American Football, in its current form, arose from a three-game series between Harvard and Montreal’s McGill in 1867, and became one of the most popular sports in the modern world. And if you enjoy betting on this sport, there is nothing better than opening an original account with no limits at the best betting service.
But not everything is a bed of roses, concussions are a serious problem, and Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, caused by constant head trauma, is the big villain of the sport.
The Leagues Leave a Lot to be Desired
Besides being a full contact sport, American Football is a sport that involves bodies crashing into each other at very high speeds. And while it seems obvious that this kind of impact could endanger the athletes’ physical integrity, it took the NFL a long time to recognize the problem and take action.
Until the 2000s, there were no protocols in place to remove athletes from a game after they were heavily impacted on the field. Although helmets were an obvious protection, players were sent back onto the field, even if staggering.
In 2002, former Pittsburgh Steelers offensive lineman Mike Webster (1952-2002) was the first professional athlete to be diagnosed with CTE by pathologist Bennet Omalu. Like Webster, other deceased players had their brains donated for study after they passed away.
Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy
A 2017 study by Boston University uncovered that 110 of 111 brains of former NFL players put up for analysis showed signs of CTE. However, all of the organs were donated by families who had recognized symptoms of the disease – which skews the incidence of cases in the broad number.
In general, several studies point out that CTE is linked to suicidal behavior, dementia, and memory decline. In an interview with The Washington Post, former Kansas City Chiefs athlete Larry Johnson opened up about how he had been feeling since he stopped playing in 2011.
Johnson stated that he was afraid that his temperament changes and self-destructive behavior were a result of CTE, and he said that he does not remember two full seasons that he was on the field in the NFL. In addition, he claims that he struggles every day to control impulses to injure himself.
According to NFL data, the number of concussions during practices and games dropped from 281 cases in 2017 to 214 in 2018. However, the numbers rose again to 224 in 2019. With this data in mind, the league continues to donate millions of dollars a year for research related to head trauma.
The world of sports can sure be scary, and even the strongest athletes may have to deal with serious consequences. Stay tuned to our news section for more amazing articles just like this.