There are 17 weeks and 256 games in the NFL season. And this year, there were 225 concussions.
Josh Begley, data artist at The Intercept, just released a haunting film showing footage of the hits that led to some of the most dangerous head injuries that occurred in the pre-season and regular season football games this year.
"I have been tracking these injuries all season. Using a variety of methods, including reviewing daily injury reports from NFL.com, I have created what I believe is the most complete dataset of individual concussions sustained during the 2017-2018 season," Begley wrote. "The resulting film, 'Concussion Protocol,' is a visual record of every concussion in the NFL this year."
All GIFs via "Concussion Protocol"/The Intercept.
Most of the hits are shown in reverse, with the player lying down or woozy, before we see the powerful collisions that caused the head trauma.
When shown in reverse, the hard-hitting plays cheered for by so many lose their appeal. This isn't a highlight reel — it's a horror film.
The hard hits in professional football put players at risk for serious neurological conditions long after they hang up their cleats.
A study published last summer revealed that after the brains of 111 deceased NFL players were examined, 110 were found to have chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).
This devastating condition is a build-up of an abnormal protein in the brain. As the protein accumulates, neural pathways are disabled, which can lead to aggression, loss of impulse control, confusion, memory lapses, depression, and suicidal thoughts.
The puzzling, degenerative brain disease is usually found in people with repeated head trauma, and can only be confirmed with an autopsy.
Denver Broncos strong safety David Bruton lying on the field in pain. Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images.
The NFL has taken small steps to acknowledge the dangers of the game, but their efforts only begin to address the problem.
In 2016, the League pledged $60 million to technological and engineering advancements, which is NFL-speak for "creating a better helmet." They also devoted another $40 million to funding medical research on the effects of head injuries. They also ensured that the nearly 50 rule changes they've made since 2002 were communicated to protect players from head trauma.
And yet, here we are. 2017 saw the highest number of concussions in the past five years.
GIF from Monday Night Football/ESPN.
$100 million certainly isn't chump change, but it's pennies compared to the money spent on building stadiums or paying NFL salaries. It seems less like a genuine commitment so much as hush money — a way to get the media and concerned fans off their backs.
Behind every hit is a human being with a family and a future.
Yes, they love the game, and so do their adoring fans. But at what costs? Is the fun, tradition, and camaraderie of football worth the lifelong damage?
And before you remind me how much these athletes are paid, stop. It's not just the pros taking these punishing hits.
In a recent study, children under 12 who played tackle football were at a greater risk to experience short- and long-term neurological consequences — everything from difficulty regulating their behavior to apathy and depression.
Photo by Donald Miralle/Getty Images.
Professional football is an American pastime and economic engine that's not going away anytime soon. But that doesn't mean it gets a free pass.
You can cheer for your favorite teams while also wanting its players to be safe and healthy. You can enjoy a game or two on the weekends and still push for the NFL to do better.
Or maybe you can't, and enough is enough.
Beaver in water. Photo by 
An actual beaver dam on the now-thriving Price River
Not just coworkers—family, friends, strangers, kids…
Imagine having to go so badly but being out of euros. 
Anything hobbit-esque can't be wrong. 
But what if you need pain meds AND mascara?!
Imagine how this would affect childcare.
Honestly…where's the lie?
A brown buddha statue sits near a green mountain. Photo by 
Urgent dash to the bathroom! 🚪🏃♂️
Ladybug unexpectedly found during colonoscopyPhoto credit: 
Close-up of bottom of ladybug found in colonPhoto credit: 
There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."