Read the passage given below.
Passage 1
1. Concussions are brain injuries that occur when a person receives a
blow to the head, face, or neck. Although most people who suffer a
concussion experience initial bouts of dizziness, nausea, and
drowsiness, these symptoms often disappear after a few days. The
long-term effects of concussions, however, are less understood and
far more severe Recent studies suggest that people who suffer
multiple concussions are at significant risk for developing chronic
traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative brain disorder that
causes a variety of dangerous mental and emotional problems to arise
weeks, months, or even years after the initial injury. These
psychological problems can include depression, anxiety, memory loss,
inability to concentrate, and aggression. In extreme cases, people
suffering from CTE have even committed suicide or homicide The
majority of people who develop these issues are athletes who
participate in popular high-impact sports, especially football. Although
new sports regulations and improvements in helmet technology can
help protect players, amateur leagues, the sports media, and fans all
bear some of the responsibility for reducing the incidence of these
devastating injuries.
2. Improvements in diagnostic technology have provided substantial
evidence to link severe-and often fatal-Psychological disorders to the
head injuries that players receive while on the field. Recent autopsies
performed on the brains of football players who have committed
suicide have shown advanced cases of CTE in every single victim. In
response to the growing understanding of this danger, the National
Football League (NFL) has revised its safety regulations. Players who
have suffered a head injury on the field must undergo a “concussion
side-line assessment”-a series of mental and physical fitness tests-
before being allowed back in the game. In an effort to diminish the
amount of head and neck injuries on the field, NFL officials began
enforcing stricter penalty calls for helmet-to-helmet contact, leading
with the head, and hitting a defenceless player. Furthermore, as of
2010, if a player’s helmet is accidentally wrenched from his head
during play, the ball is immediately whistled dead. It is hoped that
these new regulations, coupled with advances in helmet design, will
reduce the number of concussions, and thus curb further cases of CTE.
3. Efforts by the NFL and other professional sports leagues are certainly
laudable; we should commend every attempt to protect the mental
and physical health of players. However, new regulations at the
professional level cannot protect amateur players, especially young
people. Fatal cases of CTE have been reported in victims as young as
21. Proper tackling form-using the arms and shoulders to aim for a
player’s midsection-should be taught at an early age. Youth, high
school, and college leagues should also adopt safety rules even more
stringent than those of the NFL Furthermore, young athletes should be
educated about the serious dangers of head injuries at an early age.
4. Perhaps the most important factor in reducing the number of
traumatic brain injuries, however, lies not with the players, the
coaches, or the administrators, but with the media and fans. Sports
media producers have become accustomed to showcasing the most
aggressive tackles and the most intense plays. NFL broadcasts often
replay especially violent collisions while the commentators marvel at
the players’ physical prowess. Some sports highlights television
programs even feature weekly countdowns of the “hardest hits.”
When the media exalts such dangerous behaviour, professionals are
rewarded for injuring each other on the field and amateurs become
more likely to try to imitate their favourite NFL athletes. Announcers,
commentators, television producers, and sportswriters should engage
in a collective effort to cease glorifying brutal plays. In turn, fans
should stop expecting their favourite players to put their lives on the
line for the purposes of entertainment. Players must not be
encouraged to trade their careers, their health, their happiness, and
even their lives for the sake of a game.
