The NFL, also known as the National Football League, is an association where the best American football players compete with each other. This causes a lot of physical contact with the players and injuries occur very often. A common injury is concussions. For example, Rock Cartwright of the Washington Redskins remembers his brain "shaking like a bell" when he was walloped during a game with New York Giants a few years ago, but he never mentioned the pain to his team's medical staff. In addition, Rock Cartwright having and hiding concussion is not a single case in the NFL. Nearly 20 percent of NFL players surveyed by the Associated Press admitted to hiding or playing down the effects of a concussion.
So why do these players want to hide their concussion? There are many responses to this question. The first reason is the players’ fear of letting down the team and losing a roster spot. If players miss some games because of injury, they would lose their spot in the team. The second reason is avoiding appearing weak. If the players report to the medical staff about the concussion, then they will have an examination. This would be a weakness for these players, which could be a threat for their future. The third reason, which is also what most of the players say, the NFL does not offer guaranteed contracts to its players. This means that players would not get their wages for the games they did not play, which makes them willing to sacrifice their future for the sake of a paycheck.
The consequences for players hiding concussion can be grim, whether short-term or long-term. Some of the illnesses that may occur is dementia, Alzheimer's disease, and memory problems. Dementia and Alzheimer's disease are long-term effects. Alzheimer's disease causes the brain to shrink and brain cells to eventually die. It is the most common cause of dementia — a gradual decline in memory, thinking, behavior and social skills. These changes affect a person's ability to function. On the other hand, memory problems are much more common. Some players said they couldn't recall some particular plays in games. Others recall "talking gibberish" to teammates on the field.
Because of the generality of players’ hiding concussion and the grim consequences, I want to give some suggestions to the NFL. My first suggestion is that players need to take the physical examination at the beginning of the season. This makes the league make medical solutions to deal with the injuries in time. My second suggestion is for the NFl to try their best to prevent the players’ from having brain injuries, such as offering medical treatment before and after the game to ensure players’ health. Last but not least, I think the league should try to compensate players who miss out a lot of games and did not did not get the wages he was supposed to have. I hope this can improve the issue of players hiding concussion.
In conclusion, I think Football Players Play Down Pain is an informative passage. There are many injuries that occur in the NFL. Many players hide concussion and never mention the pain to medical staff. There are many reasons why players hide their pain, but the main reason is the NFL does not offer guaranteed contracts to its players. The consequences of hiding concussion can be very grim. Illnesses like dementia, Alzheimer's disease, and memory problems can occur whether in what stage of the players’ life. I want to give some suggestions to the NFL, for example compensating for the players who missed out a lot of games and preventing players from having brain injuries.
Comments