STOP BANGING YOUR HEAD

“Professor, the college football season will start shortly. Who do you favor this year to end up in the 10 best list?’
The professor returned a serious look to my innocent question and went to his desk to obtain a large photo. He handed it to me and said;
“Remember Andy my nephew who was our intern for several summers?”
Before I had a chance to answer he said;
“Well, right after he graduated from college this last summer he was hospitalized and after thorough tests it was found that his speech impediment, headaches, dizziness and lack of memory, concentration and other neurological problems, were the result of brain injuries. The doctors did not have to look any more when Andy explained that he had been a football player at his University and had been active in the team since his freshman year. He also added that he had been hit so hard several times that he lad lost consciousness for periods as long as half hour and more!”
I was shocked. Andy had been a very smart and competent young man in all matters he was involved in as an intern and overall assistant. From revision and correction of document and official reports, to thorough exam of patents and licenses to arrangement of shipment of books and documents, escorting of overseas visitors and overall “fix it” agent, his sharp and sunny disposition was appreciated by the Professor’s circle of friends and celebrities that frequent his place.

Most people believe that a concussion is a bruise to the brain caused by hitting a hard surface or by being hit on the head with a hard object Not always so. Brain injuries occur when the head either accelerates rapidly and then is stopped, or is spun rapidly. This is confirmed by radiological scans that invariably show physical swelling or bleeding in those cases where the motion is stopped suddenly and contacts another surface, or, in this case, another helmet.
The Professor explained that this violent shaking causes the brain cells to become depolarized and fire all their neurotransmitters at once in an unhealthy cascade, flooding the brain with chemicals and deadening certain receptors linked to learning and memory in what is termed a concussion. The results often include confusion, blurred vision, memory loss, nausea and dizziness near unconsciousness.
He paused to pull out a thick report from his files and read the following:
“Neurologists who have examined in detail football injuries point out that once a player suffers a concussion, he is as much as four times more likely to sustain a second one. Moreover, after several concussions, it takes less of a blow to cause the injury and requires more time to recover.
Studies made to college and professional football players found that more than 60 percent had suffered at least one concussion in their careers and 26 percent had had three or more. Those who had had concussions reported more problems with memory, concentration, speech impediments, headaches and other neurological problems than those who had not.
A study of Retired Athletes in 2008 found that of the 650 retired N.F.L. players who recalled sustaining three or more concussions on the football field, 30 percent said they had suffered frequent bouts of depression, dizzy spells so frequent that in many cases they could not drive a car or performing tasks that demanded coordination. Those who had not sustained concussion in the field were very few and did not suffer depression or related disturbances.
Records indicate that brain injuries in football players have escalated in the past few years with a corresponding increase in surgery intervention and special treatments.
I had not realized that football resulted in such serious conditions that could have such effects on the players life and well being. For a sport it does not make sense and I wondered what measures were being taken, and said so.
The professor looked at me with that look that conveys a coming revelation, and said;
“Here is an interesting note that confirms the fact college football has become an important industry. Officials of major universities and their Medical departments along with executives from the NFL’s Medical Section claim that the statistics are not reliable and that the matter has been exaggerated. It is clear that both the NFL and many colleges would resist any detrimental information about the sport and its players that might lead to basic changes and restrictions. The Universities in this country have become in the last decades sports centers where the practice of the game, the stadiums and the sports staffs seem to be the prime reason of their existence. The NFL, on the other hand is a greater gold mine. You just do not take away the pans, shovels, picks and other gear of those doing the digging and keeping the nuggets!”
He shook his head and concluded:
“It is a shame that such great sport carries such deadly risks. My friend, if anything is done and we lose football as a popular addiction, what sport would you choose to follow and admire?’
“Prof, it is girls volley ball all the way for me!”