Blog 1

The National Football League one of the top-rated sports in American history, they just not only love watching the game, but they live with the game. During the season of the super bowl, the fever of NFL goes to beyond its level as it just does not limit to watch the game but to spark up a conversation or may end up having arguments with strangers like the NFL fans never had it better. The NFL also made a large amount of money, and the league continues to be responsible for the highest ratings of viewership for live sports in the United States. But there is always two side of coin apart from being glorious sports it has some drawback as well which is profoundly explained in the serious of League of Denial. 

The documentary series is based on the book League of Denial: The NFL, Concussions and the Battle for Truth," written by brothers Mark Fainaru-Wada and Steve Fainaru. the duo has done a marvelous job in term of research. The injuries in National football league which is known as the concussion crisis. Which needed an attention. The series proves that the football is not all about throwing and catching and touchdown line it also about the smashing and crunching and hard-hitting injuries which can create a long-term impact. The maker of League of denial showed the co-relation between the football and long-term brain injuries and its impact on their life. 

  It is not hard to realize that it's not just the player who suffers from the injury but its the entire family who goes through it. The story begins at home of the Steelers former star player Iron Mike Webster, he gave his 17 years to game, and each one with memorable head injury. his wife would describe him as “he was broke, homeless, depressed did not have the physical stamina, and one day took a knife and destroyed all the football pictures” it was not easy journey for him as he was fighting against the game as he believed that football is responsible for the injury which cannot be seen.  

  on the other hand, there are players like Sim Otto from Orlando Raider who firmly believes that the football is not just the game it is a war also injury is part of it and which he supports firmly.one of the interesting part of the Webster story was his been heard by the National football league retirement board.  

  As the one thing leads to another Dr. Bennet Omalu’s research and findings on brain injuries of Webster was the seed of entire concussion crisis in NFL, though he did not receive the credit for it but his experience with NFL committee was one the interesting point in the whole documentary which explains the desperation of keeping the brand alive. The NFL doctors committee quoted “If the 10% of the mother in the country would begin to perceive football as a dangerous sport that is the end of football.”  

 with the passing time, the NFL committee started getting more case on head injury, so they come up with MIBI committee which is known. as Mild traumatic brain injury committee. it is irony to see the scientific committee did not have any neurosurgeon in but the Elliot Pellman a firm believer that concussion is not a serious problem. clearly, the intention of the committee is to keep the slate clean and keep on questioning on the research and findings on the serious head injuries. They also came up with new rules and force the players to return to the game after injury also denied the fact that players suffer a long-term injury. 

  

Being an International student it was not an easy task to get into the game and understand its true spirit knowing the fact that the game has a lot of risk of getting beaten up badly or even to think about how safe is to play football. The NFL films as well represent the passion and intensity of the game which also includes the violence and dirt and the breathtaking sound effect. which reminds me of Stan savran a sports reporter from Pittsburg explains the Monday night football in the series saying, “They get the cheer on touchdown but the 2nd biggest cheers they get for nasty hits" also It is very well explained in the book Against Football by Almond “as it seen on tv in the sixties, the national football league is leaped quickly from the status of fringe sport to the full-blown expressions of America’s corporate and military ethos.” ’Football is nowhere near as brutal as say, boxing but it is one of the sports that most faithfully recreates of childhood fantasies of war as the winnable contest.’ 

  

One of the major turning points in the series was the role of Nowinski who worked with Dr. Ann Mckee from Boston University her research shown the early evidence of CTE Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy. The team decided to take the NFL for one on one in 2009 super bowl series, and somehow, he managed to reach out the through the press conference but it his team did not get the proper coverage. media can play a role of game changer by giving the attention to such issue, according to the Horner in the book of Media Ethics he said “Media themselves have double role in ‘moral panic’ in firstly sensationalizing the violence and secondly seaming to the general public to be causative force in promoting violence and the potential for breakdown in the social and moral order.” 

  NFL the name itself is so big which does not need any protection but there is still scope to changes in some rules which can protect future of players who gave life to the game. When sporting spirit turns into a violent spirit which means it is time to put some restriction on it or make some changes that can help to keep the spirit of the game. With the reference to in the chapter of violence from Media Ethics book by Horner argues that "if certain kind of representation may possibly cause a social harm, then restriction or regulations to protect society is morally permissible."  

 According to 'The Atlantic' in the story of The NFL's Continuing Concussion Nightmare, In the NFL’s 2015 Health and Safety Report, the league reported that concussions in regular-season games have gone down by 35 percent since 2012, perhaps partially thanks to the league’s 2013 ban on players tackling with a blow from the crown of the head. In an attempt to further reduce concussions some teams are considering adopting a tackling style similar to that of rugby, where players tackle each other lower, grabbing the other’s legs, and hitting with their shoulders. Practicing such rule can help to keep the sport alive and avoid long-term injuries.  

After watching the whole documentary, one can clearly see that there is two school of thought one is to uncover the true findings of head injuries and other is to protect the game and the brand. 

Reference

The Atlantic 

Media ethics by Horner

Against the football by Steve Almond

NFL health report of 2015