Marktplatz » ffered multiple concussions and sub-concussive impacts

METAIRIE, La. -- Jairus Byrd was drawn to the Big Easy by New Orleans "winning culture" and an explosive offence, so much that the safety signed a six-year contract with the Saints. New Orleans efforts to make him a Saint began almost as soon as teams were allowed to contact agents of players on the free agent market. Though Byrd said other teams showed interest, it was ultimately up to him to let New Orleans have the first chance to sign him. They brought him in early Tuesday evening and shortly after, announced the two sides had agreed to terms. "The winning culture" put New Orleans over the top, Byrd said. "What coach (Sean) Payton has done and what Drew Brees has done here. Any time you have that explosive offence, it always helps." New Orleans 55 wins since 2009 are second-most in the NFL and the Saints have been to the post-season in four of the past five seasons. The offence, meanwhile, has finished No. 1 four times since 2006 and in the top five seven times. The Saints explosive offence really stood out to Byrd, who has 33 forced turnovers -- including 22 interceptions -- since entering the NFL five seasons ago. "If youre a guy on defence and you know a team is able to get leads on people, . that bodes well for guys like me who want to get turnovers and create turnovers because it makes another team one dimensional," Byrd said. "Thats a really big factor and what allowed me to weigh all my options and think about what the best situation was for myself." Hell get a chance now to play beside Kenny Vaccaro, the Saints first-round pick in 2013 whose hard-hitting style made an immediate impact in the defensive backfield. Vaccaro started 14 games as a rookie and finished with a sack, an interception and a forced fumble to go with 62 tackles. "Im really looking forward to seeing what he does really well," Byrd said. "And when he played against us, I know he made a lot of plays." Byrd saw firsthand just what hes about to join when the Bills, who drafted him in the second-round in 2009, lost in New Orleans 35-17 on Oct. 27. That day, the Saints finished with 386 total yards of offence and went 3-for-5 in the red zone. New Orleans defence, meanwhile, allowed only 299 total yards and just 5 of 13 on third downs. The Saints finished with one interception and had two fumble recoveries on four forced fumbles. It didnt hurt that the Superdome boasted its usual loud, energetic atmosphere. "Playing here last year, I saw how the atmosphere was," Byrd said. "It was electric. Theyre really behind their team. The Dome was rocking when I was here. They feed off that, and I think thats really big." Custom Tampa Bay Lightning Jerseys . -- Jonas Hiller is cautiously confident he has kicked his vertigo. Nikita Kucherov Jersey .com) - Whew! North Dakota States reign as the three-time FCS national champion was pushed to the limit by South Dakota State on Saturday, but freshman R. http://www.lightninghockeystore.us/Tyler-Johnson-Jersey/ .Cameron sustained his third concussion in three seasons last week on a hit by Oakland safety Brandion Ross, who was fined $22,050 by the NFL for the helmet-to-helmet blow. Cedric Paquette Jersey . Asdrubal Cabrera had four hits and three RBIs, Michael Brantley also homered and the Indians beat the injury-riddled Minnesota Twins 9-4 Thursday for their first three-game winning streak this season. Steven Stamkos Lightning Jersey .FIFA said its appeals panel ruled the case not admissible.The former U.S. Attorney had objected to ethics judge Joachim Eckerts summary of the World Cup bid investigation, claiming numerous materially incomplete and erroneous representations of his work.WASHINGTON -- Ten former National Hockey League players, including all-star forward Gary Leeman, claimed in a class-action lawsuit that the league hasnt done enough to protect players from concussions. The lawsuit seeks damages and court-approved, NHL-sponsored medical monitoring for the players brain trauma and/or injuries, which they blame on their NHL careers. It was filed in federal court in Washington on behalf of players who retired on or before February 14 of this year and have suffered such injuries. The suit comes just three months after the National Football League agreed to pay US$765 million to settle lawsuits from thousands of former players who developed dementia or other concussion-related health problems -- and in an era when more attention is being paid to the damages of head injuries sustained in sports. Among other things, the suit claims that: -- The NHL knew or should have known about scientific evidence that players who sustain repeated head injuries are at greater risk for illnesses and disabilities both during their hockey careers and later in life. -- Even after the NHL created a concussion program to study brain injuries affecting NHL players in 1997, the league took no action to reduce the number and severity of concussions during a study period from 1997 to 2004. "Plaintiffs relied on the NHLs silence to their detriment," the suit says. -- The league didnt do anything to protect players from unnecessary harm until 2010, when it made it a penalty to target a players head. "The NHLs active and purposeful concealment of the severe risks of brain injuries exposed players to unnecessary dangers they could have avoided had the NHL provided them with truthful and accurate information and taken appropriate action to prevent needless harm," the lawsuit says. Bill Daly, the leagues deputy commissioner, issued a statement Monday. "We are aware of the class-action lawsuit filed today in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia on behalf of a group of former NHL players. While the subject matter is very serious, we are completely satisfied with the responsible manner in which the league and the players association have managed player safety over time, including with respect to head injuries and concussions," the statement said. "We intend to defend the case vigorously and have no further commment at this time.dddddddddddd." The NHL didnt respond to APs requests for comment, but earlier this year, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman told The Canadian Press the league had "taken tremendous strides and put a great deal of effort and time and money into dealing with the issue of player safety, in general, and concussions, specifically. "We were the first sports league in 97 to have a joint working group to study concussions with the Players Association and our trainers and our physicians. We were the first sports league to do baseline testing, we were the first sports league to have protocols for diagnosis and return-to-play decisions. "This is something that we have always treated as important and will continue to treat as important," he added. The suit argues that the league continues to contribute to injuries today, by refusing to ban fighting and body-checking, and by employing "enforcers" whose main job is to fight or violently body-check opponents. And the lawsuit accuses the league of promoting a "culture of violence," in which players are praised for their fighting and "head-hunting" skills. Leeman, who played for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Calgary Flames, Montreal Canadians, Vancouver Canucks and St. Louis Blues from 1983-1996, suffered multiple concussions and sub-concussive impacts during his career, according to the lawsuit. Since his retirement, hes suffered from post-traumatic head syndrome, headaches, memory loss and dizziness, the lawsuit says. In addition to Leeman, the other ex-players on the lawsuit are: Bradley Aitken (Pittsburgh Penguins, Edmonton Oilers); Darren Banks (Boston Bruins); Curt Bennett (Blues, New York Rangers and Atlanta Flames); Richard Dunn (Buffalo Sabres and Calgary Flames); Warren Holmes, (Los Angeles Kings); Robert Manno, (Canucks, Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings); Blair James Stewart (Red Wings, Washington Capitals and Quebec Nordiques); Morris Titanic, (Sabres); and Rick Vaive (Canucks, Maple Leafs, Sabres, and Chicago Blackhawks). In a statement, Vaive said players "were kept in the dark about the risks of concussions and many of the former NHL players are now suffering from debilitating head injuries from their time in the league. Hopefully this lawsuit will shine a light on the problem and the players will get the help they deserve." ' ' '