25Oct13 update
Brett Farve reports memory damage
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-24680117
relatedly
www.minnpost.com
Generally, do we have a problem with concussions in sport? In football? Other sports? Do we need to do more to protect players, especially young players, or is this a situation of "player beware"?
What did you find more surprising in the Frontline "League of Denial"? What do you want to contest or criticize from the show?
Is sport, particularly football and hockey, become more violent? Is that because it sells better? If it those two claims are true, ought we be concerned about it?
Everybody signing up for a sport especially signing a contract to be a professional athlete should be aware that there is a high risk in playing the game. They should go in knowing that they could possibly get seriously injured. Football and hockey are becoming more and more violent because athletes in today's world are getting stronger and fast as technology and supplements are being improved and so advanced. I don't think that its technically the sport becoming more violent but the athletes just becoming stronger and faster causing bigger hits and more brutal plays.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Kyle, when signing up for these sports there has to be some expected risk that comes along with it. You cant just expect a child/athlete to be 100% healthy all the time, everyday, throughout a football/hockey/contact sport season. Even the off-seasons with the amount of training and practice that goes into it. I also agree that the contact sports are becoming more dangerous due to the development of bigger, faster, and stronger athletes. Its almost becoming a "gladiator" type deal where the opponents are just simply hurting each other not out of spite or even for trying to on purpose, but most occasions I think its caused of the athletes just simply hitting harder and so on. This being said, concussions are obviously a real thing and a thing that needs to be dealt with. I think an improvement would be to help try and teach players at every level the risk of concussions and how to "properly" hit an opposition which in itself is an extremely hard thing to define.
DeleteKyle and Josh both raise good points here. Unfortunately there is a rise in people who are trying to take advantage of the system and seek lawsuits due to injuries or prolonged problems stemming from concussions and the like. I have heard from many parents with young children that they are waiting till their children get to middle school before allowing them the option to play football. I find this as a reasonable alternative because it still gives the kid ample time to tone their skills in the game if they continue playing at the high school level.
DeleteGenerally I think that there is a problem with concussions in sport and that includes football, soccer, hockey and others. I think that we do need to do more to educate young players on the dangers associated with concussions. What I found to be very surprising was how the NFL was basically denying that anything was happening and going so far as to have doctors publish these findings. I do not think that football and hockey have necessarily become more violent I think that athletes have become physical superior to those of the past meaning bigger, faster and stronger which in turn causes more concussions. I also think that the more we learn about concussions the more we recognize when someone has suffered one therefore the numbers should be higher than the past. I do not think that sports have become more violent because it sells better but if both of these claims were true I think it is something that we should be very concerned about because it is not right to encourage violence within sports because it sells better.
ReplyDeleteIn the past couple weeks, i saw the clear violence in football and hockey. There were so many injuries of big name players such as sam bradford, reggie wayne and James Jones. However, both leagues are taking action fining players a significant amounts of money for these dangerous hits they are making.
ReplyDeleteShould the kicker Pat Mcafee be fined for his hit on Holiday? Yeah he is a kicker but should he receive the same consequences? watch the video and you decide?
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5KMRUBTSXM
Coming from a former football player if you get blown up by a kicker it is embarrassing and if we start fining our kickers we might as well trade in the football pads for flags
DeleteI think that the kicker should be punished because all athletes on the field should have to follow the same rules regardless of position.
DeleteI completely agree with Michelle in that the kicker shouldn't have any leeway because they are a kicker. The rules apply everyone on the field. Plus the kicker is much bigger then the return guy.
DeleteI agree with Matt and Michelle. The kicker should not receive special privileges. If the allow kickers to break the rules this wiould just cause more problems in the future. The rules are there for a reason and should be followed by every player.
DeleteWatching the League of Denial changed my perspective on the concussion issue in the NFL. Though I still believe that the player accepts the risk of being injured in football, what the show expressed was more than just a risk. The program showed how much of a "business" the NFL really is; they want the most profit, with the least amount of loss. The evidence of the NFL heads explicitly hiding the facts on concussions just shows that that they were concerned for their business and not the players well beings. The program was well put together and was well researched. Their statements are backed up with solid evidence and observation, which makes the outcome that much more credible.
ReplyDeleteBeing a coach for younger players has shown me that even since I was a kid playing football, the way of playing has changed. I have to take classes on how to teach the kids how to hit, this allows me to have a coaching license. So I do believe that the NFL is changing the way kids are learning the sport of football. And being a factor in the change, allows me to see that the culture and seriousness of concussions is being more focused upon.
ReplyDeleteIs sport, particularly football and hockey, become more violent? Is that because it sells better? If it those two claims are true, ought we be concerned about it?
ReplyDeleteI am a fan of neither so it is hard to make a commit about those two sports specifically but as a former nascar ("sport?"), I can tell you the most exciting parts of the race are when racers are caught in huge crashes (as bad as that might sound), so yes, I think violence sells better. It always has (historically: gladiatorial games) but it is nothing we ought to be worried about. Humans are a violent species. Violence will always exist.
As a football/basketball coach I was made to take a test on Concussion awareness and how to deal with concussions. Awareness is being spread more and more about concussions. It is just not football coaches that have to take these tests but also soccer, basketball, volleyball, and etc. in the league we are in. I do think it is wrong of the NFL heads to try an conceal the actual reality of concussions and I think the awareness being spread is a good thing. However, at the professional level the athletes should have to sign a contract realizing that they are more susceptible to get hurt, and get concussions. They shouldn't be suing so much unless they were forced to play while being concussed. But these are grown adults not children they had to know what they were getting into. This is the professional level and they are paid extremely high amounts of money. High risk=High award.
ReplyDeleteWhat I found surprising about this film was that players feel that it is the leagues fault for what happened. I say NO! they know what they signed up for and they knew that football is one of the most violent sports out there. I feel like it is common knowledge that if you and another person run full speed at each other with your head, then someone will get hurt.
ReplyDelete