Yesterday my husband and I saw the film "Concussion", which exceeded our expectations and was powerful and haunting. In the end, the NFL is compared to the tobacco companies, fighting to withhold the truth from players and fans. Dr. Omalu's courage in speaking out against all these huge interests and monies is inspiring. But the game goes on. At the end of the movie I was weeping for all the damaged and destroyed families, struggling with behaviors and suffering without any help or honesty about the causation.
And then I thought of my brother, who played football in high school, was injuried repeatedly and knocked out and still put back in the game. They were all pumped full of steroids, and their coach went on to become a famous NFL coach. My brother began drinking as a teenager and by college time, he'd been offered over 20 football scholarships to all the best schools. He was president of his class and had an A average and stellar test scores. He became disillusioned with the pressure to recruit him and turned them all down. At 16 he tried to kill himself. He spiraled down quickly after high school and didn't get sober until in his mid thirties. What if something was damaged in his brain by the football? It fits. I'll never know.
I know he carried scars from football until the day he died on his chin, knee and elsewhere. I s the elsewhere his brain? I am truly disturbed by the public's support of this sport, especially for children and kids whose brains are still developing until age 26. If parents were informed and had to sign a waiver, would they? Everyone needs to speak out.
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