic trainer, booth ATC spotter, team physician, game official, coach, teammate, sideline Unaffiliated Neurotrauma Consultant (UNC) or booth UNC initiates the protocol.