I happened to catch a couple minutes of this movie over the weekend, called League of Denial. The movie was about the links between football and brain trauma/concussions. It was very eye-opening, to say the least. I have always known that football can be a very dangerous sport, and concussions were very common, but this movie definitely caught my attention. It focuses on a degenerative neurological disorder called chronic traumatic encephalopathy, otherwise known as CTE. It is a brain disorder that causes severe mental problems and often times leads to early death.
During the movie they talked about how the NFL tried to cover up all of the research being done by doctors about CTE. They didn't want people to freak out and have their kids stop playing; they wanted to keep the sport popular. However, the movie is told from the doctor's point of view. One of the doctors featured said that of the 46 brains of former football players she had studied, she diagnosed 45 of them with CTE. That is astonishing.
I think that the NFL had no right to try and cover up the head-injury problems. It should have been made public a lot sooner. They should have tried to find a way to alter the game, by adding more rules or changing rules, but they should not have just tried to ignore it. They should have taken responsibility. Since CTE was found in almost every football player examined, it makes me wonder if almost every football player that has ever played might have it too. This disorder causes mental problems, and often death. If the possibility that many NFL players have this, why should the NFL cover it up? Football is a big part of American culture, with kids all over the nation playing. America loves football. But, if football is causing such bad things to happen to players' brains, why should we keep playing the game the same way? They should at least alter the rules to help prevent bad tackles/hits.
Do you think the NFL should alter the rules? Do you think it is possible CTE has affected almost every player's brain? Or should we just continue the game the way it is and just expect the players to know the consequences of playing?
Article about movie: http://theweek.com/article/index/250743/frontline-how-the-nfl-covered-it-up-its-devastating-head-injury-problem
I think that the NFL's decision to hide the research was wrong. I understand that the NFL didn't want fans to turn their back on the sport, but the public has a right to know what is happening to players. I would have to disagree with you Sara. Football is a classic sport to Americans. I think that many fans would not want to change the sport drastically because it is such a traditional game in American culture. Many people love football because it has been in American culture for a long time. Regardless of if someone is a Bears fan or a Packers fan, the love of the sport unites people. If fans were to change anything, they would tell players to wear better protective gear and play cautiously. Football is something that cannot be greatly altered without affecting Americans.
ReplyDeleteHi Sara,
ReplyDeleteWhat a great idea for a post. But you need to get beyond just the opinion-mongering of "is the NFL in the right or wrong" and explore more of the WHY this is happening. You hinted at this referring to football being "a big part of American culture" but it might be further developed in terms of how much money it generates, how popular it is on TV, etc. Your link to The Week article is also a good start, but it would be better if you referenced/sourced the article(s) The Week drew from and quoted and analyzed that text.