NFL, UConn help found Korey Stringer Institute
Football Betting Lines
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.
Denver, CO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Deron Williams scored 33 points to push the short-handed Utah Jazz to a 114-111 victory over Denver, evening the Western Conference quarterfinal series as it heads back to Salt Lake City for Game 3. Willi
<< 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
April 25 - Early entry deadline for NBA draft.May 18 - Draft lottery.June 3 - NBA Finals begin.June 14 - Early entry withdrawal deadline for NBA draft.June 24 - NBA draft.Copyright © 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The informati
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
2007 NFL Football Betting Preview
“You play to win the game!”
Those are the words of notoriously intense head coach Herman Edwards. Unfortunately, from a bettors’ perspective, most coaches don’t feel that way about the NFL preseason. August is a time to evaluate young players, finalize the depth chart and pray your star players stay healthy.
The trick to making money during the exhibition schedule is identifying coaches – like Edwards – who can’t stand losing even when there's nothing on the line.
The New York Jets betting won 15 of 21 preseason games and went 14-7 against the spread (ATS) during Edwards’s five-year tenure with the club. In his first season as the Kansas City Chiefs field boss, the team improved from 0-4 to 2-2.
Identifying win-a-holics like Edwards is a good start if you plan betting the preseason – even though most say you shouldn’t ... but what the hell do they know anyway?
Here’s a brief rundown of two teams that have a habit of winning during the second-stringers’ season, and another club that has a good chance of exceeding this year.
Playing in the media hub of North America can be stressful but the press can’t write anything negative about the way Tom Coughlin’s boys play in the preseason. The Giants won and covered all four games last summer, improving their record to 7-1 both straight up (SU) and against the spread over the last two years.
Coughlin has shown he’s not afraid to give his starters more time in the second preseason game than most of his colleagues, no doubt one of the reasons his team has been so dominant.
Bettors can count on America’s team early on. The Cowboys are 14-6 both SU and ATS since 2002 in warm-up contests. Former coach Bill Parcells, the coach of the team the last four years, has an intimidating, in-your-face presence – surely a reason Dallas has had so much early success.
The Big Tuna won’t be strolling the sidelines with looks of disgust, but new coach Wade Phillips will be anxious to make a good first impression for owner Jerry Jones.
Dallas plays the Indianapolis Colts and the Denver Broncos before things get serious. They then face the Houston Texans in their third contest (the game starters see most game time) and finish off with the Minnesota Vikings.
Expect a Dallas team able to walk away with another 3-1 preseason record.
This team scored a league-worst 12 offensive touchdowns last season, so the rookies and veterans each have something to prove. There’s a bounty of first-unit jobs up for grabs and plenty of bodies competing for those slots.
First-time head coach Lane Kiffin will be eager to impress an owner who employs the philosophy, “Just win, baby!”
The 32-year-old Kiffin has to command respect from a locker room full of players older than him. All of these factors should lead to purpose in preseason.
Don’t forget: before playing like a team that belonged in NFL Europe, Oakland went 4-1 (both SU and ATS) in exhibition games.
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your football wagering needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.
MySportsbook.com is an online sportsbook that aims to keep betting fun. The company sees itself as a premier provider of a top-shelf gambling entertainment experience. MySportsbook knows that this can not be accomplished if gamblers are struggling through the betting process, so the emphasis is put on simplicity and ease of use.
Established in 1997, MySportsbook was the first sportsbook to offer the Instant eCheck method, and has since continued on to be one of the most innovate and fastest growing internet sportsbooks the industry has seen. A player doesn’t have to look very far before coming across one of the many sportsbooks that have cloned MySportsbook’s written policies, web pages and advertising campaign, hoping to bottle some of MySportsbook’s magic.
Although MySportsbook’s growth is largely attributed to their talented in-house marketing team, every successful bookmaker will agree that bringing the players in is only half of the battle. In a time when most internet sportsbook were nickel-and-diming players, MySportsbook was creating ways to make bonuses automatic and absent of fine print, while offering all payouts free of charge. This sportsbook also accepts Visa & Mastercard sportsbook.
Almost everything on the online sportsbook site is set in the model of simplicity, making the CS clerk’s job easy as well. Each account action made online results in an automated email sent to the client. When calling MySportsbook, the player feels as if his call is in the united states as no accents can be heard through a state of the art telecommunications system. Few online sportsbooks can compete with My Sportsbook when it comes to offering a fun and hassle-free experience to the small to moderate sized gambler.
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your bet on football needs.