The Super Bowl And In All Other Sports The Risk Of Concussion Lurks
An estimated 90 million to 100 million Americans will tune in to watch the Super Bowl this Sunday. Unlikely to be mentioned during the festivities is this sobering but significant side note: Athletes participating in collision sports are among those at highest risk for concussion.
That risk is not limited to professional football. Researchers estimate that 4 million sports and recreation-related concussions occur in the U.S. every year, across all sports and all levels of play and in both games and practices. They happen to athletes and kids playing basketball and soccer and weekend warriors who bicycle and ski. But thousands of concussions also result from car accidents, slips and trips or other blows to the head.
I have been researching brain injuries for nearly a quarter-century. Acro...