In 2015, the NFL has a real problem on their hands. The discussion around concussions and head trauma has reached a fever pitch after some recent happenings with former players. Chris Borland, one of the best young linebackers in the league walked away at the age of 24. Can you imagine having everything in the world you ever want, and walking away from it? Former star linebacker Junior Seau committed suicide in 2012. Erik Kramer, one of the only quarterbacks to win a playoff game with my hometown Detroit Lions shot himself last August in an apparent suicide attempt. Players continue to feel a sense of power as the helmet and pad technology evolves. Launching into a wide receiver’s head running a crossing route is common practice in today’s NFL. Tackling technique has gone out the window. Some media people have speculated that the NFL may not survive in the next 35-50 years. Young parents are steering their children away from football because more and more research is coming out about the horrible dangers of life after the sport.
Today, the NFL may have another enemy with the release of the new Will Smith trailer. Titled Concussion, the film centers around Dr. Bennet Omalu. Dr. Omalu was the first person to discover that chronic brain trauma resulted in the death and dysfunction of many retired NFL athletes. The doctor’s plight involves trying to release the information while going up against the power that is the NFL. The trailer shows the near-hopeless case of the doctor with a powerful quote: “You are going to war… With a corporation that owns a day of the week!” The trailer is extremely stirring and will truly hit home with a lot of people who support the National Football League. Will Smith also looks very focused in this trailer and could potentially be delivering an Oscar performance, as long as the script holds up.
