Multiple Concussions In Professional Sports

Words: 775
Pages: 4

Today, football is a very popular sport and pastime for many Americans. Many people play the sport of football, whether it be youth, high school, or even college or professionally, and even more people spectate it. The increasing popularity has made the sport more fun, more competitive, and more intense on all levels of play. The increase of competitiveness and intensity has led to a more aggressive style of play as players try to find an edge on their competition. While the aggression and intensity may make the game more exciting to watch, it is the cause of a pressing issue: the increase of long-term brain damage in athletes. The number of concussions in the NFL has been increasing year-to-year, and because of the risk of major or multiple …show more content…
Because of this, certain athletes become more prone to getting concussions, and are likely to sustain multiple head injuries throughout their careers. Multiple concussions lead to the buildup of tau protein, a protein in the brain that contributes to the development of CTE. This is why more and more cases of CTE in former NFL players have been reported. Players are put at the risk of developing CTE because of the concussions they may sustain in their careers. This risk is not one that players want to take, but the NFL is doing very little to help or protect it’s current or former players. Because of this, the NFL is scrutinized for not caring for the …show more content…
The fear of serious, traumatic brain injury is enough to make players retire early, but the ones who continue to play are put at a risk that nobody wants to take. Since the NFL isn’t taking the necessary steps to prevent or help with CTE, many people believe that the NFL will be shut down. This is due to the fact that its most important asset, the players, are ultimately putting their lives and wellbeing at risk. Unless the NFL begins to start taking more serious steps to protect its players and prevent CTE, more players will end their careers and even file lawsuits against the NFL. This will lead to more legal issues, and eventually, the shutting down of the NFL.
As players become more aggressive with their styles of play, more players will become injured and exposed to the risk of concussion. This will undoubtedly lead to an increase in the number of concussions, and the chance of more players developing CTE. Since the NFL does not properly help protect players and prevent CTE, the NFL will inevitably be shut down in the