With all of the controversy surrounding the concussion issue in the NFL, the field of sports medicine has been working tirelessly to develop a solution that will help keep players safe in the future. While this was a major priority for the National Football League, it seems that they may have found their answer at the Rugby World Cup. CSx, a Kiwi tech company, tested their newly developed concussion testing software at the Rugby World Cup this year to resoundingly positive reviews. Following the Cup, Scotland and Ireland demonstrated major interest in implementing the technology within their countries’ leagues.
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“The technology was based on a head injury assessment system used in rugby, where players’ neurological health was tested at the start of the season and used as a measure against later assessments done if a player had an incident on the field,” according to Stuff.
CSx was recently named the winner of the Samsung Springboard Competition, a contest designed to provide funding for promising new technology start-ups with hopeful futures. The company was awarded a grand prize of $30,000 as well as the invaluable publicity that comes with winning such a contest.
With all of the attention and success CSx has garnered in the rugby world, it will be interesting to see whether or not the NFL will research the burgeoning company. The league seems to be sailing a sinking ship when it comes to managing player safety over the past few years. New reports surface every day of retired athletes experiencing major neurological issues due to prolonged head trauma over the course of their careers.
The NFL is already under a stifling amount of pressure to take action towards protecting its players and it seems as if that pressure may reach a boiling point this Christmas with the upcoming release of Will Smith’s film, Concussion. The movie is about the doctor who helped to discover the root of the NFL’s concussion issue and his journey to protect and honor the athletes that sacrifice their bodies every week for their fans. The movie is certain to attract a flood of media attention and magnify the issue, creating hell for the league. With an imminent media disaster on the horizon for the most powerful corporation in sports, it will be interesting to see how they react and if CSx will have any impact on the issue.