From mid-September to early February, my family is either religiously watching ESPN or sitting in the seats of Gillette or MetLife Stadium for NFL games. Football (particularly NFL) is a significant part of my recreation, thus the well-being of players is naturally a concern of mine. However, I never considered the medical consequences of professional football for retired players. The issue of head trauma in football first peaked my interest after University of Michigan quarterback, Shane Morris was encouraged to play after showing symptoms of a concussion (an injury caused by blunt trauma to the head). Many articles revolving around the issue mentioned chronic traumatic encephalopathy (abbreviated as CTE), a degenerative brain disease found in many NFL football players. CTE is a terrible consequence of playing professional football (NFL), which affects its players, families, and (indirectly) fans. The NFL's choice (in the past) to ignore Dr. Omalu's CTE research, because of fear of decreased profits, contradicts with my values of health, knowledge, and awareness. Since the effects of CTE are so significant (post-NFL), denying the truth about CTE, in my opinion, is obstructing the players' opinions to make a well-informed decision about their football career for themselves. I believe I am qualified to research and write about this particular subject because of my knowledge of football and human biology (particular neuroscience: the study of the human nervous system). To begin my research, I have selected three sources to analyze and relate to the reduction of CTE in the NFL.

"Concussion: doctor who fought NFL says 'no equipment can prevent' such injuries" overall summarizes the relationship between Dr. Bennet Omalu and the NFL (after the discovery of CTE in the brains of NFL players). In addition, it claims, as stated by Dr. Omalu, that the only way to address the issue of CTE in the NFL is to not play it or significantly change the game. CTE is caused by the nature of football, not just undiagnosed concussions. For this particular article puts the interest of football as a whole at stake because it concludes that CTE is essentially inevitable for NFL players. There is no way to stop for the brain from moving within the skull which leads the general public determine what is more valuable to us: football or its players' lives. Jamiles Lartey, the author of the article, has a Master of Arts in Journalism from New York University which makes him a credible and well-educated journalist. Additionally, The Guardian, a British news publication, (specifically the US publication) has a centre-left view when it comes to US politics which is irrelevant to the issue of CTE and the NFL. 

 "NFL Invests $20 Million in Concussion Prevention" details the NFL's recent efforts, particularly the Head Health Challenge, to address the issue of concussions and CTE. The Head Health Challenge offered $20 million of grant money to contribute to concussion research in the NFL. The US Army Research Laboratory, the University of Washington, and Viconic Sporting were the three finalists that were rewarded for developments to football helmets. This shows that the NFL is concerned for its players' health and has taken initiative to combat football-related head trauma.  In addition to the players' health (like in the article above), the NFL's reputation is at stake in this article. If the organization fails to fix/mitigate the problem, the outrage amongst concerned fans and retired players will only continue to grow which can negatively affect the NFL. Dipo Faloyin, the author of the article, is a journalist for Newsweek.com (Europe Division).  Faloyin covers a variety of different pop culture topics excluding sports, which denotes that he does not have a serious interest in the NFL and that his is opinion is most likely unbiased. Newsweek.com is one of the largest American news weekly magazines, however this article stems from the its division in the United Kingdom, where (American) football and the NFL aren't very popular. Therefore, this could affect the articles crebility because the Faloyin and Newsweek.com UK are not as familiar with the NFL's negative press and the ineffectiveness of helmet development.

"Hitting back: Dr. Bennet Omalu stands by his work on NFL-related brain trauma" claims that the main cause of CTE in NFL players is the act of the brain bouncing off the walls of the skull. CTE is caused by repeated blows (trauma) to the head, not just concussions, which is common in a contact sport such as football. A helmet, as explained by Dr. Omalu, cannot stop the brain from moving within the skull. Those who are fans of the NFL, especially those who are aware of CTE, can be criticized for supporting a sport that detrimentally affects its players.  The premiere of the 2015 film "Concussion" (which is mentioned in the article) has introduced the issue to the general public, which has cast a negative light on the NFL, thus putting its reputation and ethics at stake. The article was published/found on EBSCOhost website: Consumer Health Complete, which is a reputable and generally unbiased source. Bob Highfill, the article's author, is a Sports editor for The Record. The Record is a local newspaper for Stockton, California which means that Bob Highfill may not have a lot of experience with national issues. 

The research question as a whole is highly debated and controversial because it is uncertain if CTE can be prevented regardless of the players' equipment. Dr. Bennet Omalu, the first to publish work about CTE in football players, argues that the only prevention method for CTE in American football is to not play football. However, the NFL believes that adopting new rules and high-quality equipment will alleviate the problem. The opposing viewpoints makes me question whether or not CTE in the future can be prevented. CTE is a consequence that football players' and its fans will have to accept if they want professional football to continue. 

