He is right my kids are not allowed to play any sports that can hurt their heads. I played football all the way through high school had numerous concussions. Now I have severe migraines, and get severely depressed. I take depression medicine to overcome it. He is right that kids should take up swimming sports where you don't have to use your head. If I knew all of this I would of thought twice in playing football.
Why sacrifice the good health and a young persons precious brain for mass market entertainment? Lots of rich folks getting richer off the broken bodies and minds of athletes in rough sports. Never fails to amaze me how anti-science some folks are. I'm thrilled my grandson will not sacrifice the strong body God gave him for this waste. Dr. Omalu is a brave man to make his unpopular stand against the USA's secular religion of football.
There was no point when he denounced having physical fitness or exercise. High-contact sports are detrimental even to adults so exposing kids whose brains are still developing and shaping is completely dangerous and adversely impactful to their overall development and behavior. Great discovery and analysis Dr.Omalu.
All you ppl hating on him what if it was your family members?thats whats wrong with americans plan stupid an undermined...hes a game changer,an thats why more football players are living longer respect that he found it why americans knew it an kept it in the closest...smh...
I'm conflicted as a football fan who acknowledges that violence is a big part of the sports' appeal. But most minors probably can't appreciate the risk involved. I'd be fine with the sport restricted to adults 18+. There are plenty of of safer sports alternatives for young kids to play.
As a mother whose son has had two concussions, one resulting in him unconscious on the field for a whole min. I agree. I want my son out! But his father insists it’s not a big deal. I wish it was illegal not to get both parents signatures, I feel it is abuse! My son is small for his age and it’s killing me to think he may have to go back out there.
Basketball is a healthier sport. You can compare the Hall Of Famers of basketball and contact sports. How many retired NBA Hall Of Fame players have dementia? I don't know of any. Bodies colliding and hits to the head are not intrinsic to the sport of basketball. It is in fact, penalized with a number of limited strikes in which you are removed from the game. If an NBA player intentionally hits another player in the head, it is an automatic ejection. A sport like Rugby or American football, colliding bodies and thus the brain being shaken around the skull is intrinsic to those sports. The difference is enough to suggest that contact sports give you brain damage. In football, you have NFL superstars who retire and get dementia from a disease of tauopathy, Lewy Body Disease, etc. There is way more NFL Hall Of Famers with dementia living today where the in the NBA, it is nonexistent. NBA Hall Of Famers that played in the 50's, 60's 70's, 80's, and 90's that are still alive today, none of them have dementia. They don't have a drug abuse problem or have a superstar committing suicide (Junior Seau). I think it is more than coincidence.
It is if they are under the legal age of consent here it is 18. According to the law intentionally exposing children to high risk his child abuse. Letting a baby play with a poisonous snake is abuse even if the snake does not bite.
I played 12 years of football including college got a Masters Degree in Mechanical Engineering. Played first string and special teams. Maybe I have brain damage? How about you go design a better helmet doctor?
I had a childhood friend who burnt out his brain smoking wet, but later went on to graduate from college with a bachelors and is doing quite well for himself. The doctor didn't say football makes you retarded, but it will diminish your cognitive ability. So maybe you are still brilliant despite getting knocked upside the head for over a decade and losing precious intelligence. Maybe you could afford to lose some of it to football because you started out with so much of it to begin with, but what would you have accomplished if you never went through that trauma? I think that's the doctor's point.
Helmets don't fully work. They don't hold your brain. Most of the damage comes from your brain accelerating/decelerating inside the skull. You don't have to hit your head to get brain damage. Your brain is like jello that has crevices, sulci that have wirings (axons) that connect all regions of the brain. There are different types of brain damage. When axons are pulled apart, you get disruptions, that are associated with concussions, then there is the cytoskeleton damage that can trigger a degenerative disease of abnormal tau production. You might be smart now, but who knows, in 10-20 years or more, you will lose your marbles and have shrinking intelligence until dementia.
My friend, usa are a dictature, and is not difficult know when you pick your head, you can have a brain damage, but you the sintom and adult age not now
There are less dangerous sports which have the same benefits like swimming, dansing, volleyball, tennis. Not all sports are good for children. There is nothing 100% safe but thre are too dangerous things.
At least he's letting us all know about the dangers of playing football. It's better knowing what you get into and the rest will be your decision. He's not stopping anyone from playing football he's just stating facts.
