but I like the direction were headed. | Forum

LOUDON, N. Peyton Manning Jersey .H. -- He was one of NASCARs first superstars, but Fred Lorenzens memories of his Hall of Fame career have dimmed as he battles dementia. His Daytona 500 victory, the wins he piled up to become NASCARs first $100,000 driver, his life on the road, all have been largely extinguished.Lorenzen still has flickering moments when he remembers his days as NASCARs Golden Boy -- called that for his rugged, movie-star looks. Like in recent years, when he visits Chicago Speedway, not far from his assisted living facility.His face just lights up when hes there, said his daughter, Amanda Lorenzen Gardstrom.Nearly 45 years after his last Cup race, Lorenzen hoped he could still make his mark on the NASCAR community. Inspired by Dale Earnhardt Jr.s decision to pledge his brain to the Concussion Legacy Foundation, Lorenzen became the second known driver to make the same decision.Gardstrom made it official Friday with a pledge to Legacy co-founder Chris Nowinski. As auto racing grapples with the issue of concussions and head trauma, one of NASCARs pioneers is now alongside Earnhardt in the donation queue.As a family, we decided we wanted to support Dale Junior and all work together toward a healthy future for these drivers, she told The Associated Press.Earnhardts concussion history -- he missed two races in 2012 -- spurred his decision to pledge his brain to the Legacy, a group that works with Boston University on research into chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, a degenerative disease that doctors believe is caused by repeated blows to the head.Gardstrom is convinced the 81-year-old Lorenzen has CTE as a result of years of brutal wrecks and hits in the 1960s, one of the most dangerous eras in racing history. Lorenzen won the Daytona 500 in 1965.He never stopped to heal, she said.She wants to help, and knows her father does, too, and to advance the understanding of concussions and their treatment in NASCAR.Its the younger generation that we really need to educate, she said. Theyre young, theyre hungry, but when they get in a wreck and get a concussion, they know if they dont get back in the car, someone else is going to take it. We want to change the culture of the sport.Earnhardt has become the face of concussion awareness in sports and will skip Sundays Sprint Cup race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway because of concussion symptoms. There is no timetable for when NASCARs most popular driver might return.The 41-year-old Earnhardt had already intended to be an organ donor, so he said in April that giving up his brain made sense. Earnhardt said he was motivated by reading about three former Oakland Raiders who donated their brains in honor of teammate Ken Stabler, who died in 2015. The quarterbacks brain showed signs of CTE.I think the protocols and the advances that we have made in trying to protect ourselves are great things, Earnhardt said at his pledge announcement. Im excited about what NASCAR has done. They have really taken this head-on.Gardstrom felt the same sense of motivation when she read about Earnhardts pledge. She said Lorenzen, inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2015, first showed signs of dementia about a decade ago. He has memory loss and uses a wheelchair at Oak Brook Healthcare in Illinois.The Elmhurst, Illinois, native was one of NASCARs first stars to hail from outside the sports Southern roots.The hardest part right now is that his racing memories are starting to go, Gardstrom said. That was the one thing that was really wonderful, to connect and see him light up when he talked about racing.Shed like to see others in the sport talk more about concussions.That hasnt necessarily been a hot topic of conversation in any of our meetings, Sprint Cup champion Kyle Busch said.Six-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson was part of a 54-member panel that picked Lorenzen for induction into the hall. Johnson has yet to consider donating his brain to the Legacy.I am an organ donor so it wouldnt bother me to do that, but its something Ive not taken steps in and have not discussed at all, he said.In the 15 years since the death of Dale Earnhardt Sr. at the 2001 Daytona 500, NASCAR has introduced a series of measures designed to keep drivers safe, from helmet and restraint systems to impact-absorbing barriers along concrete walls, all designed to cushion high-impact blows.NASCAR also mandated in 2013 that drivers submit to baseline neurocognitive assessment. When a driver in NASCAR cant return his damaged car to the garage, a trip to the care center is required. Under a new three-step process, a driver showing any indication of a head injury must go immediately to a hospital. Concussed drivers must be cleared by an independent neurologist or neurosurgeon before they can get back in a race car.Gardstrom wants NASCAR to take even more steps.We dont have to wait until more drivers brains are studied to make a better concussion protocol, she said.Former athletes in other sports have sued their leagues, contending that the risks of concussions were hidden from them so they could return to competition. Gardstrom has no interest in a lawsuit.No money is going to bring my dad back, but what my goal now is, is to make sure the NASCAR family doesnt have to go through the similar things were going through now, she said.Lorenzen hasnt been forgotten by todays racing stars -- they appreciate a driver who won 26 times in the Cup series. Tony Stewart introduced Lorenzen at his hall induction. Jeff Gordon leaned in for a chat with Fearless Freddie last year at Chicagoland before the race.He was such a humble guy, that I dont think he ever realized what an impact he had on the sport, Gardstrom said. Max Garcia Jersey . 10 Texas A&Ms offence dominated as usual against SMU. Cheap Football Broncos Jerseys . Denis Coderre, the former federal MP who was elected mayor on Nov. 3, has drawn the ire of some Montreal Canadiens. During last nights game he tweeted: "Hello? Can we get a one-way ticket to (minor-league) Hamilton for David Desharnais please. http:///...y-turner-jersey-sale . Anthony Davis had 31 points and 17 rebounds in his seventh straight game with more than 20 points, but that was only enough to keep the Pelicans competitive into the final minutes. Andrew Bogut had 10 points and 15 rebounds for Golden State, which rebounded from a loss a night earlier in Oklahoma City and snapped a two-game skid. SALT LAKE CITY -- Utah has three players that hail from the state of Michigan and the trio made all the difference against UC Riverside.We just have a little grit to ourselves and we always try and play hard. We get after it, Kyle Kuzma (Flint, Michigan) said.Lorenzo Bonam (Inkster, Michigan) scored a career-high 21 points and Kuzma added 18 to help Utah run past the Highlanders 85-67 on Friday night.Even freshman wing Devon Daniels (Battle Creek, Michigan) got into the act with 14 points and 11 rebounds and sneaked a dig on Kuzma during the post-game press conference.Yep, me and `Zo are pretty tough but I dont know about Koozy, Daniels said with a laugh.Freshman center Jayce Johnson scored 12 points and grabbed nine rebounds for the Utes, who had a 32-point advantage in points scored in the paint.Chance Murray had 17 points and backcourt mate Dikymbe Martin added 15 for the Highlanders (1-3), who were tied with the Utes at 21 midway through the first half. The Highlanders converted 10 of their 21 3-point attempts.Our guards played incredible but Utahs length just really bothered us at the rim, UCR coach Dennis Cutts said.JoJo Zamora hit a 3-pointer to start an 11-0 run that ended shortly before halftime -- the Highlanders struggled to find the lanes that had been available earlier in the game while the Utes started following any misses with putbacks.We just got stops, that was the biggest thing, Kuzma said. Because then we can run and score in transition. That was our mindset for the rest of the game.Utah (4-0) used a 10-0 run that bridged the halves to extend its advantage to 54-34 and coasted from there. To cap the surge, Daniels took a pass from Parker Van Dyke and made a layup with 17:08 to play.Thats how I play. I just attack my opponent . I go hard tto the rim, Daniels said. Terrell Davis Jersey. hough the Highlanders couldnt get closer than 15 points down the stretch, they kept Utahs starters in the game until the final minutes, much longer than they played previously this season.BIG PICTUREUC Riverside: Before the game, Cutts said he hopes these tough early games pay dividends in Big West Conference play, where the Highlanders are picked to finish seventh. Despite the lopsided results, he said his players are a confident bunch and are learning game by game.Utah: After the Utes won their first three games by an average of 43 points, the Highlanders provided more resistance and presented a bit more size. With just two returners with significant experience -- Kuzma and Bonam -- the Utes scheduled to avoid any heavyweights before facing Butler next Monday. Thats when Utah will test just how well its young team has gelled.STAT OF THE NIGHTThe Utes dominated the rebounding tally 49-32, including 17 offensive boards. Bonam had a career-best 10 rebounds.REFERENCE POINTTwo years ago, the Highlanders lost to Utah 88-42. We use this game as a reference point of how hard to play and how to play the right way. Well refer to this all year long, Cutts said.Murray added, We came with the right mindset and we played hard. Wed like to have played a bit better but I like the direction were headed.UP NEXTUC Riverside continues its road-heavy start to the season with a trip to UCLA on Wednesday.Utah will host Butler on Monday, essentially the Utes first formidable opponent of the season. The Bulldogs have won their first six games, including a 69-65 win over No. 8 Arizona on a neutral court Friday night. Cheap Soccer Jerseys Authentic Wholesale Hockey Jerseys Nike NFL Jerseys China Cheap Nike MLB Jerseys China Wholesale Baseball Jerseys China Wholesale College Jerseys Cheap Jerseys From China Wholesale Jerseys Near Me Cheap Jerseys Online Cheap NFL Jerseys Authentic Cheap Nike NFL Jerseys Authentic Cheap Soccer Jerseys China Cheap NCAA Jerseys Authentic Cheap Nike NBA Jerseys Cheap NHL Jerseys Authentic MLB Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys From China Cheap NFL Throwback Jerseys Cheap Nike NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China ' ' '