A flag thrown, a player down on the field, a stretcher carrying them off the field, a game that moves on while a player is tested for concussions.
The NFL is progressively taking concussions more seriously, so it is essential for you, the 12th man, to understand the impact of concussions (for all our non-football readers, the 12th man refers to the crowd of fans, who hold an important role in hyping up the players toward a win).
Football collides with science…
We’ve all seen it: that incredible hit where the opponent crumbles back against the shoulder pads of your player, and you feel a mixed sense of cringing and power. The power of your player’s hit is causing the opponents brain to slosh against their skull.
When the brain sloshes, the membrane around the brain is stretched and sometimes creates holes, causing a leaking of ions. This ion-leaking leads to the brain becoming overactive, leading to increased depolarization and glycolysis, as well as decreased oxygen delivery.
The overactivity of the brain combined with decreased oxygen necessary to complete these functions leads to an energy crisis. When cells cannot complete their functions, the neurons can die and not communicate signals like normal.
This process is highest for the first 7-10 days following concussion incidence, but can occur for up to a year and have long-term implications. The ion influx causes migraines short term, but the sloshing causes neural axons to stretch or break.
These combined factors alter neurotransmission and can cause slowed cognition and decreased reaction time. Repeated concussion incidences can lead to Chronic Traumatic Enchephalopathy (CTE), where holes are formed in brain matter from membrane stretching and neuron death.
Let’s go back to the simple days…
During classroom discussion, we explored the option of not improving the quality of the helmets to prevent concussions, but rather reverting to the much simpler leather football helmets of the 1930s. Without the protection of advanced reinforcements and impact-monitoring technology, perhaps players would feel less invincible and more conscious of their actions.
This solution is likely not viable. Unlike the reversion of helmets, we cannot revert the physical strength of the players in the game. Football players today are faster and stronger than ever, making their brains just as susceptible to damage.
Your role in reducing concussions…
The NFL is adamantly trying to find a solution to the concussion story as more CTE-related deaths surface. This is often met with systemic pressure against change.
Restricting and fining certain hits and blocks makes players tread more cautiously. Those players are then met with pressure from their coaches to make plays and win games, which ultimately stems from the fans, their primary source of income from entertainment.
Your participation as the 12th man holds an integral role in the NFL’s mentality toward concussions. It’s good to remember that every football player is a person trying to make a living, and has a life off the field, too.
For players to be able to play smarter and not harder, changes needs to occur at every level of the system: no game is worth a lifetime of brain damage.
