,“League of Denial”
The NFL Concussion Crisis ave you ever taken the time to consider the consequence? Not the immediate consequence, maybe not even the short term, but the long term consequence of how we as society treat our bodies. For the NFL, its players and “Iron Mike” Webster, the consequence’s became reality on September 24th 2002 when “Iron Mike” meet Dr. Bennnet Omalu as he lay lifeless on a cold autopsy table at the Allegheny County Coroner’s Office.
Concussion: a condition resulting from the stunning, damaging, or shattering effects of a hard blow; especially: a jarring injury of the brain resulting in disturbance of cerebral function and sometimes marked by permanent damage (http://www.merriam-webster.com/medical/concussion). Concussions have become more prevalent in the National Football League as awareness has risen. There are numerous cases of CTE that have resulted in permanent damage or death over the course of the last 15 years. The reality behind concussions is that there will never be a total solution to the issue, in contact sports the danger will always be there. We must continue to raise awareness and develop protective equipment to minimize the risk. Concussions are one of the leading causes of CTE among all professional athletes toady.
Mike Webster retired in 1991 from the NFL and the Pittsburg Steelers after 17 years in the “pit” and made an attempt at a normal life, a short time into this journey it became apparent that “Iron Mike” was not the Mike Webster that his wife of 27 years had known, his marriage failed he was a horrible father to his boys and was soon broke and homeless. How did this happen? How could this happen to the iconic figured in his own beloved city? “Iron Mike” suffered numerous concussions in the “pit” a term used for the line of scrimmage in football. Over and over again trauma to his head slamming is brain into his skull relentlessly. “Iron Mike’ was suffering from Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy or CTE. And it would eventually claim his life.
In April of 1999 Mike Webster hired a law firm and filed a disability application with the National Football League, after being evaluated by numerous physicians the conclusion was that Webster was permanently disabled due to brain injuries suffered from playing football, his application was granted October of 1999; “Iron Mike” died September 22, two years later at the age of 50. Mike Webster is only one of the many NFL players to suffer and die from complications of CTE, but his death was the ember that started the fire in Dr. Omalu, leading to research and findings that would discredit the NFL and its leadership’s viewpoint of Concussions. This made way for new rules, regulations protective equipment and education that would change the game as nothing ever had before.
November 2003 Dr. Kevin Guskiewicz, a sports medicine researcher at the University of North Carolina, publishes a paper suggesting that repeat concussions may lead to slower recovery of neurological functioning:
“Our study suggests that players with a history of previous concussions are more likely to have future concussive injuries than those with no history; 1 in 15 players with a concussion may have additional concussions in the same playing season; and previous concussions may be associated with slower recovery of neurological function.” (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/sports/league-of-denial/timeline-the-nfls-concussion-crisis/#disqus_thread) Concussion: a condition resulting from the stunning, damaging, or shattering effects of a hard blow; especially: a jarring injury of the brain resulting in disturbance of cerebral function and sometimes marked by permanent damage (http://www.merriam-webster.com/medical/concussion). A hot topic to say the very least, The National Football League and Concussions have made headlines since 1994 when NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue creates the Mild Traumatic Brain Injury committee. Fast Forward 10 years and After complaining of depression and behaving erratically, former Pittsburgh Steeler Justin Strzelczyk dies in a fiery car crash at age 36. Dr. Omalu later examines Strzelczyk’s brain and finds CTE. The epidemic of CTE is very real in the lives of professional athletes worldwide, If not for the curiosity and determination of Dr. Omalu we may never have reached the potential to lessen the effects of concussions if sports.
Works Cited http://www.merriam-webster.com/medical/concussion. Merriam Webster. n.d. . http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/sports/league-of-denial/timeline-the-nfls-concussion-crisis/#disqus_thread. n.d.
