File:WARNING FOOTBALL HELMETS DO NOT PREVENT CONCUSSIONS.jpg

¡¡WARNING!!

Football is a dangerous sport!

Wearing a helmet does not protect you from serious injury OR concussion!

Those who play football have an increased risk of serious head or neck injury, which may result in brain damage, death, paralysis, concussion or similar injuries to your opponent.

Use of this helmet to hit, head butt, ram, strike, or spear another player is not advised as it is not the intended use of this helmet and failure to heed this warning will likely lead to the above injuries.

“Contact in football may result in CONCUSSION-BRAIN INJURY which no helmet can prevent…Do not return to a game or practice until all symptoms are gone”

Playing football prior to age 12 significantly increases the risk of learning disabilities

CTE= Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy- which is the progressive degenerative disease found in people who have sustained a severe blow or repeated blows to the head.

Symptoms of CTE generally appear 8-10 years after the receptive mild/ or traumatic injuries to the head.

Symptoms include:

First stage = deterioration in attention, disorientation, dizziness, headaches.

Second stage= progressive deterioration including memory loss, social instability, erratic behavior, and poor judgment

Third and Fourth stages= dementia, slower muscular movement, hypomimia (inability to move facial muscles), impeded speech, tremors, vertigo, deafness, SUICIDAL THOUGHTS, motor speech disorder, difficulty swallowing, abnormal vision (forever winking aka: ptosis).

HOW TO ACCURATELY DIAGNOSE: DEATH MUST OCCUR- brain matter is tested.

The following are often associated with Football injuries: Rheumatology: Joints, muscles, and connective tissue Nerology Confusing, memory loss, and speech problems => all signs of permanent brain damage and consistent with symptoms of CTE. Neural tangles- knotted up never-fibers (found in autopsy)=> consistent with CTE. (first found in 2002 in a professional football player, Mike Webster)

If there are: 3+ concussions: then you are 3x more likely to have significant memory problems More prone to depression Historically in 1952 a Doc recommended that football players with 3+ concussions should end their athletic careers.

Timeline of knowledge:

1928 CTE originally “PUNCH DRUNK” Found common in fighters- after repeated blows to head (unsteadiness and fogginess= symptoms after the blows)

1950s the dead speak Boxers found with knotted up nerve fibers and plaque (define what plaque is) damage= central to frontal lobes (planning, emos, limb control, and sensory perceptions)

1970s RUGBY and WRESTLERS CTE found in these popular high contact sports

2002 OMALU finds CTE in Steeler’s brain Dr. Omalu dissected professional football players’ brains following their death (thank god not while they were alive) to discover: Neural tangles 3 players: Mike Webster Terry Long Andre Waters

2005 NFL vs Omalu NFL releases it’s own findings after Dr. Omalu published his findings of Webster’s brain. NFL = contrary to other studies being released. Concussions ≠ extremely serious b/c many players returned to play in same game No reason to hold player out of game if symptoms had dissipated Losing consciousness to a concussion ≠ ⇧ player’s risk of prolonged concussion symptoms or post-concussion syndrome Other studies: Exact opposite of NFL findings

2009 The House makes a call House Judiciary Committee held hearing on Brain injuries and football NFL commissioner ROGER GOODELL testify b4 committee Repeatedly refused to concede causal link btwn football and brain disorders NFL later after scrutiny of Rog’s testimony reversed its course on denials of long term risks of football. Dr. Ira Casson- co-chairman of NFL panel on head injuries = resign & testimony Reiterated no connection btwn football and injuries NFL responded to committee: Made several initiatives updating player return protocol. Requ teams to employ independent neuros as advisors Enter a partnership with BUC for study of CTE (tests on helmets)

2010 HELMET TESTS (the fake study - they kept changing researchers if they didn't’ like what they had to say) Evaluated resistance to concussion impacts in tackling, Praised 2 Riddell helmets and 1 by Schutt = best protection among tested helmets (could imply that certain helmets protect against concussions to lay reader- DR CANTU)

2013: Ridell v. Rhet Ridolfi Issue: warning defective b/c majority of public believes a helmet can reduce concussions

THE FOLLOWING VIDEOS HELP UNDERSTAND THE DANGERS ASSOCIATED WITH FOOTBALL AND THE FACT THAT HELMETS DO NOT PROTECT AGAINST CTE!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNuj9UQONzM

https://www.law360.com/articles/514414/riddell-helmet-led-to-football-player-s-brain-injury-jury-told

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000095139/article/history-of-the-nfl-football-helmet

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/sports/league-of-denial/timeline-the-nfls-concussion-crisis/

for more information please watch this detailed video