Concussions/ Brain Injuries and how it’s Changed Football
The pounding soundtracks of Football mean nothing more to the fans than an excellent executed game. However, these sounds signal something different for the neuroscience researchers. They indicate a brain injury or a concussion. With the daily reports of traumatic brain injuries, concussion, and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), it is easy for one to fear and consider the sport as dangerous.
Football has always been considered an integral part of society and teaches children invaluable lessons about physical activities as well as teamwork. During a football game, all one can see is the audience screaming of excitement from the tackling in the field. This makes the fans and players happy. Come to think of it, is it not every parent’s joy to see their kids participate in something that makes them happy?
There has been a decline in the number of kids willing to take part in Football. Parents have also become reluctant to allow their kids to take part in Football or any other contact sport. The fans enjoy the drubbing sounds of the game, but the high cases of brain injuries among the players are enough for a person who was once interested in taking part in the game to think otherwise. A famous case that stirs the emotions of the fans of a football player who suffered from CTE is Aaron Hernandez. The player committed suicide in jail after he was imprisoned for murder. The autopsy report of the player indicated that he had stage 3 CTE, which causes impaired judgment, changes in behavior, loss of memory, and damaged thinking. With these incidents, one can question whether the sport is worth these risks. Don't use plagiarised sources.Get your custom essay just from $11/page
A concussion is a clinical diagnosis made by health care experts. They observe the player for any presence of impaired coordination and slurred speech and later carry out a physical assessment for symptoms such as swellings and dilated pupils. Minor injuries are often overlooked, but those that happen frequently are examined as they could result in damage to the brain. Even though multiple efforts are underway, there is no imaging or blood biomarker to diagnose a brain injury or offer guidance to players to go back to sports. Clinical judgment is used, and time resolves the symptoms with most concussions clearing within two to four weeks, depending on the age of the player.
Adnan Hirad, a medical student at the University of Rochester, explained that each time a player receives a hit on their head, the brain ripples like the surface of any water body after a rock is thrown in. Even though various regions of the brain are affected by force, the central location of the midbrain makes it more susceptible to sustain an injury. Participating in Football is not the only time that one is at risk of concussions. Children also get brain injuries from riding, skating, rugby, and other contact sports.
I have a fundamental and scientifically centered belief that participation in sports is good. People of all ages being inactive is terrible and unhealthy, particularly as we continue to battle the epidemic of obesity and its consequences. The belief that Football is bad due to the high cases of players with a concussion is bad. As individuals, we engage in various activities each day, which puts us at risk, and participation in Football is no exception. People often have varying and unique approaches to sports, which affects their decision to play. The fact that one might get an injury should not be a reason to determine if one should participate.
The high cases of concussion presented in football players are worrisome not only to other players but also to the fans. For some parents, Football is not an option for their children as they believe it carries a high risk of brain injury. This fear in the parents and also in kids is a result of media coverage of former football players who suffered from a concussion and later died after developing chronic traumatic encephalopathy.
One study which made lots of headlines and misconceptions was a report in JAMA, which indicated CTE in the brains of 110 players out of 111 deceased NFL players, which were donated for analysis. These results came from players who had shown signs of mental decline before dying. Although the author cautioned that the research was bound by ascertainment bias and lacked a comparison group that represented all individuals who played Football, most people did not recognize this point.
Such reports and cases have had a significant impact on people’s perception of the game. It has resulted in changes being made in the game to reduce contact among the players. The new rules in NFL advocate for the players to focus more on safety rather than entertainment. Children participating in the sport also have a minimum age for participation. The football die-hard fans might not like this changes as they believe that the tackling hardens the players, but it is essential to consider the increased rates of concussion and ways to reduce them.
Players, parents, and coaches need to be informed about the risks of concussion. Currently, there are fewer cases of concussed players being put back to the game. Children should be pulled out from participation in Football if a concussion is suspected, and most professional and college sports have made efforts to improve concussion protocols.
Even though various factors must be considered, it is premature to discourage individuals from taking part in Football. Until we attain a better medical and scientific understanding of football-related concussions and brain injuries, safe play, immediate removal of a player from the game once a concussion is suspected, proper training and equipment are encouraged.
We all want the same thing: to enjoy the game but also stay healthy. Therefore, instead of allowing fear to deprive our kids of the benefits of participation in Football and other sports, let us allow science to help us make more informed resolutions.
Work cited
Henry, Luke C., et al. “Metabolic changes in concussed American football players during the acute and chronic post-injury phases.” BMC Neurology 11.1 (2011): 105.
Casson, Ira R., et al. “Twelve years of National Football League concussion data.” Sports Health 2.6 (2010): 471-483.
Rhetorical analysis
In recent years, concussion/brain injuries and how it has changed Football has become a hot topic of discussion. Reports of football players who have developed concussions and CTE are becoming worrisome. This has not only had an effect on the players and fans but also the NFL rules which govern the sport. The editorial suggests that rather than allowing the fear of brain injuries to deprive our kids of the benefits of participating in Football, we should aim at preventing and managing concussions resulting from injuries during the game. This paper is an analysis of the ethical considerations, emotional appeal, and appeal of logic used to persuade the fans, audience, and players to have a positive perception of the sport while still ensuring safety.
The editorial starts by shedding light on what football sport means to various people. To the fans, the game is fantastic entertainment, a profession or hobby to the players, and a source of worry to neuroscience researchers and health care professionals. It proceeds to explain how concussions occur in Football, how it is clinically diagnosed as well as its effects on the health of the patients. A concussion is more common in players in contact sports such as Football. The editorial further discusses how the increased reports and cases of players with concussions, as well as those who have died from CTE has changed Football. Even though there are numerous cases of concussion in football players, it is not the only thing that can result in a concussion. Concussion should, therefore, not be a reason for people to have a negative perception of the game.
Throughout the editorial, there is the use of reliable sources that strengthen the credibility of the piece, appeal to ethos, and also build the arguments. These sources include research carried out by Adnan Hirad and the 2017 report in JAMA. Citing these researches boosts the credibility of this piece by illustrating that there are facts and statistics to support the arguments. It states the statistics found from various research such as “report in JAMA indicated CTE in the brains of 110 players out of 111 deceased NFL players which were donated for analysis”. The editorial is also supported by expert opinions such as neuroscience and medical research. The piece also uses real-life scenarios to help some of the claims, which allows us to illustrate the firsthand experience with the issue.
Adding to the ethical appeals used, the editorial also uses persuasive appeals to logic, with facts and logical progression of concepts. The piece points out, “individuals engage in various activities every day, which puts us at risk of having a brain injury, and football is no exception.” These facts persuade the reader to think logically about all other activities that can cause a concussion. The mention of different activities, including riding, skating, and other contact sports, which have high risks of concussion, supports the central claim of the editorial. The facts also illustrate how the argument in the editorial is substantial in that the risk of concussion can be anywhere, and therefore rather than discouraging individuals from participating in the sport, strategies should be put in place to ensure safety and reduced risk among the players. The details of the paper build an appeal to logos that this topic is worth looking into.
Along with the ethos and logos, the paper makes an appeal to pathos in the beginning and end sections. The introductory part is full of emotionally-charged phrases that appeal to the perception of football fans and players. The author notes, “is it not every parent’s joy to see their kids participate in something that makes them happy?” the image that the piece evokes of a parent who would not allow a kid who is passionate about Football to play due to the risk of concussion introduces the claims of the author effectively and also shows the intensity of the matter. Her goal is to make the readers and parents image how bad it would feel for the child to be denied the right and support to play Football. Adding to this idea are phrases and words such as reluctant, think of it and worrisome. All the above phrases evoke negative emotions that come as a result of fear of concussion while participating in Football. Another feeling reinforced by the paper is the concept of concern. The paper states, “Players, parents, and coaches need to be informed about the risks of concussion.” This statement justifies the need for individuals to worry about concussions. Once they understand that it is actually present, it is possible for them to make recommendations. The phrases are an appeal of the author’s emotions of anger towards those that forbid their children from playing and the understanding of the author over the concern of parents.
However, the author does not maintain the same level of effectiveness in the appeal of ethos throughout the editorial. At some point, the author states, “the belief that football is bad.” The use of the word bad is too vague. This is a shift from the concise and intellect voice used in the other sections of the paper, and the reader is likely to get confused about what the author meant. The use of such words damages the strength of the credibility of the author as well as their claims.
In conclusion, the editorial is effective in persuading the readers of the changes in Football that have been caused by cases of concussion among the players. Even though the author is successful in illustrating the seriousness of the issue, she fails in maintain the same effectiveness in the appeal of ethos throughout the paper. The author has not only discussed the various cases of football players who had concussions and the research carried on them but have also demonstrated how the risk of concussion is present in other activities besides Football. Readers can see the strength in her claims. The use of facts and statistics, as well as expert opinions, makes the reader take the paper seriously.