BALTIMORE (AP) — Former Baltimore linebacker O.J. Brigance continues to inspire the Ravens with his toughness and leadership. Only now, he's doing it while battling Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. O.J. Brigance, former NFL linebacker and current director of player development for the Baltimore Ravens, sits at the football team's practice facility in Owings Mills, Md., Sept. 5, 2012. Brigance was diagnosed in 2007 with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. The manner in which he's fought it has been inspirational to the Ravens, notably linebacker Ray Lewis.(AP Photo/Steve Ruark) Multimedia Photoview all photos Article Gallery: Brigance inspires Ravens during duel with ALS Brigance was diagnosed with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease, in 2007. Since that time, the 12-year pro has been a source of motivation within the Ravens organization and a key figure in the quest to find a cure for the devastating disease. Although confined to a wheelchair and forced to use a communication device that translates his thoughts, Brigance performs capably as senior advisor to player development for the Ravens. HIs job requires him to assist the athletes in all phases of their careers. Linebacker Ray Lewis, the undisputed team leader, is a frequent visitor to Brigance's office. "Every day I walk by, Nike Air Max Shoesnot just to tell him how much I love him, but I tell him that he is the one thing that lets me not complain about anything," Lewis said. "I played with that guy. Now to see him in the situation he is in physically, but his brain is probably as sharp as ever, it clicks you back in. His spirit is just awesome." Playing alongside Lewis on the 2000 Super Bowl champions and starring on special teams readied Brigance for his current, far more important endeavor. "I do believe that playing football has prepared me for my battle against ALS," he said. "Many people think football is all about strength and physical ability. While these are integral parts of one's success, the fortitude, discipline and the desire necessary to play the sport are characteristics that are readily transferable to everyday life." Brigance's influence stretches beyond the confines of the Ravens training facility. He and his wife, Chanda, formed the Brigance Brigade Foundation, which strives to improve the quality of life for those afflicted with ALS. The Brigade also funds research to find a cure of the disease. Before leading the fight against ALS, the couple first had to overcome the shock of the initial diagnosis. "I do have to be honest. That was not our first instinct," Chanda said. "It blew us back because of our faith. But God never makes a mistake. So we decided that we can use this as a platform. It's an unfortunate platform, but it's what we're given. Him being a professional athlete, we can get the attention of others." O.J. Brigance said he didn't set out to be an example of how to live life under difficult circumstances. "I have found that when adversity strikes, there is a decision to be made. We chose to respond and continue to live, and also help others living with ALS to respond also," he said. "We have found that we have been a great encouragement not only to those within the ALS community, but to people in all walks of life." Baltimore running back Ray Rice is among those players who have been touched by Brigance's heroic stand against the disease. "Whenever you see O.J., it's not even a thought to complain about anything you've gone through in life," Rice said. "You see him, and you just want to keep on going and strive to overcome any and every obstacle. He's been like our guardian angel." Brigance is the only player to win a Canadian Football League title and a Super Bowl championship for a team in the same city, Baltimore. He loved being a football player, but knows what he's doing now if far more significant. "While winning CFL and NFL championships are great personal remembrances, I wouldn't say any of these events define me," he said. "Rather, they are part of an accumulation of life events which catapulted me to do that God wanted me to accomplish. If you were to remove any of those events, I wouldn't be the same person or have the position of influence. With that being said, I consider the Brigance Brigade to be the most significant achievement of my life of because of my ability to touch the lives of others." Brigance turns 43 on Saturday. He puts no limit on the number of birthdays he will mark in the future. "I was considered too small, but was able to achieve a 12-year professional football career. I wasn't supposed to come back from my back surgery in 1999, but I recovered in a remarkable time frame and was able to play three more seasons," Brigance said. "I was diagnosed with ALS in 2007 and given a two- to five-year life expectancy, but by the grace of God, I will celebrate my 43rd birthday."
ALLEN PARK, Mich. (AP) -- Detroit Lions coach Jim Schwartz isn't saying much about quarterback Matthew Stafford's injured right leg.
Stafford left late in the fourth quarter of Sunday's 44-41 overtime loss at Tennessee with a strained muscle, and although Shaun Hill played well in a relief role, the last thing the Lions want is a return to the days when their franchise quarterback wasn't able to stay healthy. Nike Air Max 95 Schwartz says he'll see how Stafford progresses through the week. Detroit hosts the Minnesota Vikings this weekend. Stafford was banged up as a rookie and played only 10 games, and he was limited to three the following season because of problems with his throwing shoulder. He finally made 16 starts last season, throwing for 5,038 yards and 41 touchdowns. Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Now that the last holdout cable company has made a deal with the NFL, can we please get rid of the Thursday night games? I realize having three boring games in three weeks isn't the NFL's fault; these games looked solid on paper. I realize expanding the showcase probably makes sense to the NFL. Where it doesn't make sense is for the fans, especially fantasy players. The short weeks, the roster moves, and even taking one game from the miracle that is Red Zone Channel (and yes, Red Zone is part of the Time Warner deal) is anti-fan. The NFL owns Sunday in a way that would have been unthinkable even thirty years ago. I'd be curious to see what the comparison would be between the number of people in churches and the numbers of people watching the pre-pregame shows that cable is populated with on Sundays now. cheap Air Max 95I understand that Monday Night Football is a tradition now and that Sunday Night Football is the highest rated program on TV, but Thursday? This might be the last step before we have football every night of the week ... and I hope I didn't just give Roger Goodell an idea.
Remember to check in all morning for the latest updates, then chat from 11.30 a.m. Eastern right up to early game time. Let's look around the league: 11:30 a.m. Updates STL: Forget the "speculation." Steven Jackson will play for the Rams. Daryl Richardson figures to get a split of the carries. 11 a.m. Updates STL: Multiple reports have Steven Jackson out for today, but these remain unconfirmed and evasive. Daryl Richardson is a decent start either way, with an at-worst of a 50-50 split. BAL: Indications are that Torrey Smith has elected to play, after the death of his brother. He's a start in most formats. PHI: Through the first two weeks, Michael Vick has been relatively injury free. The ribs are fine, though he's taken some hits. The worry is more in his hands. Don't forget that thumb injury in the first preseason game. Could some of his interceptions be affected by his grip? Yes, which offers some upside for Vick in coming weeks, assuming they can keep the rush off him. 10 a.m. Updates STL: Steven Jackson is a true game-time decision, but the Rams are already leaning away from him. The game plan, even if he plays, is a split with Daryl Richardson. The Rams offense seems comfortable either way. JAX: Sources tell me Blaine Gabbert is doing better after treatment. He's made good progress through the week and should have near-normal mobility this week. The turf shouldn't be an issue for him. BAL: Multiple reports that the brother of Torrey Smith was killed in a traffic accident this morning. Smith will make a decision on playing later today. Our condolences to him. 9:30 a.m. Updates NO: Marques Colston looks to be playing today, though there's an open question about how effective he will be. Make sure he's your best option before starting him. NFL.com's Albert Breer spoke with Colston who indicated he would start. WAS: With Pierre Garcon out, Fred Davis becomes a decent TE option. He practiced all week normally after suffering a concussion a couple weeks back. Leonard Hankerson also becomes an option in deeper leagues at WR. 9 a.m. Updates WAS: The Redskins have made it official. Multiple reports have Pierre Garcon out for Week 3 due to his lingering foot injury. DET: Mikel Leshoure will get his first regular season action today, but how much will he touch the ball? It could be as much as a 50-50 split with Kevin Smith. Leshoure also figures to get short yardage and goal line work, which could make him a decent fantasy start. IND: Colts sources indicate that Austin Collie will be active against the Jags and that the team is considering giving him the start. It would be somewhat symbolic though, with Collie not expected to get a lot of targets this week. Rams at Bears UPGRADE: Michael Bush DOWNGRADE: Steven Jackson, Matt Forte Matt Forte isn't officially out, but consider him that way. The ankle sprain could do with another week of rest and, without any real lateral movement, he is a worse option than Michael Bush. Steven Jackson is an unknown now, not because the groin strain is bad, but that it's just bad enough to give Jeff Fisher cover not to give him the normal touches. Let's call him a GTD- at this stage, but it's very fluid. Rodger Saffold is out, which could give Sam Bradford some more headaches. Bills at Browns UPGRADE: Trent Richardson DOWNGRADE: none Trent Richardson isn't 100% yet, but he showed why the Browns used such a high pick on him. Power, speed, balance, vision and there's still upside there. Josh Cribbs and Greg Little are both on the OIR, but it's Cribbs that's the worry. His speed is negated by a knee injury. Little should play normally. Buffalo has no new injuries this week. Fred Jackson remains out as expected. Bucs at Cowboys UPGRADE: Dez Bryant DOWNGRADE: Cowboys D/ST The Dallas defense is just banged up enough to give Tampa a little breathing room. Expect Dez Bryant to play a little bit more and better as his knee is now manageable, plus he's adjusted a bit. The Bucs are relatively healthy, with no fantasy relevant players expected to miss time. Keep an eye on Dallas Clark, who's beginning to emerge as an option for Josh Freeman. Jags at Colts UPGRADE: Blaine Gabbert DOWNGRADE: Austin Collie, Dwight Freeney Austin Collie is ready to play, we think, but the Colts have a bye next week and will be in more of a "show me" mode with Collie. He'll get some looks and some easy catches, but he's more likely to be well down the pecking order for catches in a broad offense. Blaine Gabbert will play and without Dwight Freeney chasing him, his strained glute might not get tested quite as quickly. Jets at Dolphins UPGRADE: Darrelle Revis DOWNGRADE: Dustin Keller Whichever QB is in the game, Dustin Keller probably won't be. His hamstring is sore. His targets likely go to Stephen Hill. Darrelle Revis is a go, which doesn't help Ryan Tannehill's prospects any. The Jets OIR is twenty-two deep, but there's really not much beyond those two that are fantasy relevant. There's some defensive dings on the Dolphins side, but most should play. Only Daniel Thomas could be relevant with his concussion likely to keep him sidelined, but Reggie Bush has exploded in the first two weeks regardless, so Thomas is a change of pace at best. 49ers at Vikings UPGRADE: none DOWNGRADE: none There are no FRI (fantasy relevant injuries) here. The Vikings have some dings on defense and no, Ted Ginn is not relevant. Many are looking at this as a huge test for Adrian Peterson's knee, but those questions have been answered already. Chiefs at Saints UPGRADE: Jamaal Charles, Dwayne Bowe DOWNGRADE: Dexter McCluster, Marques Colston Seeing Jamaal Charles on the OIR worries some people, but the issue here is that he needs normal maintenance on the knee post-surgery. He's seeing some swelling and tenderness, but there's no reason to think he won't be ready to take his full complement on Sunday. It's less clear whether that's also true for Dexter McCluster. The speedy hybrid has a very sore shoulder and is a GTD-. He only got five targets last week and this could be much the same if he plays. Dwayne Bowe picked up those targets last week and should again. Another key for the Chiefs will be whether Ryan Lilja is able to go. He's a key to their running game and pass protection. The biggest worry for the Saints is Marques Colston. His lingering foot injury -- the Saints aren't offering specifics, but I'm told it's a mid-foot sprain -- had him missing practice. He's a GTD+, but his targets are likely to look like last week, with Drew Brees shifting some targets to Lance Moore and Darren Sproles. Lions at Titans UPGRADE: Kenny Britt DOWNGRADE: Lions D/ST Issues in the Lions' defensive backfield could open things up for Jake Locker and his WRs. With Kenny Britt proving he's healthy, it could be his week to shine. Calvin Johnson will play, but we do have to wonder how good he might be if he could practice most weeks. Why Johnson isn't wearing more advanced pads is beyond me. Bengals at Redskins UPGRADE: none DOWNGRADE: Pierre Garcon, Bengals D/ST The foot injury that sidelined Pierre Garcon wasn't said to be serious, but the lack of progress has Garcon and the Skins worried enough that he could be headed to a specialist early next week. There was thought that being at home, on grass, would help Garcon play, but while he's not officially out, it looks very unlikely. Almost all of Cincinnati's issues are on the defensive side, with lots of "dings" and "maybes." We'll keep an eye on this, but there look to be holes that Robert Griffin III and friends can exploit. Eagles at Cardinals UPGRADE: Jason Avant, Damaris Johnson DOWNGRADE: Jeremy Maclin There's a lot of injuries to deal with on the Eagles' side. Jeremy Maclin is unlikely to play after he talked his way into last week's lineup, only to re-injure his hip flexor. DeSean Jackson will play, but is still feeling tightness in his hamstring and is guarding it some. Riley Cooper still isn't ready. That leaves the start to Jason Avant, though Damaris Johnson is a nice sleeper. King Dunlap is unlikely to play at OT, though Michael Vick can adjust to that with his feet. On the Cards side, John Skelton is still out, leaving the QB job to Kevin Kolb. Todd Heap is a GTD+, but he's used to dealing with dings. Both Beanie Wells and Ryan Williams will play normally despite being listed on the OIR. The Cards defense is banged up in the backfield, so Vick might be able to find a rhythm. Falcons at Chargers UPGRADE: Matt Ryan DOWNGRADE: Ryan Mathews Matt Ryan gets the upgrade because he'll have both Roddy White and Julio Jones. Both are a bit dinged, but should play. Jones might not be the red zone target, so those looks would go to Tony Gonzalez. Tyson Clabo looks like he'll try to go on Sunday, but any limits might force Ryan to throw a bit quicker, holding back some of the deep routes his WRs love. Ryan Mathews will go this week, but the Chargers will limit his touches. They'll also be careful about the situations, not wanting Mathews to have to run into a "hard front". Expect 8-12 touches, which makes him a downgrade against expectations of a mid-tier RB1. Antonio Gates looks very likely to play, but I said that last week. Confirm before you put him in. Eddie Royal also looks likely to play. Texans at Broncos UPGRADE: none DOWNGRADE: none Denver is healthy for this big matchup, though questions about Peyton Manning's arm are likely to get a response from the QB. Watch for his early throws to be aimed as much at his critics as his WRs. The Texans have a lot of top names listed on the OIR, but almost everyone is expected to play in their normal roles. This game's going to be decided on the field, not the Training Room. If there is one thing to watch, it's Arian Foster. There are whispers that his knee injury from Week 1 is lingering, pushing more carries to Ben Tate. Steelers at Raiders UPGRADE: Ben Roethlisberger DOWNGRADE: Rashard Mendenhall, Raiders D/ST, Steelers D/ST The Steelers will be looking at a decimated defensive backfield. It's unclear who'll benefit most, but it's reasonable to think the answer might be "all of the above." I'll give the biggest upgrade to Ben Roethlisberger. Then again, the Steelers D is more like a thin sheet of aluminum instead of steel. James Harrison and Tory Polamalu will be out again, anticipating a weak matchup ahead of a bye week. Things get better for the Steelers if the Raiders D is without Richard Seymour and Rolando McClain. Patriots at Ravens UPGRADE: Wes Welker DOWNGRADE: Brandon Lloyd, Logan Mankins With Aaron Hernandez out, the big question is whether Wes Welker moves to the slot or whether newly acquired Kellen Winslow can take Hernandez's role for a couple weeks. Bet on Welker, who's healthy and well-connected with Tom Brady. Brandon Lloyd missed practice on Friday with a quad strain and is GTD+ for Sunday. Add that to Logan Mankins hip injury and the Pats have to be thinking short pass, more reason to like Welker. The Ravens think they'll have everyone, including Michael Oher and Bernard Pollard. Packers at Seahawks Notes: Greg Jennings is questionable, but he's insisting he'll play. With the Monday game, it's tough to figure out who to back him with, which makes it an even tougher decision. I say pass on Jennings this week if you have a decent option ... Doug Baldwin is unlikely to play, opening things up for Golden Tate again ... Marshawn Lynch is still on the OIR due to back issues, but they haven't affected him in game ... Randall Cobb is likely to play, but may not be in the return slot. A pure speed guy like him usually has little value through a hamstring strain. 单击此处进行编辑.
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Los Fresnos coach Clint Finley understands even the slightest mishap can vault a game either direction.
After all, the Falcons lost by a touchdown in the season opener and then won by three the following week. They were close calls that produced a 1-1 non-district record, but still not the level of performance that would allow Los Fresnos to breathe easy, as it did last week in cruising to a 41-14 win over Hanna. “The more we can improve upon limiting penalties and turnovers, the better football team we’re going to become,” Finley said. “We have to make sure we do away with those.” With their offense surging, the Falcons (2-1,Nike Air Max Shoes 1-0) are riding a two-game winning streak. Saturday night, they face a Rivera team whose defense continues to sputter, as it allowed a previously touchdown-less Harlingen High team to run up 38 points and earn its first district win of the season last week. To compound the problem, the Raiders (0-3, 0-1) have been unable to score a touchdown since their opener. “Our offense has struggled, and we’re working on it,” Rivera coach Tom Chavez said. “The challenge is moving the ball. You’ve got to move the chains, get yardage and get movement.” To do that, Chavez said the offensive line would have to correct errors in order to help get first downs. Los Fresnos, on the other hand, has shown a spike in point production each week. Part of that is due to the contributions of quarterback Jonmichael Rosales, running back William Cox and the wide receiver tandem of Brandon Colon and Jaime Mata. Rosales, who also started last season, threw for three touchdowns last week and nearly 200 yards in blowing out Hanna. Cox ran for 200 yards that game, and Colon had a team-leading three catches for 90 yards. Despite errors (penalties, turnovers), Finley said the team has been able to stay afloat, in part, because of the “execution” on offense. Chavez realizes that if his Raiders intend on making the playoffs, they’ll need more offensive production than they’ve demonstrated in three games this season. Since a 20-14 season-opening loss at Mission Veterans Memorial, Rivera has scored only once — a field goal. Correcting that issue is atop Raiders’ to-do list, Chavez said, because teams like Los Fresnos “are the kind of teams that are going to be in the playoffs.” “So we have to work hard to get to that level,” he added. Mario Aguirre covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him at (956) 982-6663 or via email at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @mario_aguirre. 单击此处进行编辑.
Overall, cancer will probably replace heart disease as the nation’s top cause of death in the next 10 years, said Rebecca Siegel of the American Cancer Society, lead author of a study reporting the new findings. Government health statisticians think the crossover point could be reached as early as this year, or at least in the next two or three years.
The reason it has already happened among Hispanics is that they are younger on average than non-Hispanic whites and blacks. And cancer tends to kill people earlier in life than heart disease, for decades the nation’s top cause of death. The shift could bring about a change in disease-prevention efforts, government spending priorities and people’s attitudes. "We’ve been so focused on heart disease mortality for so long. ... Nike Air Max 95This may change the way people look at their risk," said Robert Anderson, who oversees the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control branch that monitors death statistics. The study is being published in the September/October issue of a cancer society publication, CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians. Cancer society researchers looked at federal death data for 2009 and found that 29,935 Hispanics died of cancer and 29,611 of heart disease. It was the first year in which cancer deaths surpassed heart disease in that ethnic group. Cancer is also the leading cause of death for Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders. And it is now the leading killer in 18 states, according to 2009 numbers from the CDC. Hispanics are the nation’s largest and fastest-growing major ethnic group, and many of them are young immigrants from Mexico. Most heart disease deaths are in people 65 and older. The vast majority of Hispanics in the U.S. are under 55. 单击此处进行编辑.
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