Sports Betting News: NFL Team History | NFL Football Betting | College Football Betting | Baseball Betting | Basketball Betting | College Basketball Betting | Hockey Betting | Golf Betting | Tennis Betting | Auto Racing Betting | Horse Racing Betting | Soccer Betting
04/20/2010 -
NEW YORK (AP) -Alarmingly, the number of athletes dying from heat-related illnesses is rising. Kelci Stringer, the widow of Vikings tackle Korey Stringer, who died from heat stroke nine years ago, hopes to do something about it.
So do the NFL and the University of Connecticut, who have partnered with Stringer to open the Korey Stringer Institute at UConn's Neag School of Education. The creation of the institute will be announced Friday at the NFL draft.
If the last 35 years are broken into blocks of five years, the worst segment for such deaths has been, shockingly, the last five years. According to Doug Casa, professor of kinesiology at UConn and the lead researcher for the institute, there have been twice as many deaths in that span than was the average for previous five-year blocks.
``That shows why this institute is needed so much,'' Casa said. ``The legacy of Korey Stringer could be saving lives.''
Stringer died of complications due to heat stroke on Aug. 1, 2001 during training camp. At 27, he was the first professional football player to die from the illness.
Kelci Stringer spent several years in court suing the NFL and equipment manufacturers, all the while envisioning a day when there are athletic trainers at every high school in the nation; today, only about half of the schools have one. And she imagined a time when pro, college and youth sports organizations have set policies on prevention of heat illnesses.
She believes that day soon will arrive.
``The first goal is to make sure this is not some sort of fly-by-night institute,'' she said. ``I hope we are around a long time. There's constant research that comes out each day and we want to continue to put out that information and be a resource for every athlete in any sport at any level.
``I would hope in the short term we can help eradicate these type of heat-related deaths.''
To give the institute some cachet, Kelci Stringer sought the aid of the NFL and of Casa. The league, which settled the lawsuit over Korey's death out of court, was impressed by her plan and her goals. So much so that the league is providing financial help, as is one of its main sponsors, Gatorade.
The NFL also will help publicize and market the institute, and few sports organizations are more effective in those areas.
In late 2008, Kelci Stringer, Casa and Jimmy Gould, who was Korey Stringer's agent, met with NFL executives, including commissioner Roger Goodell.
``It was clear they had a strong commitment and passion in doing work in the heat illness prevention area,'' said Gary Gertzog, the NFL's senior vice president of business affairs. ``We all thought this was a terrific opportunity to increase the education at all levels of sports, particularly at the youth level, so that they understand how to prevent heat illness.
``We all have been parents or coaches for youth sports and we all have seen kids playing in very extreme weather conditions. They wanted to make sure everyone understands how important it is to be properly hydrated.''
One of the primary missions of the institute will be to extend awareness, education and advocacy about the proper precautions to avoid heat stroke through its website (ksi.uconn.edu). The institute also will offer its services to athletic trainers, team physicians, athletic directors, coaches, league supervisors, parents, principals, equipment manufacturers and others to create proper protocols, policies and emergency action plans to prevent sudden death in sport, especially as it relates to heat stroke.
Casa had worked for several years with Kelci Stringer on the lawsuits. UConn has a history of research on heat illnesses and hydration, and Stringer says Casa ``is like a god in this area.''
``This is a place that makes sense because of the knowledge base we have,'' Casa said. ``We won't be just sharing information that we have, but we'll be inviting other universities and high schools to share their plans related to heat stroke with us, for us to help them and critique them.''
Eventually, Kelci Stringer hopes her husband is remembered for more than the ``senseless and tragic way'' his life ended.
``What I really wanted while pursuing all these legal avenues is to have the NFL support my efforts in creating a legacy for Korey,'' she said. ``What's been driving me was the number of young athletes we were losing each year.
``I want to make sure we almost use Korey as the catapult to bring attention and awareness to what is going on with young athletes and NFL athletes as well.''Copyright © 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.
<< Eckstein's homer in 10th sends Padres past Giants
San Diego, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - David Eckstein's solo home run to lead off
the 10th inning helped San Diego take a 3-2 decision over San Francisco in the
opener of a three-game set.
Eckstein was the first batter in the 10th and he hit
<< Fister, Mariners dominate O's
Seattle, WA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Casey Kotchman's two-run homer punctuated a
seven-run third inning, as the Seattle Mariners defeated the Baltimore
Orioles, 8-2, in the opener of a three-game series at Safeco Field.
Doug Fister (
<< Cardinals hand Diamondbacks fifth straight loss
Phoenix, AZ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Matt Holliday went 3-for-5 with a two-run homer
to help the St. Louis Cardinals take a 4-2 decision over the Arizona
Diamondbacks in the opener of a three-game series.
Colby Rasmus had two hits, an
<< Pineiro helps Angels blank Detroit
Anaheim, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Joel Pineiro continued his solid April with 7
1/3 shutout frames, as the suddenly streaking Angels blanked Detroit, 2-0, in
the first game of a four-game set.
Pineiro (2-1) scattered nine hits with four st
Coyotes' Doan to miss Game 4 against Detroit >>
DETROIT (AP) -Phoenix Coyotes forward Shane Doan will miss Game 4 of the Western Conference playoffs against the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday night because of an upper-body injury.The Coyotes' captain left Game 3 on Sunday when he stumbled over Detr
Petersen's new contract awaits board approval >>
BOISE, Idaho (AP) -Boise State coach Chris Petersen is poised to get a new five-year contract worth more than $8 million.The new deal awaits approval Thursday by the Idaho State Board of Education.University officials announced the new contract duri
Kesler, Datsyuk, Staal up for Selke Trophy >>
NEW YORK (AP) -Detroit star Pavel Datsyuk has been nominated for the Selke Trophy, joining fellow finalists Ryan Kesler of Vancouver and Jordan Staal of Pittsburgh for the award given to the NHL's top defensive forward.The Red Wings star has won the
Howard wins consecutive defensive player awards >>
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) -Dwight Howard has won his second straight NBA defensive player of the year award after becoming the only player to lead the league in blocks and rebounds in the same season twice - let alone in consecutive years.Orlando Magic coa
MySportsbook.com: NBA Championship Odds
With the playoffs about two months away, the top two teams in the Western Conference are the clear cut leaders to win the NBA Championship. The Dallas Mavericks have the best record in the NBA (44-9) and have been absolutely scorching since the second week of the season. What makes the Mavs’ record more impressive is the fact that they dropped their first four games of the season. Currently they have won 17 out of their last 18 and are MySportsbook.com’s favorite (2-1) to win it all. Right behind the Mavs are the Pacific leading Phoenix Suns (39-13). Last season, the Suns lost in the Conference Finals to non-other then the Mavericks four games to two. Of course the Suns were without center Amare Stoudemire who has is averaging 19.9 PPG and 9.5 RPG since coming back from his knee injury. Unlike the Mavs, the Suns have struggled a bit lately having lost their last three and four out of their last seven. Of course the main reason for their three straight loses is due to the absence of two time MVP Steve Nash, who is out with a shoulder injury. Heads-up, the Mavs have beaten the Suns in both of their meetings this season.
In the Eastern Conference, the Pistons (32-19) are the favorites to win it all at 6-1. The addition of Chris Webber seems to have been a good move for the Pistons. Since coming over from the 76ers, Webber has averaged 13.1 PPG and 7.3 RPG and the Pistons are 11-4. Even though the defending champion Heat are currently on the playoff making cusp, they are the Eastern Conference team that is getting the most action to win it all (9-1). The fact that Shaquille O’Neal is back in the starting lineup after missing 39 games probably has something to do with this. No doubt, Shaq makes a difference when in the lineup as their winning six out of their last seven would indicate.
Just because it is the All-Star break doesn’t mean that you can’t bet on NBA hoops this weekend. Be sure to log onto MySportsbook.com to bet on who you think will cut down the nets this July. Also, be sure to check out all of the lines and props for All-Star weekend. With the highest credit card acceptance rate in the industry, there are plenty of ways to cash in on the NBA this weekend.
MySportsbook.com’s NBA Championship odds:
Atlanta Hawks 1000-1
Boston Celtics 5000-1
Charlotte Bobcats 5000-1
Chicago Bulls 20-1
Cleveland Cavaliers 20-1
Dallas Mavericks 2-1
Denver Nuggets 25-1
Detroit Pistons 6-1
Golden State Warriors 250-1
Houston Rockets 12-1
Indiana Pacers 60-1
Los Angeles Clippers 45-1
Memphis Grizzlies 5000-1
Miami Heat 9-1
Milwaukee Bucks 1000-1
Minnesota T-Wolves 200-1
New Jersey Nets 50-1
New Orleans Hornets 150-1
New York Knicks 150-1
Orlando Magic 75-1
Philadelphia 76ers 1000-1
Phoenix Suns 5-2
Portland TrailBlazers 1000-1
Sacramento Kings 250-1
San Antonio Spurs 9-1
Seattle Sonics 5000-1
Toronto Raptors 35-1
Utah Jazz 20-1
Washington Wizards 25-1
About MySportsbook.com:
MySportsbook.com is the largest sportsbook and casino on the planet, where millions of adult Americans bet on sports, play poker and enjoy blackjack and other casino games online in a regulated and licensed jurisdiction. Named the "Best online Sports Book" by the industry's top magazine, eGaming Review, MySportsbook.com has been leading the online gaming industry since 1996. Dwarfing its nearest competitors in the US, MySportsbook.com has been the first to achieve every significant industry milestone, from record turnover to active users to number of bets--achieving a peak of fifteen bets per second. As the US online gaming leader, the firm and it's products have been featured on CBS 60 Minutes, CNN, ESPN, Wall Street Journal, Barrons, Financial Times, USA Today and in every major newspaper in the US.
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com - this sportsbook accepts credit cards.
Sports Betting News: NFL Team History | NFL Football Betting | College Football Betting | Baseball Betting | Basketball Betting | College Basketball Betting | Hockey Betting | Golf Betting | Tennis Betting | Auto Racing Betting | Horse Racing Betting | Soccer Betting