On a typical basis, George Fernandez is hit by sailing soccer balls, jabbed by
             elbows, is kicked by other players and, sometimes, flat-out knocked out cold. He has had
             so many concussions, he cannot remember some of them, which cause temporary lapses
             in the brain and sometimes longer-term side effects (Bellenir 72). This type of behavior
             is one source attributing to the increased occurrence of concussions during sports
             activities. George's case is a typical example of what is occurring on sports fields and
             arenas everyday. On local playing fields as well as in amateur sports nationwide,
             concussions are often viewed no differently than sprained ankles and sore muscles. Expert, Dr. Rubin Echemendia of Pennsylvania State College, has said that it is this
             perception on concussions that is dangerous, because it is so far from the truth (Hoffman
             386). Thus, one of the most confusing and dangerous of injuries has the sports world on
             What is a concussion? It is a bruise to the brain caused by a sudden blow to the
             head. The brain is ultra-sensitive and vulnerable to any amount of physical contact. In a
             normal state, the brain floats in a liquid, which separates it from the inner skull. The soft
             insulation prevents the brain from absorbing any pressure from the hard bone of the outer
             skull. In addition, the brain is covered by three protective membranes (Powell 4).
             The outer most layer of the brain is called the dura mater. This layer is connected
             to the soft interior of the skull at various points, which serve to hold the brain within the
             skull. The brain sits upon a brain stem, a part of the spinal cord, which passes out the
             bottom of the skull through a hole, called the foramen magnum (Roy 1). When the head is struck, however, the force sends the brain crashing in to the inner skull. The seriousness of the bruise, also known as cerebral contusion, determines the seriousness of the conc...