The subject of concussions has been a hot topic in recent years. This is mainly due to our improved knowledge on the subject and the increased rate of concussions in sports. With the many dangers of concussions being discussed, many people are asking questions such as “How do you get a concussion?” and “What are the long-term effects of a concussion?”. These questions appeal to both a popular and academic audience. The academic audience wants to learn more about concussions on a deeper level. They want to learn more about concussions using research and medical treatment. Whereas, the popular audience wants a general understanding about the subject. They want to understand the general knowledge of a concussion and how it can affect them. Because …show more content…
of this increased interest from both audiences, different types of literature have been created for each. In the American Journal of Medicine, the article Concussion by William J. Mullally discusses the medical explanation and diagnosis of a concussion. Furthermore, the popular sports media magazine Sports Illustrated published an article titled Footballs Taboo TV Topic by Richard Deitsch. In this article, it discusses the National Football League (NFL) issue of players safety due to head injuries. Even though these articles discuss a similar topic, the type of audience they address are drastically different. We will be comparing the differences of the audience by the rhetorical devices the writers use. The rhetorical devices we will be analyzing in the articles are the purpose, types of information, diction, visuals, and tone. The purpose of the two articles is directed towards their intended audience. In the scholarly article Concussion, its purpose is to provide detailed information to medical professionals about concussions and help with diagnosis and treatment. More importantly, the article is trying to understand more about concussions through medicine and research. This is specifically shown in the concluding paragraph which states “Medical practitioners must be able to diagnose, implement effective treatment, and provide guidance to prevent recurrent injury” (Mullally p.6). Therefore, throughout the article Mullally discusses the topic of concussions from a medical standpoint. Whereas in the magazine article Footballs Taboo TV Topic, the purpose is to discuss the safety of NFL players with the increase of concussions rising. Furthermore, the article is directed to entertain the reader about these sports issues. This is shown in the first sentence of the article h “The topics of head injuries and overall player safety have begun to be addressed during on-air discussions between former players, coaches and other analysts” (Tom Gannam paragraph 1). Similarly, the article talks about concussions from an NFL player’s standpoint. As can be seen, the direction in which the article addresses the topic depends on the type of audience they have. The writers of these articles are aware of their type of audience. They understand that a medical professional does not want to read about the NFL’s safety protocol and vice versa for a sports enthusiast. Secondly, the type of information contained in the articles favors towards the intended audience. In the article Concussion, a lot of medical terminology and treatment for concussions are explained throughout the article. For example, on page 1 in the article, it defines a concussion “The term “concussion” is derived from the Latin “concussus,” which means “to shake violently” (Mullally). Likewise, on page 3 it discusses the symptoms of a concussion “Headache is the most common post-concussive symptom, followed by dizziness, which is more often a sense of disequilibrium and imbalance than objective vertigo” (Mullally). The audience which is medical professionals is reading the article to get more information to treat and diagnose concussions. The medical information contained in the article is to fulfill its purpose of educating these medical professionals about concussions. Moreover, the information contained in the magazine article Footballs Taboo TV Topic fulfills its purpose of alerting sports fans of the increased head injuries in the NFL. The purpose is shown with the information stated in the article such as in paragraph 23 “Many of the faces you see and voices you hear on NFL Sunday broadcasts are high-profile former players who suffered concussions during their careers (Richard). Another example of this would be in paragraph 5 which states “All football-airing networks today report on player safety, especially when injuries result in a player missing games, or a helmet-to-helmet hit becomes a point of controversy among fans” (Richard). In summary, the type of information included in the articles are directly related to the purpose and audience they are addressing. Another rhetorical device which is used in the articles is diction.
The types of diction in the articles are different due to the audience they are writing to. In the article Concussion, medical terminology is used throughout the paper. Many of these words are used to describe a symptom or treatment for a concussion. An example of this is shown on page 2 “When a patient suffers a head injury the initial concern is whether the traumatic insult has caused an epidural or subdural hematoma, parenchymal hemorrhage, or increased intracranial pressure” (Mullally). Words such as “epidural” and “parenchymal hemorrhage” are used because the medical professionals reading the article will understand this terminology. Furthermore, the diction helps establish the purpose of the article which is to discuss concussions from a medical position. Additionally, in the magazine article Footballs Taboo TV Topic the diction used is simple and easy to read. A perfect example for this would be in paragraph 13 which states “Interviews with broadcasters and executives last week produced unanimity on the question of whether the NFL had ever directly asked them not to report or discuss the issue of brain trauma or concussions on the air” (Richard). As you can see, there are no words that are difficult to understand in the explanation. This has to do with the writer recognizing his audience. Not all sports fans are educated to understand certain terminology like the diction used in Concussion. By using simple terminology, all sports fans will be able to read and understand the
article. Another rhetorical device used in the articles is the use of visuals. In the scholarly article Concussion, there are very few visuals throughout the article. There is a total of 4 visuals of which 1 is a table and the other 3 are lists of the symptoms and facts about concussions (Mullally p 2-4). The use of visuals in this article is to emphasize the important information stated in the text. There is a great amount of information stated in the article. For example, on page 3 it discusses the diagnosis of a concussion with symptoms such as “memory loss, disrupted orientation, dizziness, and loss of consciousness” (Mullally). So, the use of these tables and lists help the reader identify the important information. The first visual, on page two, list the clinical significance of the symptoms stated in the text which are “a headache and dizziness are the most common post-concussion symptoms” (Mullally) and “Concussion is the mildest form of a traumatic brain injury and occurs when a head injury causes a sudden change in mental status” (Mullally). The visuals help emphasizes the purpose of the article which is to provide information to medical professionals about diagnosing and treatment for concussions. However, the use of visuals in the article Footballs Taboo TV Topic is quite different. The visuals in the article consist of pictures of NFL players rather than tables and lists. Again, this has to do with the purpose of the article. The article's purpose is to inform the reader about the issues happening to the NFL and NFL players, but also entertain the reader as well. These visuals accomplish this by using pictures of former NFL players and sports analyst. For example, in paragraph 27 in the article, there is a picture of former NFL player Merrill Hoge running the football (Richard). This visual engages the reader and gives them a sense of nostalgia. This feeling of nostalgia makes the reader emotionally involved as they continue to read the article. Nonetheless, the visuals contained in both articles help establish the different purposes of each article. Finally, the last rhetorical device we will be analyzing in the two articles is tone. In the scholarly article Concussion, the tone of the article is serious. This is shown through the symptoms and diagnosis of concussions throughout the article. For example, on page 2 it explains a patient’s evaluation after a concussion “When a patient suffers a head injury the initial concern is whether the traumatic insult has caused an epidural or subdural hematoma, parenchymal hemorrhage, or increased intracranial pressure” (Mullally). The descriptions of these symptoms are scary to think they could occur from just a concussion. Furthermore, if these symptoms go untreated the person could die. The fact that these treatments could save a person’s life is what gives the article a serious tone. Unlike the scholarly article, the magazine article Footballs Taboo TV Topic is less serious tone and more compassionate. This is shown when the football players in the article describe their experiences when getting injured. Former NFL player Merril Hoge gave his descriptions of concussions he suffered in his football career “I had to learn how to read again, and I have never recovered from that perspective. I now always struggle reading, and when I read, I don't comprehend, nor I am able to keep a long enough focus to understand what I am reading (Richard para.28). The article appeals to compassion in that we don’t want to see other football players go through the same issues as past players. Overall, these different tones convey the purposes of each article. In conclusion, the rhetorical devices of purpose, types of information given, diction, visuals, and tone established the audience for each article. The scholarly article Concussion which the audience was medical professionals, and the magazine article Football Taboo TV Topic whose audience was sports media fans. In short, academic articles consist of detailed information about a subject including research whereas popular articles are mainly for general knowledge and entertainment. These articles are a perfect example of how student writers need to know their intended audience. The rhetoric you implement into your writing conveys the message you are trying to make. Knowing your academic audience will not only help better convey your message but also make you a better writer. Academic writing should be well organized and use a variety of rhetorical devices to achieve its purpose. These values of academic writing help achieve new knowledge on certain subjects which help contribute to the research community.
Moser, R. S., Schatz, P., & Jordan, B. D. (2005). Prolonged effects of concussion in high school athletes. Neurosurgery, 57(2), 300-306.
The article titled “Concussions increasingly common on the football field,” was found on the Alabama News website. This article takes a look from the coaches perspective when he finds that four of his players have suffered from concussions on his high school football team. The coach from the Greenville high school football team Josh McLendon, raises concern about football and practicing the sport. He talks about his players injuries and how most of the concussions occur during practice. Even though the team works hard to change practice routines and rules, they are not able to prevent concussions from happening. The article talks about symptoms that players do not notice. Often times a player will feel dizzy and he will just assume he took a hard fall, but players start to get blurry vision, dizziness, and headaches. Before players would hide their injury and play through it, but with the heavy effects concussions have had on retired football players, McLendon urges his team to speak up when they start to feel ill. He hopes that other coaches will learn from him when they stress the seriousness of concussions “Wouldn’t tell the coach, wouldn’t tell a parent, it would just kind of go away. But know since we have made people more aware of it I think they’re coming to the forefront of it a little more,” athletes who do not hear about the severity of something will not stop to think
Researchers and doctors had little information on the proper management and care of someone who sustained a concussion. There were 2,350 participants in this study, with each player being enrolled in any one of the Ivy League schools, University of Virginia, or University of Pittsburgh. Players who experienced a mild head injury during practice or a game were removed from the field to be examined and assessed for “cognitive and psychosocial dysfunction through the use of neuropsychological techniques and self-reported questionnaires up to four times after injury” (Barth, et al., 1989). In order for a player to be diagnosed with a mild head injury, he must have had either a head contact injury or a complete loss of consciousness that lasted under two minutes and displayed some sort of memory and/or attention deficient. The results of Barth’s study showed that there were 195 documented mild head injuries.
Throughout the years, many sports have evolved from that of their beginning. Be it through rule changes, advances in the way people watch the game, advances in how they play the game, but this biggest one of all is the change in equipment. This is most commonly seen and heard about in American football. Due to all of the advances in the medical field and seeing the sports injuries that occur. Football had to adapt and change to the new standards of safety for the players with new and improved equipment to lessen the chance of long term damage.
Ice hockey is a fast-paced and full contact sport whether you are in a body checking league or not. However with a full contact sports, concussions are unfortunately inevitable. There are numerous factors that play into the number of concussions in ice hockey. Body checking and numerous head impact injuries that occur in hockey are a huge reason for concussions. Although administrators are taking steps towards concussion prevention and education, this education is proving to be ineffective. This paper will take a look at the various injury mechanisms that contribute to concussions and other head-impact injuries in ice hockey, as well as discussing concussion education.
Even though the devastation of concussions is just rising to the surface, they have always been around. In 1994, the NFL started a committee called the MTBI (Mild Traumatic Brain Injury). Dr. Elliot Pellman was appointed as chair, and he was quoted saying, “We think the issue of knees, of drugs and steroids and drinking is a far greater problem, according to the number of incidents” (Ezell). This quote shows how concussions did not hold much importance, even though it should have been the committee's main focus. This is ironic, because in today’s sport world concussions are a highly talked about topic. They hold such significance that some rules are even being changed to lower the risk for players.
Through sports or through everyday life, concussions tend to happen. An estimated 300 000 sport-related traumatic brain injuries, predominantly concussions, occur annually in the United States. Sports are second only to motor vehicle crashes as the leading cause of traumatic brain injury among people aged 15 to 24 years. (U.S National Library of Medicine). Coaches and parents often do not go through the right procedures or protocols when dealing with a teenager who has received a blow to the head. The usual questions that are asked when there is a head injury are, “what day is it, what’s the score, and how many fingers am I holding up?” Now these are not poor questions, but these questions alone cannot determine if a person has suffered a concussion. The correct method, which they are now implementing in most professional sports leagues, is for anyone with a head injury to take a legitimate concussion test performed by the team doctor. (WebbMD) At present the symptoms can be hit or miss. After receiving a concussion, research shows that an “estimated 80 to 90% of concussions heal spontaneously in the first 7 to 10 days”. (Barton Straus) But, it is important to remember not to return until all symptoms are
How can a concussion be prevented? What is the minimum time an athlete needs to be out of the game after a concussion? What are the chances of an athlete suffering post-traumatic stress disorders after a blow to the head? In all sports athletes are prone to injuries, they can happen at any time and at any given moment. Nevertheless, people that have suffered from a head injury or concussion will also have problems dealing with their learning processes in the long run.
Did you know, that someone suffers from a brain injury every 21 seconds (Haas)? Children get concussions all the time, and most of the time they go unnoticed. The majority of concussions happen when one is playing a sport such as football, hockey, or lacrosse. Many famous athletes have had their careers, even their lives cut short due to concussions. Brain damage and death can result from serial concussions (Schafer). When one suffers from a concussion, one’s brain needs time to recover physically and mentally. Between 2002 and 2006, statistics showed that 52,000 people died from concussions and about 275,000 were hospitalized (Fundukian). Everyone’s recovery process is different (“Injury and Pain Care”). Although concussions seem minor, they are very serious brain injuries that may result in severe damage to one’s brain.
Football is America’s favorite sport. It is a fast-paced, hard-hitting game. Every week thousands of men and boys all across the country take part in football and every week these men and boys receive violent hits during the game. Frequently, as a result of these violent hits, the player receives a concussion. However, the long-term effects of concussions on players are not fully understood. New research shows that even a slight concussion in a football game can have lasting effects on a player. As a result of this research, children under the age of fourteen should not play tackle football.
Recreational athletes, competitive athletes, high school athletes, college athletes, and professional athletes all have one thing in common: the risk of a concussion. It's impossible to go a season without one athlete from a team receiving a concussion. The more that these concussions are studied, the more we learn about them, such as their detrimental effects on athletes. Because of the risk of health issues and death that come with concussions, doctors, coaches, athletic trainers, and lawmakers are stepping in to protect athletes of all levels from receiving concussions. Concussions occur time after time throughout different sporting events and many are familiar with the word concussion, but what really is a concussion?
An anonymous person once said, "He who has health has hope; and he who has hope has everything." Ever since I was a young girl, I always knew I wanted to do something with helping people. But as I grew up, I also took an interest in sports, which leads me to where I am today. I would like to be able to help people in the sports ' world. In this essay, I plan to research concussions and how the long-term effects can impact people for the rest of their lives. Through research, I have learned exactly what a concussion is, the long-term effects and severity, and finally the treatments for a concussion. This relates to my senior project because for my final product, I will be presenting the lasting effects of concussions.
An unnoticed fatal injury that countless athletes have experienced is a concussion. Many people have heard about concussions, but not about the underlying damage they cause the brain. A concussion is a minor traumatic brain injury that may occur when the head hits an object, or a moving object strikes the head. It can affect how the brain works for a whi...
Contact sports in America, like football and boxing, carry a rich history of the spirit of the game, and the feeling of victory. These games bring us together as we cry out and cheer for our team or fighter as they deliver the winning touchdown, or the knockout that brings them the undisputed champion belt. However, these players are facing injuries that can destroy their career and affect their brain for the rest of their lives. We shouldn’t outlaw contact sports, but we should force safety to become more important. If we want to keep our players safe and continue the tradition of the contact sports we enjoy as a country, then we must evolve our safety in sports, and change the way we view contact sports as a country.
From the year 2001 to 1005 children aged 5-18 accounted for 2.4 million emergency room visits due to sports related injuries. Of these visits around 6 percent involved a concussion(The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). Every athlete that receives a concussion does not necessarily go to the emergency room. Athletic trainers, when available and certified, can oversee the recovery of an athlete without a trip to the emergency room. Some concussions go untreated altogether. While the percentage may seem low, looki...