Part 1
Habib, Hal. “Doctor's study of brains of NFL players shows football can cause 'gridiron dementia'.” Palm Beach Post. 10 Sept. 2010, 11 Sept. 2010. Web. 30 Jan. 2011.
Habib, Hal. “Doctor's study of brains of NFL players shows football can cause 'gridiron dementia'.” Palm Beach Post. 10 Sept. 2010, 11 Sept. 2010. Web. 30 Jan. 2011.
This text was an article that focused on the damage to people’s brains that had formerly played in the NFL. This article focused on the problems players can have after they have suffered years of brain damage due to hits they took while playing football. The text outlined problems some former players had to deal with because of the trauma their heads received from the game. This article was published so that other players or people involved with the NFL can become more aware of the dangers players may face from the concussions they receive or the hits they take every Sunday. Habib clearly presents information that plainly goes along with my issue of NFL “hard hits” while presenting studies that show the chance players have of suffering from brain damage after their careers are over. The most compelling aspect of this source is the way Habib used Omalu’s studies of former players to show what can happen to players who have suffered from concussions.
Chasan, Joseph. “Green Bay Packers: Aaron Rodgers Denies Reports of Another Head Injury.” Bleacer Report. 31 Jan. 2011. Web. 31 Jan. 2011.
This publication’s main function was to bring attention to the hit Aaron Rodgers took from Julius Peppers during the NFC championship game a little over a week ago and to bring attention to the other two hits he had taken earlier in the season that gave him concussions. This article seems to be directed towards people who are fans or not fans of Rodgers and towards anyone interested in the issue of hard hits and fines and such. This piece of work seems to go along with my blog because it’s intent is the same with a focus more on Aaron Rodgers because of the Super Bowl being right around the corner. What I feel makes this piece a great source, even though it’s rather short, is when Chasan says, “Will it be enough to affect his performance on Sunday? Maybe. Will it be something that affects him later in life? Unfortunately, all signs point to yes.” This statement goes along with my issue and the controversy surrounding it.
Smith, Marcia C. “NFL’s hard hits unlikely to stop.” OCRegister. 25 Oct. 2010. Web. 1 Feb. 2011.
The title says everything for this article. After reading this, it was clear that Smith doesn’t believe that hard hits are not going to stop in the NFL. This article seems to be aimed towards the NFL’s administration. It pretty much state that even though there were a number of fines handed out in the beginning of the season, it seems the NFL doesn’t seem to care about it anymore. This piece seems to bring another opinion to my issue; that the league isn’t doing enough to stop these hard hits from happening. Smith incorporates various quotes from the leagues players getting their perspective on the matter, which is my favorite part about this article. But I feel like it is too short of a piece that could have made more of an impact on readers if Smith had used more information to make the point of this article more clear.
Judge, Clark. “Simple fix for NFL’s tough hits problem: Listen to players.” CBS Sports. 17 Nov. 2010. Web. 31 Jan. 2011.
This article focuses on the NFL’s tough hits issue but also points out the confusion both players and administrators are facing while trying to find a way to deal with the problem especially the topic of what determines an illegal hit or what does. Judge looks at what the league is doing and how they are attempting to resolve this issue. This article portrays the confusion surrounding my blog issue. There is a thin line between what determines a hard hit and what doesn’t. Some call it the “slipper slope”. The main reason I chose this article was because of its focus on the uncertainty surrounding this issue and how complex it really is.
Part 2
“Head Injuries in Football.” The New York Times. 21 Oct. 2010. Web. 15 Feb. 2011.
Part 2
“Head Injuries in Football.” The New York Times. 21 Oct. 2010. Web. 15 Feb. 2011.
This text that I found, is one that presented a great deal of information towards hard hits in a variety of ways. The article starts out with a section that outlines precisely what a concussion is by explaining what it is in a way that shows how dangerous they actually are. To further show the dangers of concussions, the article then presents a survey that presents statistics towards the number of players that had concussions through a survey conducted in 2000. The text then goes on to mention hearings and NFL rules and such that have taken place or that have been implemented because of this rising problem of concussions in the NFL. New rules are being employed to try and prevent concussions from occurring as much. From this article, I can use the percentages like the 60% that took this survey that said they suffered a concussion when they played or the 26% that suffered three or more. The “Changes in NFL Rules” section gives me information that shows how the NFL is trying to mediate this problem of hard hits and the damage they can cause.
“NFL Unveils New Concussion Awareness Poster In Rep. Miller’s District.” Congressman George Miller. 11 Oct. 2010. Web. 16 Feb. 2011.
This was an article that I found to be compelling to my argument in a different way. This piece talked about concussions that were taking place no in professional sports but in high school sports. George Miller, a congressman, takes a stance on how brain damage caused from concussions is terrible and that most of the time these injuries go unnoticed and untreated. This editorial isn’t geared towards the NFL but it represents concussions occurring at the high school level. I can use this text to show that concussions are more serious than thought to be and that they are occurring at a very young age. The numbers presented in this piece are overwhelming. I can use this to show how people are taking action in making this issue more prevalent but also to show how more needs to be done.
White, Gordon. “Closer Look: NFL Focuses on Hard Hits, Concussions.” The Pilot. 5 Nov. 2010. Web. 16 Feb. 2011.
This was an article I found that showed White’s opinion towards the hard hit controversy. He starts by pointing out how players have used pads and their helmets as ‘weapons” since they were first brought in to the game. The article then goes on employing facts about how the game was almost outlawed because of these vicious hits in 1905 by Theodore Roosevelt and by presenting a few players that have been paralyzed because of the hits they have received playing the game. The fact the game was even considered being outlawed way back in the early 1900’s is a convincing bit of information I could use towards my blog. This article is a great source that can be used to show how hard hits are affecting players and how these hits are doing more damage to these players than we actually see.
Marshall, John. “NFL Concussion Rate is 61%.” Cbcsports.ca. 16 May 2001. Web. 15 Feb. 2011.
This article is one that presents a great deal of factual information that I can use to help bring awareness to my issue. It’s based on a study conducted in 2000 where players who took the survey said they did or did not have a concussion while they played the game. Of the players that took the survey, 61% said they had at least one concussion when they played football. This is a bit of information that definitely could be used and geared towards my blog. The article also mentions famous players like Troy Aikman and Steve Young as players that suffered concussions and most likely ended their careers early because of the amount of concussions they undertook during their careers as football players. Using these facts and these people from these article in my blog can be gripping to my readers help its appeal to other people interested in the topic.
Part 3
“State: House committee approves high school concussion rules.” The Associated Press. 23 Feb. 2011. Web. 2 Mar. 2011.
“State: House committee approves high school concussion rules.” The Associated Press. 23 Feb. 2011. Web. 2 Mar. 2011.
I found this article online while researching on my issue. This was an article that I felt present a different side to the concussion/hard hits issue by showing how a high school in Springfield, IL is handling this problem. This article will be one that I can use to show how this problem is starting even younger than most people thought but also presents a way on how to handle the issue. This school has new rules set into place that makes it so that athletes that suffer a concussion or a hard hit have to have a “doctor’s written permission” to go back and play in the game. This move happened because of the association with concussions and the long-term health risks they can have on players. The article even mentions the former Chicago Bears player Dave Duerson, who committed suicide because of the mental problems he had from the hits he received in football. This entire article seems to be a great source I can use to give a different perspective on the issue by showing how high schools are taking care of the problems and the players affected by the long-term affects of concussions like Dave Duerson.
“Traumatic Brain Injury.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 8 Mar. 2010, 8 Mar. 2010. Web. 17 Mar. 2011.
This source isn’t necessarily an article I found where the concussions debate is dealing with schools or people and such who are involved with it, but it’s a more of a piece that pinpoints and defines what a traumatic brain is. This is a source that I can use in my blog that can show my readers exactly what determines a traumatic brain injury. The article says, “A TBI is caused by a bump, blow or jolt to the head or a penetrating head injury that disrupts the normal function of the brain.” This is a definition that I can give to my readers that clearly identifies what TBI is. The only problem with this source is that the last time the page was updated was over a year ago which may seem like the webpage is a little outdated.
Daugherty, Paul. “In wake of Chris Henry’s damage, how dangerous is football?” Sports Illustrated. 30 June 2010, 30 June 2010. Web. 21 Mar. 2011.
This was an article I found that was focused on the aftermath of what happened with Chris Henry, a formal Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver who died in the summer of 2010 from complications from football. The autopsy showed that Henry suffered from a brain issue called CTE or chronic traumatic encephalopathy. Most people know it was dementia. What I liked most about the article was how it focused on Henry and brought up the question of did this brain problem make him do all of his weird off the field stunts? But what I also liked was how the article showed how research and brain studies like this one and the MRI have just begun to surface new information about brain damage linked to football. The article also mentioned how the only technology back before in the MRI came out in the 1980’s was the x-ray, which didn’t look at the brain at all.
King, Peter. “The Hits That Are Changing Football.” Sports Illustrated. 1 Nov. 2010. Web. 27 Mar. 2011.
This is by far one of the most compelling articles I have found in regards to my blog issue. This article starts out by showing what a scientist has done with studies and research of the human brain of several former football players. What she found was alarming. I can use this sort of information in my blog to show exactly how consecutive blows to the helmet can cause players to have problems later in life. But I also found that the article shows some of the things the NFL is doing to present this information to players or that is showing them the correct way to hit a player. The article stated that the league had created a video that consisted of several prestigious players like Ray Lewis and showed how they were hitting players the right way. Without lowering their shoulders are leading with their head. These are some things that I can incorporate into my blog that can show my readers what is being done both by the research from scientists and from the film the league is showing to players of the NFL.
Part 4
McGrath, Ben. “Does Football Have a Future?” The New Yorker. 21 Jan. 2011. Web. 18 Apr. 2011.
This was an article I found that focused on a player named Craig Heyward or aka “Ironhead”. This was a player who was known to lower his head when running with the ball at a player. People said, “his head had to be made of iron”, hence the name. The article also directed towards the new helmet being introduced into the league. The new helmet, in McGrath’s words felt “awfully heavy” and “not very soft”. I think this is a good bit of information I can use in my blog. It shows that the league does care and is working on the problem but also shows the some of the new technology, while protecting players, is also a part of the problem. These helmets can be used as another tool that can be involved with the concussion problem in the NFL. The helmet was designed to spread the impact across the helmet but the helmet is also huge, hard, and heavy.
Schwarz, Alan. “Silence of Concussions Raises Risks of Injury.” The New York Times. 15 Sept. 2007. Web. 18 Apr. 2011.
Here’s an article I found that voices how high school players feel about concussions and what they would do if they had one. This piece shows that high schools are invested in the safety of their athletes but the players aren’t telling the coaches that they are hurt because they don’t want to be pulled from the game. The high school players here are opting to play with the injury and risking more damage, rather than telling their coaches and getting pulled out of the game. I can use this article as a way to show how people aren’t helping the issue. This shows that, while I commemorate these athletes dedication to the game, they are also causing the problem to continue by not letting their coaches know they are hurt. This brings a different view of the concussion argument that I haven’t looked at and will be a great way for me to get my readers to see things in a different light.
Smith, Stephanie. ‘Dead athletes’ brains show damage from concussions.” CNN Health. 26 Jan. 2009. Web. 16 Apr. 2011.
This was a source that I found that I felt could really did a great job giving an example of a player, Ted Johnson and Tom McHale, who is suffering from side effects from the concussions and the article looks at how the Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy (CSTE), at the Boston University School of Medicine is looking into the issue of concussions and brain damage. The article looked at how the school released another study of Mchale’s brain, the 6th documented case of CTE as of 2008, where the results were “shocking” and have been used to link brain damage and CTE. This is another article that I can use to show how dangerous these hits can be to players. Concussions can have serious side effects like depressions, mental fatigue, sleep deprivation, and sometimes death. This is a source I can use to present some more examples of players who have suffered from concussions.
States consider youth concussion laws.” ESPN. 28 Jan. 2010. Web. 17 Apr. 2011.
This was an article I found on ESPN that talked about how around 6 states are trying to adopt laws or restrictions towards high school players going back into the game after receiving head injuries while playing the game. This all stemmed from the NFL’s sudden attention and investment with this issue concerning the professionals that play the game.
“Elsewhere, the Maine legislature passed a law last year that creates a working group on the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of concussions in young athletes. In New Jersey, there's no state law to regulate how head injuries should be handled for athletes, but the legislature has allowed a commission to look into brain injury research.”
This was a passage from the article that I particularly liked. It shows how two states are taking steps towards helping the problem and making so that their athletes receive proper treatment when they suffer a head injury. I want to use this article and even quotes and passages like the one above to help voice what can be done to help this issue. It is another source that shows what can be done or what is being done by certain states that are trying to protect athletes.
