If you are a born and raised American you have heard of two things in your life: the terrible health care system and football. We are not talking about fútbol, better known as soccer here in the states. I’m talking about football, the heavy padded, hard helmeted and hitting game that Americans seem to love watching their kids and professionals play for generations. However, the very same reasons we enjoy the game seem to end up having long term effects on the players that we enjoy watching so much. These effects all come down to the protection the athletes wear when they perform.

Similar to any other sport, football players must wear some sort of protection such as leg pads, shoulder pads, and helmets. Even though the pads and helmets are protecting our players from several other injuries, it can’t seem to stop them. So why don’t we just make better equipment to protect the athletes? Better equipment doesn’t make a difference because all the injuries happening, occur internally due to the momentum when players build up and then clash with each other head on. If that doesn’t make sense to you simply refer to Newton’s first law of motion which states, “an object in motion stays in motion.” In that case for example, a offensive player is running with the ball and a defensive player tackles him head on, the momentum both men have built up is incredible and is stopped immediately but the brain keeps moving and bounces off the inside of their skulls like a person getting into a car crash and then flies into the windshield this collision creates the concussion.

The number one injury in football is the concussion, although concussions are not the only injury players can suffer throughout their seasons. The NFL released data showing that there was 244 concussions, 56 ACL tears, and 143 MCL tears. These collisions cause what may seem like little injuries just once, but if a player keeps acquiring these injuries built up over the years of playing leaves these players with shortened lives and damaged bodies mentally and physically. According to CNN, reports show an increasing number of retired football players who have suffered concussions have developed memory and cognitive disorders such as dementia, Alzheimer, depression, and chronic traumatic encephaloptahy, which is the declining ability to reason and concentrate.  So I shall leave you with the question, is the game of football worth damaging a human life at such early ages?