Will Smith will be starring as Dr. Bennet Omalu in the new movie Concussion. This movie tells the story of Dr. Omalu's work and his attempt to bring to light the negative effects of playing football. Dr. Omalu conducted an autopsy the brain of Pittsburgh Steelers Mike Webster, "which led to his discovery of a new disease that he named chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE". This disease is a "It is a progressive degenerative disease which afflicts the brain of people who have suffered repeated concussions and traumatic brain injuries. The brain of people with this disease will "gradually deteriorates and will over time end up losing mass".
Naturally this is not a topic we American’s want to address because of how popular football is. However, it is no surprise that football is dangerous and deadly for the players. The movie has a powerful message acting “as a sort of demand for accountability, and the line of those being called to account is long”. NFL is being directly attacked by this movie. However, “the media and fans are exposed” as well. Interestingly enough, ESPN has decided to run advertisements for Concussion. However, it is unclear whether these ads will play during any Football related programming.
Football is deeply rooted as an American tradition. I’m sure this movie will make many people uncomfortable, however, it is going to take a lot for football to change. One of the articles even commented “The film will, temporarily at least, cause you to wonder how you can support the sport”.
Do you think Concussion will change people’s minds about football? Will the movie have an immediate impact? Should laws be implemented to protect football players?
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7 comments:
I am glad to see that there is a movie that is specifically addressing the concerns of repeated concussions as a result of how rough football is. I can't imagine, however, that any candidate to draft a law making football safer will be someone who is re-elected, especially he is from a district with an NFL and an avid fan base. I personally wish to see more judicial action upon the NFL and the morally ambiguous rules and guidelines, even beyond changing rules to find proper ways of tackling other players that is safe for the receiver and the tackler. The movie, in conjunction to the questionably short suspensions of players who are convicted and found guilty of perpetrating acts domestic abuse and violence, should help NFL fans question the leadership of the NFL and his commissioners. So in conclusion, yes, much more should be done to protect players in a multitude of ways. In reality, my wish is that Roger Goodell is fired, but I acknowledge he is more of a scapegoat for blame that should be placed upon the entire organization.
Without a doubt, football is one of the most popular sports in the United States. People love to play the sport and watch it. After reading Cat's launch, I am really excited about this movie. I strongly believe that it will have an impact on the game of football. It will bring awareness to the severity of concussions. However, I do not believe that this movie will stop people from playing or supporting the game. Football is a large part of American culture, especially in the South. High Schools have spirit weeks leading up to football games, and the Super Bowl is one of the most popular events of the year. This movie will highlight the severity of concussions, but Americans will continue to love the game. As a result, coaches and programs throughout the country may look to invest in better helmets to help decrease the likelihood of getting a concussion upon impact.
I agree with Margot in that this movie has potential to formulate change in the way football is played as well as how aware athletes are of the severity of concussions. I would also like to bring up the fact that concussions in the National Football League have been linked to domestic violence. Doctors researched the link between brain function and its effect in regards to criminal behavior and the connection between head trauma that NFL players suffer over the course of their careers an the league's unusually high domestic violence arrest rate. This issue has been brought to public attention recently as well and I believe that this movie will provide positive attention that could eventually help to decrease domestic violence. Because of this, I could certainly be beneficial to implement laws to protect football players because it could not only benefit the athletes well being but also the potential victims of domestic abuse. This topic is definitely one of controversy however I think it is really important that it is being publicized because it can further benefit the health of many people, athletes or not.
http://www.bisociety.org/nfls-concussion-domestic-violence-problems-linked/
Honestly, I think the movie looks pretty bad. From the trailer, it seems that every scene is someone warning Will Smith that he's "GETTING IN TOO DEEP." The melodrama is too much. Also, the name of the movie is something I take issue with: "Concussion" - someone didn't have too think too hard on that one. Anyway, football is really bad for your brain. This is nothing new. One study (http://deadspin.com/87-of-91-of-former-nfl-players-autopsied-show-cte-1731675028) found that 87 of 91 former NFL players autopsied showed chronic traumatic encephalopathy. This movie is designed to entertain. It's not a protest-flick. It's not leading the charge against the NFL. It's not going to make anyone stop watching the NFL. Early-onset dementia and a vast multitude of other issues attributed to brain damage are very present in former NFL players. As players themselves become more educated about the consequences of playing football, we will see some players that retire here and there, citing these concerns. Chris Borland is one example. After a promising rookie season for the 49ers last year, Borland abruptly announced his retirement, fearing significant brain damage if he should continue. However, this isn't going to hurt the NFL. There will always be more players willing to put their bodies, and brains, on the line for a paycheck and a chance to play their sport on the highest stage. Football makes too much money for CTE to pose any real threat to its popularity and profitability in this country.
I have to agree with ruby's points in thinking the movie looks good on paper but will not have much of an impact in the end. What Cat and 2Chainz said are promising, but in my opinion this movie will not have that big of an impact. One flaw I see with their plan is that they hoped there would be rules and regulations to help make football safer. To someone who hasn't played tackle football, that sounds easy, but it really isn't. It is difficult to find a way to tackle someone who is trying to go a different way safer. There will always be collisions, and the players will try to make big ones. That's just how football is played. They must also not have realized all the rule changes that have been made to protect the most defenseless players, the ones on offense, specifically relievers. However many players view this as making the sport for "sissies".
So as I said before, it is hopeful to think it will bring about change, but I don't believe it will have the large enough push it would need to generate to do so. Football is such a wide reaching sport, and many of those fans don't care about concussions or going to see the movie. It will create some sympathy, but that will quickly die away as the media moves on to something else, as it happens in today's society.
I think that Concussion will open people’s minds more about the issue but that tradition will ultimately win. Football is only one of many dangerous sports Americans participate in. I believe that the number of football players that don’t get concussions is far greater than the ones that do. Also, it is a dangerous sport and everybody who has ever watched or played football knows that. So its not like the players are unaware of what they are getting into when they sign a contract. I don’t believe laws should be implemented to protect football players because there isn’t much to cover except for health costs and aid when injured. To that, most professional football players make between 21 million dollars and $900,000 and have signed to get the professional help when injury does occur, as expected. http://www.spotrac.com/nfl/rankings/average/
This movie is a huge step in the right direction for not only awareness about football but awareness about mental health. In the past the issue of concussions and mental health has been swept under the rug my the media and popular culture. With the recent suicides of NFL stars such as Junior Seau this issue has been brought into the limelight and been addressed in a more honest and introspective way. Ultimately though, football is a money game, and there is no movie that is going to stop that. As long as the NFL is raking in money there will continue to be games and continue to be concussions. Football is an inherently dangerous sport and when signing up to play the players are aware of that.
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