My specific research project is based off of the NFL concussion crisis, a crisis that the NFL has been attempting to hide from the public. Concussion, a recent film staring Will Smith, drew my attention to this issue that was otherwise unspoken of. The fact that NFL players are dying due to brain damage called chronic traumatic encephalopathy simply because they have taken too many hits to the head is frightening. Although football is debatably known as America's pastime, it is sickening to imagine that we, the fans, cheer on each and every tackle. The NFL blinds their viewers to the fact that these hard hits can ultimately lead to server long-term cognitive issues. Personally, this 2015 biographical sports medical drama film caught my attention and allowed me to analyze the brutality of concussions. While being a three-sport athlete in high school, I have had my fair share of injuries. After suffering from two concussions myself, I can not fathom how the NFL allows concussed players to return immediately. The player's health should be valued the greatest, but instead it is obvious that the National Football League views the business aspect to be more important. Athletes shouldn't be driven to insanity simply because the NFL refuses to face the crisis at hand.


This article is claiming that although football is deadly, every year it is the most-watched event with 114.4 million people viewing it in 2015. Despite the dangers, the Associated Press interviewed 100 NFL players and only 39 admitted to being concerned about the effects of concussions more than other injuries. The author argues that due to the popularity and financial strength, head injuries leading to death will not cause football to no longer exist. The author also placed the risks of concussions on the same level as smoking and drunk driving. He explores the idea that until an even newer medical issue is found, Americans will continue to watch. John Affleck, the author, is currently a journalist and leader at The Associated Press. Affleck is credible because his title is a sports enterprise editor for a news organization that is viewed by half the world's population each day. Since this is a blog post from Huffpost Sports, the author's opinion is present. 


The central claim of this piece is that the NFL has made progress in the recognition and treatment of concussions, but the league must look into the issue further to decrease the amount of players who suffer. A key statistic mentioned is that the percentage of concussions was 31.6% higher in the 2015 season than in 2014. The article focuses on the consequences athletes face from too many concussions such as being led to depression, alcohol or drug abuse, violent behavior and suicide. A quote from The New York Times reveals that Malcolm Jenkins admits that players fear being perceived as weak if they leave a game. Considering this article is from The Philadelphia Tribune the source can be considered credible, even though the author is anonymous. This article was written on February 6, 2016 making all of the statistics up-to-date. The author is bias in the sense that he asserts that the NFL must take more action.  


This article focused on the movie staring Will Smith, which was based off of the true story of Bennet Omalu linking CTE, a progressive brain disease, to constant head blows to the head. Specifically, the author focuses on the fact that the NFL ignored Omalu's discoveries stating that "when you are a - $7-billion-a-year business, nothing  --  including science  --  is going to get in the way of conducting that business." The author provided quotes from Omalu in the Los Angeles Times. Through his quotes, it is evident that he desires to protect children from brain damage by restricting certain ages from playing, similar to the age of consent for smoking, alcohol, sex or driving. Moreover, the author offered examples of players in the 2016 season playing through head injuries. Norman Chad, a columnist for the Washington Post and an American sportswriter, is often seen on ESPN. Given this information it is evident that the author and source are credible.


This research question is arguable because NFL does not wish to deal with the issue and American's will continue to watch the sport no matter what. I have agreed with a majority of the three sources above. I concur with the statements Omalu had to say, but I think his age for consent piece was slightly unreasonable. Children are still going to play the sport, but I do agree that the contact should not be as physical. The different perspectives of the sources further push me to believe the NFL must make changes immediately in order to prevent the death of former players. My question definitely needs to be revised, but I am struggling with the wording. I am considering asking why the NFL doesn't place more importance on the issue and how they can change their rules and regulations. 
