What Can the NFL Do?- Part II

The Concussion Epidemic

(Google)

               In this past NFL season (2010-2011) there was a major rise in the number of concussions reported, which has sparked the NFL to try to slow down the rise.  According to the NFL and Kevin Baumer, the number of concussions just through week eight was up 21% from the previous year.  That is a very significant increase, and that is what has made the NFL finally realize that concussions are a major problem for these players.  The reason for this increase is debated by many.  Some people believe that it is just because more people are actually receiving concussions, but the more likely reason is the fact that more players are actually reporting their concussions.  Kevin Baumer said, “The NFL believes the rate of injury is not necessarily higher, but teams are more aware of head injuries now and are being more conscientious about keeping the league abreast of their players' injuries.”  It is believed that previously, players would just not tell any medical staff about a head injury and try to play through it, which would lead to many more problems down the road.  According to an AP survey conducted in 2009, 30 out of 160 players had hidden concussions during their careers.  This stat is an alarming one, and that is why the NFL has finally realized that something needs to be done.

                Concussions in football have been a part of the game all the way back to the days with leather helmets, or no helmets at all.  According to Wharton, “Football historians report that President Theodore Roosevelt called representatives from Harvard, Princeton and Yale to the White House in 1905 and said he would ban the game of football if they didn't stop the brutality which, in that year alone, had caused 18 deaths and more than 150 severe injuries.”  But just recently, the NFL has finally decided to devote time and research to help prevent injuries like concussions.  The recent flare up of news about concussions in the NFL and how they were dealing with it came after week six of the 2010 NFL season.  On October 17th, 2010, three players made tackles that were very violent, which resulted in a total of $175,000 in fines handed out to those players for what the league said were helmet to helmet hits.  Some of those hits were not even flagged on the field, which made some fans and players very angry.  Although these players make a lot of money, many do not believe that their personal income should be taken away from them for playing the sport at a high level.  Many people were very angry with how the NFL decided to handle these hits on the field, especially when they stated that they would suspend players for these types of hits.  The NFL needs to find a ways to protect players from these head injuries without turning themselves into the NFFL (National Flag Football League).