Increased Awareness About Football Related Concussions is Cause for Concern
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In recent years there have been many sources relating ex-pro football players deaths to repeated hits to the head that they had suffered during thier playing career. These repeated concussions due to football have had significant long term health effects on ex players. The most recent and noteworthy being Junior Seau, an all pro linebacker, who committed suicide much to the surprise fo his friends and family. After death Seau donated his brain to science for it to be examined for a possible link between his prior concussions and his death.
C.T.E Believed to Cause These Behavioral Changes
They found one, its called chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or C.T.E., a degenerative and incurable disease whose symptoms can include memory loss, depression and dementia. C.T.E. is believed to be causing these deaths and is belived to be the cause of dramatic behavioral change in ex-nflers years after they stop playing. This has caused much debate among the NFL and they are now being sued by many ex players claiming that the NFL with held crucial information about the long term effects of concussions. Given this new information, it begs question, would you allow your son to play football? This questions has been much debated in recent months. Even President Obama chimed in saying that “I would think long and hard before I would allow my son to play football”. It is true that football is probably one of the most violent sports there is, but at the same time the comrodary among teammates and the friendships and lessons that can be learned through football are unlike any other and can last a lifetime. But knowing that years down the road that repeated hits to the head can cause serious, life threatening brain trauma it’s up to you parents to make that decision for your son.
* This article was written by Matt Hurley a student in Renee Martinez’s marketing class
