It’s no secret that the NFL is rife with head injuries, and with all the focus on concussions lately, the NFL has taken steps to help more players protect their brains. But some players are still feeling the effects of head injuries long after their playing career has ended. Could CTE be the cause?
I have a friend who played in the NFL a few years back and he’s been suffering from cognitive and emotional issues lately. His doctor suspects he has chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, a condition that has been linked to repeated head injuries. It’s a scary thought, but this got me thinking: Does the NFL really deny CTE?
Well, I did some research and here’s the truth. The NFL vows to make the game safer and reduce the risk of injury, but so far, they haven’t acknowledged the link between concussions and CTE. Instead, they’ve focused on ways to mitigate head injuries, like changing helmet designs and establishing concussion protocols. But that’s not enough.
The truth is, the NFL needs to acknowledge the link between CTE and head injuries in order to effectively address and prevent it. The league must do more to help players understand the risks and take proactive steps to protect their brains, and they must commit resources to help diagnose and treat players with CTE.
As a friend of someone with CTE, I feel the seriousness of the issue firsthand. It has taken a toll on not only my friend, but on all of us who care for him. I can only hope the NFL will recognize the importance of this issue and start taking real action to protect our players.
Now that I have established why the NFL denies CTE, I’ll take a deeper dive into the topic. My friend asked me “Is CTE a new phenomenon?” It has become increasingly apparent lately, but researchers have actually investigated CTE since at least the 1920s. It was generally thought to be caused by a single head trauma event, like a punch to the head, but it has become more and more apparent that many participants in contact (i.e. violent) sports can develop CTE from enduring numerous, smaller blows to their heads.
The symptoms of CTE are varied and range from memory problems to speech and gait disturbances. But it’s still relatively difficult to formally diagnose CTE due to its highly individualistic symptoms. It’s also hard to know how many ex-athletes have CTE due to a lack of data.
So is it true that the NFL denies CTE? In a word, yes. The League has refused to accept that CTE is a real condition and the ramifications of head trauma are long lasting. Instead, they’ve made concussions and head injuries a priority and have taken steps to mitigate the risk of head trauma in the NFL.
Yet, more needs to be done. This means understanding the long-term effects of CTE and the implications of repeated concussive events. Players may need more support than the NFL can offer, in accessing medical care, financial assistance, and social support. It may also mean educational initiatives and helping players learn about the risks of head trauma in football, and how to reduce the risk of sustaining a head injury.
It’s critical that the NFL does a better job of understanding, researching and communicating about the risks of head trauma and the long-term effects of CTE. That way, they can do more to protect players, both those currently playing and those who may have retired years before.
Now that I established why the NFL denies CTE and the need to research the effects of head trauma, let’s look into what preventive measures the NFL has taken. As mentioned earlier, the League has taken steps to mitigate the trauma associated with head injuries, such as changing helmet designs and establishing concussion protocols. They have also begun programs to educate players and coaches on the risk of head injuries, along with testing and treatment for concussion symptoms.
The NFL has also changed some rules, declaring certain contact illegal or officiating more strictly to help protect players from harm. Most notably, the “quarterback slide” rule has been heavily enforced in the last few years, and has drastically reduced the amount of hard hits for quarterbacks.
That said, the NFL has yet to identify CTE as a long-term risk associated with contact sports, and has yet to change any rules to further protect players from the condition. Instead, these changes have focused more on preventing head injuries in general, which hasn’t been enough to address CTE.
Let’s take a look at some of the external pressures the NFL is facing regarding CTE. The League has been sued numerous times in the past few years due to the lack of acknowledgement that CTE is a real issue. There have been class-action lawsuits by players, and the League has lost some of these cases. This puts serious legal and financial pressure on the NFL to take action on CTE.
There has also been a lot of public and media attention around CTE lately, including new documentaries, books, and studies being released. This has further increased the awareness of head injuries and the long-term effects of CTE. Public opinion and pressure is very real and can put more pressure on the League to confront the issue.
Lastly, organizations overseeing other sports have taken concrete actions to protect athletes from CTE-related issues. CONCACAF, FIFA, and the International Olympic Committee have all taken steps to reduce the risk of head injuries and increase awareness of CTE. This provides a blueprint for how the NFL could tackle the issue.
So does the NFL deny CTE? Definitely, and they have yet to take concrete steps to address the issue. However, public and legal pressure, along with media attention and research into head injuries, may force the NFL to confront the issue and start taking steps to protect players from CTE. Until then, it falls to us to look out for our players and ensure they are safe.