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Concussion's hitting the Big Screens

 When you think of the actor Will Smith, you think of his roles in The Fresh Prince of Bell- Air, Men in Black, and many others. This December the 47 year old actor will be a lead actor in a critical movie about how the NFL handles Concussions. Smith, who plays Dr. Bennett Omalu. This is a topic that will be discussed for many years to come. In a September article in the New York Times it states that the NFL has agreed to pay hundreds of million dollars. The lawsuits were brought up by 5,000 former players the article states. Former players argue that the NFL hid information about concussions. Tom Brady Quarterback for The New England Patriots recently voiced his opinion on the matter. "Of course, I mean everyone, I think it's a really hot topic. I've seen the previews and so forth, and...... concussions have been a significant issue for four or five years. I guess they're always been an issue. There's just a lot more awareness now." In the well known photo above former New York Giant and a member in  Pro Football Hall of Fame Frank Gifford who recently died in August because of the effects of CTE. Chronic traumatic encephalopathy or (CTE) is a loss of function of nerve cells. Commonly found in Alzheimer's disease, and Parkinson's disease. Symptoms include, Impulsive behavior, depression, short-term memory loss, and suicidal thoughts. In a recent research study done by the Department of Veterans Affairs and Boston University illustrates that "96 percent of former players tested had evidence of the degenerative brain disease.


After watching this trailer do you think there will be a change in how we handle head injuries in sports?

Is there a corollary between the growth in social media and the public's negative perceptions of the National Collegiate Athletic Association?

 Social media sites such as blogs, Facebook, and twitter continue to grow significantly throughout the past decade. It used to be that we got our news and opinions from professional journalists working for mainstream media. These journalists were expected to follow standards of fairness and factual accuracy. They also were expected to tell us when they were reporting a news story vs. when they were sharing their own personal opinion.

                                                                                                                                    www.sportslogos.net

 There are no such journalistic requirements for those sharing information on social media sites. On the one hand this is a very exciting time in communication without social media i would not have this blogging opportunity to share my opinions with you. On the other hand most of us have been conditioned since birth to believe what we are told, or see in print. The ease of use and access to social media calls upon us to be critical thinkers. It is my observation that the ore information and interaction one has with the internet and social media the less likely one is to trust Government, big businesses or other large organizations, such as the NCAA. Current public opinion polling shows that the majority of people surveyed don't trust the NCAA. I believe this lack of trust is due to a very small percentage of athletes, coaches, and officials involved in schools.

I'd like to hear from you about these issues and thoughts you have in general on the NCAA.