CTE and NFL football

According to Boston University, Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) is a degenerative brain disease that is found commonly in individuals that have a history of repetitive brain trauma. This history can include brain injuries such as concussions. CTE is believed to be most frequently caused by numerous concussions, which is very prominent in football. In 2013,228 concussions were diagnosed in NFL (National Football League) players. In fact, there are on average around 9 concussions that happen per game. However, this does not include sub concussions, which are not commonly reported like “full” concussions are. Recently, researchers were prompted to examine the brains of 128 football players who have played football at least one level. This included individuals who played football at either the professional level, semi profession level, the college level, or the high school level. Of that sample, 101 of those players’ test results came back positive for the disease. In our discussion in class, football was compared to the gladiators in ancient Rome. I think that this is a very apt comparison. This disease is not nearly as prominent in the players of any other sport as it is in football players. Because of this, I believe that football should not be played. My primary reasoning is because 78.9 percent of all individuals who played football at any level and were tested came back positive for the disease. Professional football players are far worse off, with 96.2 percent of all former NFL players also being found to have this disease. An excuse that I have often heard by proponents of football is that the players should know how dangerous the sport is; that people who play football should know how dangerous the sport is and somehow agree to chance contracting this disease or any number of other debilitating brain disorders when they decide to play the game. Many attempts have been made to make the game safer, yet these have often been opposed. Those who oppose these safety changes often claim football cannot be made safer and still be considered the same game.  However, many officials also believe that changes need to be made to the way the game is play. For example, on January 14^th 2014, a federal judge presiding over a lawsuit declined to approve a proposed 760 million dollar settlement on claims arising from concussions suffered by NFL players because she believed that the settlement was insufficient.