Das Forum » A proposal aimed at delaying the effects of helmet

SPRINGFIELD Ed Oliver Jersey , Ill. (AP)banging head trauma by banning Illinois children younger than 12 from playing tackle football lacks the votes this spring, its sponsor said Wednesday.Rep. Carol Sente said parents and taxpayers ”need more time to absorb the evidence” of a link between repeated blows to the brain and chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a dementia-like, degenerative disease characterized by memory loss, violent urges, depression and other cognitive troubles.Opposition to restrictions on America’s most popular sport stifled it for now. Sente, a Vernon Hills Democrat, said she will not call the legislation for a House vote before the General Assembly’s scheduled May 31 adjournment. But the bill stays alive until year’s end, and Sente, who is not seeking re-election in November, raised the possibility that the issue might be ripe for a vote this fall.”This is cutting-edge research that is evolving weekly,” Sente said. ”As the evidence reaches parents, I believe more individuals will delay when their child starts playing tackle football. If they don’t have options like flag football, I believe in time parents and youth will steer away from football entirely.”Legislation similar to Sente’s is in play this spring in New York, New Jersey, and California. Last month http://www.billsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-cody-ford-jersey , a Maryland House committee voted down a prohibition on tackling before age 14.Sente’s plan is named for former Chicago Bears defensive back Dave Duerson, who took his own life at age 50 in 2011 but preserved his brain for research that ultimately revealed the markers of CTE, which can only be confirmed after death.The medical journal JAMA reported last summer than CTE was found in 110 of 111 brains of former NFL players whose brains were donated for research.CTE is often associated with concussions, but experts contend the real danger is from the thousands of hits that a football player sustains throughout a season. The results are cumulative and Sente sought to protect the youngest children with underdeveloped brains and protective nerve coating.Some fans argue that when a kid plays football is best left up to parents. They say that a delayed introduction to the gridiron means young kids won’t learn necessary skills to safely succeed later, even if they play the non-contact flag-football version.Jon Butler, executive director of the Pop Warner youth football organization, which operates in 37 states and suits up 225,000 players aged 5 to 15, said CTE research is in its infancy and ”we have a lot to learn.” He noted Pop Warner limits practice-time contact, bans head-to-head contact drills, and has begun a ”rookie-tackle” league on a smaller field.”We’re going back to teaching blocking and tackling the way we did 40 years ago, using your shoulders and arms and not the head, which intuitively makes a lot of sense anyway,” Butler said.—The bill is HB 4341.—Contact Political Writer John O’Connor at https://twitter.com/apoconnor. His work can be found at https://apnews.com/search/john o’connor—Sign up for the AP’s weekly newsletter showcasing our best reporting from the Midwest and Texas: http://apne.ws/2u1RMfvFOX Fantasy AutoForm a Racing Team, Compete for PrizesPlay Now! KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Chiefs’ defense had heard the chorus of critics all season long Devin Singletary Jersey , the ones that claimed their sieve-like line and shaky backfield would spoil young superstar Patrick Mahomes and cost them a chance to chase their first Super Bowl appearance in decades.Well, that defense is a big reason why the Chiefs are one step away.With persistent snow turning Arrowhead Stadium into a winter wonderland, the Chiefs successfully shut down Andrew Luck and the potent Indianapolis Colts on Saturday.Mahomes and the rest of their own high-powered offense took care of the rest, rolling to a 31-13 victory in the divisional round to end 25 years of playoff frustration.“We’re such a different team,” said Mahomes, who threw for 278 yards while running for a score. “We have such young players. We have such confidence we’re going to win every single game.”Damien Williams ran through snow and muck for 129 yards and another score, and Tyreek Hill had 72 yards receiving and a touchdown run, as the Chiefs beat Indianapolis for the first time in five playoff meetings to earn their first AFC title game appearance since January 1994.The AFC West champions will play the winner of Sunday’s game between the division-rival Los Angeles Chargers and the New England Patriots next weekend for a spot in the Super Bowl in Atlanta.“We wanted to light up the city,” Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones said. “We didn’t want to take the road down memory lane.”Andrew Luck was held to 203 yards passing for the Colts, while Marlon Mack was a non-factor on the ground. He had 46 yards rushing before leaving late in the fourth quarter with a hip injury.“Was not expecting it to end today,” Colts coach Frank Reich said. “We knew we were going up against a very good team, a very well-coached team. It’s hard to lose. It’s hard to lose when you’ve come this far with the team that we have and the guys that we have, so credit to the Chiefs.“They outcoached us, they outplayed us,” Reich said. “We just gave them too many opportunities.”The Chiefs set out to change history from the opening minutes, when they forced a three-and-out and then waltzed right over a Colts defense that nearly shut out the Texans a week ago. Mahomes and Co. scored on their first three possessions http://www.billsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-dawson-knox-jersey , then again just before halftime, to take a 24-7 lead.If there was any question whether this would be Kansas City’s day, it was answered when Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri missed a 23-yard field-goal try off the upright just before halftime. It was the first time in 22 postseason attempts that he’d missed from that close.Not that the Chiefs thought they had it wrapped up.They’ve had bigger playoff meltdowns against the Colts.There was the 10-7 loss in which Lin Elliott missed three field goals when the Chiefs were the No. 1 seed, and the loss at Arrowhead Stadium in 2003 in which nobody punted. Five years ago, they blew a 38-10 second-half lead against Luck and the Colts to spoil Andy Reid’s first season.Not this time.Not with this Kansas City quarterback.After shattering nearly every franchise passing record, Mahomes picked up right where he left off in his regular-season finale. He led the Chiefs on touchdown drives of 90 and 70 yards to open the game, quickly identified a favorite target in Travis Kelce, and shook off a banged-up knee to scramble for a touchdown late in the first half to give his team a big cushion.Of course, the Chiefs (13-4) didn’t need it the way their defense was playing.The Colts (11-7) went three-and-out on their first four possessions, were outgained 185-12 in the first quarter, and Luck didn’t complete a pass until he found T.Y Hilton early in the second.Their lone bright spot came when Zach Paschal recovered a blocked punt for a touchdown.Even when the Colts caught a break and Sammy Watkins fumbled the ball to them late in the third quarter, they were quick to give it back. Dee Ford stripped Luck and fellow linebacker Justin Houston plopped on the ball, ruining another red-zone opportunity.“It seemed like the rushers were getting there all night,” Chiefs cornerback Kendall Fuller said. “Guys sticking coverage, playing good technique, good eyes and things like that.”The Colts finally scored an offensive touchdown with 5:31 left in the game. But in the perfect summation of their lousy afternoon Brian Burns Jersey , their erstwhile star kicker missed the extra point.By that point, the party in the stands already had begun.The Chiefs had lost six straight home playoff games, including heartbreakers to Pittsburgh and Tennessee the past two years. But a proud franchise that won its only Super Bowl title with Len Dawson in 1970, and last played for a spot behind Joe Montana, is once more one step away.“I’m just happy for these guys in this locker room,” Kelce said. “Playoff wins are hard to come by, let alone wins in the NFL. So, I mean, it’s just exciting for us to be able to play next week.”100<button class="view-gallery">View Gallery</button> Gallery:View from the sidelines: NFL cheerleaders 2018Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports | Raj MehtaSNOWBALL FIGHTReid was summoned to the corner of the stadium during the two-minute warning in the first half to implore fans to stop throwing snowballs on the field. Earlier in the half, one almost hit Colts punter Rigoberto Sanchez while he was kicking.INJURIESColts: Center Ryan Kelly (knee) left late in the fourth quarter. … FS Malik Hooker (foot) and DE Tyquan Lewis (knee) were inactive, while SS Mike Mitchell (calf) was placed on injured reserve earlier this week. That left the Colts defense without some key pieces.Chiefs: Safety Eric Berry (heel) and running back Spencer Ware (hamstring) were inactive, though Berry — the team’s emotional leader — broke down the pregame huddle in the north end zone.UP NEXTChiefs: Await the Chargers-Patriots winner in the AFC title game.Colts: Begin preparing for April’s draft.