Hillary Clinton aide sought concussion advice from NFL after her fall: Report

The latest batch of email messages from Hillary Clinton on Monday show how a Clinton communications staffer asked the National Football League for help in hope of deflecting criticism from right-wing commentators after the former secretary of state suffered a concussion when she fainted and hit her head in late 2012.

One of Clinton's closest aides was called to put together an unusual group of allies to help manage the messaging fallout from her all-too-convenient “Benghazi flu” — including NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and former Republican Senate Leader Bill Frist, reported The Daily Beast.

Clinton's chief communications guru, Phillipe Reines contacted the NFL for help in alerting the press on the dangers of surrounding her December 2012 concussion. Buried among the hundreds of emails was an exchange about the injury on Christmas Eve that year, as she prepared to hand over the reins to John Kerry:

"Having a cracked head is no fun at all," Clinton emailed Reines.

"Speaking of your cracked head," he replied, "I reached out to both the Nfl commish (I remembered that his dad held your Senate seat) and Bill Frist. Frist responded wonderfully and is ready to help."

After Clinton assured Reines that she was "ok in the doctor department for now," he made his intentions clear.

"Sorry, didn't mean medically. Wouldn't ever do that," Reines wrote. "I meant I enlisted their help in my ongoing efforts to undermine the John Boltons and Laura Ingraham's of the world who are belittling your health." 

Clinton responded five minutes later: "That makes a lot of sense. As always, thanks for defending me, my friend."

Frist, a former Tennessee senator who served as U.S. Senate Majority Leader until 2007, is a Clinton-friendly Republican and a medical doctor.

The NFL, under Goodell, had been enduring years of public-relations setbacks as former players have died early or revealed traumatic brain injuries that they have said were a result of playing the sport of football.

Bolton, Ingraham and other commentators were quick to criticize Clinton as her concussion forced what conservatives saw as a too-convenient postponement of her first congressional testimony about the Benghazi attacks three months earlier.

Ingraham in particular suggested she was faking her injury in order to avoid an intense grilling on Capitol Hill.

Bill Clinton later said that it “required six months of very serious work” for his wife to get over the concussion.

Doctors had found a blood clot in her right transverse venous sinus related to her concussion, but ultimately determined that the clot caused no neurological injury. “No lingering effects,” Clinton told Diane Sawyer in 2014, when asked about her experience.

Monday's batch of released emails consumed more than 7,800 pages, mostly from 2012 and 2013. In all, 328 of the emails were deemed "classified," including one marked "secret."

That brings to 999 the total number of now-classified emails that once resided on Hillary's unsecured server at her upstate New York home.

Bill Belichick's playbook has more security.

U.S. Soccer to ban heading the ball during games for all players under 13

In an effort to curb the increase of concussions in youth soccer, the United States Soccer Federation unveiled a series of safety initiatives Monday aimed at addressing head injuries in the sport — including a policy that sets strict limits on youth players heading the ball.

The new guidelines, which resolve a proposed class-action lawsuit filed against U.S. Soccer and others last year, will prohibit players age 10 and younger from heading the ball and will reduce its use in practice for those from age 11 to 13.

Youngsters will now be prohibited from using their heads to block crosses or even score the occasional goal — key components of soccer.

According to officials, heading the ball should not be allowed for any U.S. player aged under ten, and should be limited to practice sessions only for those aged 11 to 13 due to the concussion fears.

At the moment, the rules will only be mandatory for U.S. Soccer's Youth National Teams and its Development Academy, including MLS youth teams.

While those players only make up a fraction of the total number of people playing the sport, they are perhaps the most important in terms of furthering the game on a national and international level.

U.S. Soccer admits that it doesn't have the authority to force all clubs to play by the rules, though authorities say they will be putting pressure on everyone to follow their advice.

"Although they are only recommendations, they are based on the advice of the U.S. Soccer medical committee, and therefore U.S. Soccer strongly urges that they be followed," said a spokesperson.

The ruling comes after a class action lawsuit filed in California last year, bringing claims against U.S. Soccer and its associated bodies, as well as FIFA, the international governing body.

While a judge ruled that a claim in the U.S. had no authority over FIFA, the case against U.S. Soccer, as well as U.S. Youth Soccer, the American Youth Soccer Organization, U.S. Club Soccer and the California Youth Soccer Association, was allowed to proceed.

The claimants sought no financial payments, simply rule changes that brought a greater focus to the issue of head injuries within the game.

That case was settled on Monday, the same day U.S. Soccer announced these new initiatives. 

What is not clear, however, is exactly how these rules will be enforced and what punishment a player on the field can expect if they decide to head the ball during a game.

There is also concern that leaving out such a major facet of the game, especially for players in national development academies, will hurt U.S. Soccer's international reputation and advancement.

Among other rule changes are allowances for a player to be substituted for a concussion check without that change counted against a team's total.

Currently, at senior level, teams are allowed a total of three substitutions per game, including those made for injuries.

Odell Beckham Jr. might have finished game with a concussion (VIDEO)

The NFL could have another concussion controversy on its hands this week.

New York Giants star Odell Beckham Jr. was able to stay in Sunday night’s game against the Dallas Cowboys despite taking a huge hit in the first quarter that appeared to leave him dazed.

Beckham was leveled by Cowboys safety J.J. Wilcox on Eli Manning's throw over the middle with 2:42 left in the first quarter of the Giants’ 27-26 loss.

And although it wasn't considered a helmet-to-helmet hit, it sure sounded like it.

The catch was ruled incomplete after Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett challenged the call and lost after the review showed Beckham never had possession with the football. Beckham went straight to the bench and appeared to be shaken up, but came straight back into the game after being looked at by the Giants trainers and doctors.

But Beckham tried to wave off their attempt to make him undergo the NFL’s mandatory concussion protocol and they cleared him in surprisingly quick fashion, not even making Beckham go in the locker room for a more in-depth look.

The replay, which took several minutes, allowed Beckham additional time to gather himself and return to the game.

The wide receiver, who did not speak with reporters following the game, was limited to five catches and only 44 yards — his lowest yardage total since last Oct. 19.

Noted neurosurgeon says football is safer than riding a bike: Report

A renowned Pittsburgh Steelers neurosurgeon who advises the NFL on head, neck and spine injuries told the NFL Network on Wednesday that football "has never been safer" and that youth football is safer than riding a bike or a scooter or using playground equipment. He also downplayed the risk of CTE, or chronic traumatic encephalopathy, based on current data.

"I think the problem of CTE, although real, is it's being over-exaggerated and being extrapolated to youth football and to high school football," Dr. Joseph Maroon said. He added that CTE is a "rare phenomena."

"We came up with 63 total cases of CTE (in former NFL players) and in the last two years a few more," he said of research on the disease, a progressive degenerative brain disease related to head trauma. "But there have been 30-40 million kids who have played football during that period of time . . . Can we improve? Yes. We have to do better all the time to make it safer."

The interview was, in part, a reaction to news earlier in the week that 49ers linebacker Chris Borland is retiring. Borland told ESPN that he was leaving the game after one season and at age 24 to protect himself from the risk of future brain injuries.

"When an athlete is fearful of any injury, it's time to get out," Maroon said. "You can't play with apprehension in any sport and be as good as you can be. He obviously came to that conclusion himself . . . However, I really believe it's never been safer in terms of the sport."

Later in the day, while appearing on PFT Live, Jeff Miller, the league's senior vice president of health and safety policy, said Maroon's opinions "deserve respect" but are not NFL policy.

OSU football player who shot himself showed ‘no evidence of chronic brain damage’: Report

The Ohio State football player who killed himself last season was found by a neuropathologist to have suffered from concussions but did not show evidence of chronic brain damage, according to a report released on Friday.

Kosta Karageorge, a top-rated wrestler and a walk-on football player, was found dead in a dumpster from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound in Columbus, Ohio on November 30, four days after he was reported missing.

Coroner Dr. Anahi Ortiz waited for neuropathology reports about Karageorge's brain before reaffirming in a final report issued on Friday that he died from a gunshot to the head.

Neuropathologist Dr Norman Lehman from Ohio State University said there was evidence of prior concussive injury, according to The Columbus Dispatch.

However, the 22-year-old Karageorge was not found to have chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a condition which results from continuous head trauma. CTE can only be diagnosed after death and symptoms include depression, confusion and anger issues, according to Cleveland.com.

In January, Ortiz had ruled the athlete's death a suicide.

Investigators concluded that Karageorge and his girlfriend broke up around the time he disappeared on November 26. The senior defensive tackle was last been seen at his apartment in Columbus, when his roommates said he left to go on a walk.

Texts Karageorge later sent to his mother said concussions were affecting his mind and he hoped he was not an "embarrassment."

She told police she received a text from her son around 1.30am on that said: "I am sorry if I am an embarrassment but these concussions have my head all f***ed up."

Karageorge's mother told police he had had several concussions and a few spells of extreme confusion.

His body was discovered not far from his campus-area apartment by a woman and her son apparently were looking for items in the dumpster when they found the body. 

Dr. Tom McAllister, chairman of psychiatry at Indiana University, who has studied concussions in college athletes, said that brain injuries seem to increase the likelihood of depression.

If the person had depression or an anxiety disorder in the past, 'it often is the case that the concussion seems to exacerbate it,' he said. "These injuries don't occur in a vacuum. People bring their own past history...into the injury."

Jovan Belcher’s mother files wrongful death lawsuit against Kansas City Chiefs: Report

The mother of former Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against the team Tuesday after exhuming his body so that his brain could be examined for evidence of a degenerative condition linked to repeated concussions.

The lawsuit, filed on behalf of Cheryl Shepherd in Jackson County (Mo.) circuit court, alleges Belcher was subjected to "repetitive head trauma," and that the Chiefs failed to provide adequate medical treatment before Belcher tragically killed his girlfriend and then committed suicide last December.

Shepherd is seeking a jury trial and judgment "in excess of $15,000 for actual damages, punitive damages, and/or aggravating circumstances, for the cost of this action, and for such relief as the court deems fair and reasonable."

Belcher's body was exhumed at a cemetery in Bay Shore, Long Island at his family's request earlier this month so that his brain could be studied for chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a degenerative neurological condition. CTE has been linked to multiple concussions and includes symptoms such as memory problems, behavioral changes and eventually dementia.

CTE has made headlines in recent years with the deaths of some former professional athletes, including former Chargers linebacker Junior Seau and former Bears safety Dave Duerson.

Shepherd's lawsuit claims the Chiefs failed to warn her son of the short-term and long-term risks of concussions; failed to identify and remove Belcher from practice or games after sustaining head trauma; failed to educate Belcher about concussions; failed to monitor or treat Belcher for neurological dysfunction; and failed to provide appropriate counseling.

On Dec. 1, 2012, Belcher shot to death his girlfriend, Kasandra Perkins, while Shepherd was caring for his infant daughter in a nearby room. Belcher then sped from the residence to the Chiefs training facility, where he shot himself in the head as team personnel tried to stop him.

A spokesman for the Chiefs told The Associated Press on Tuesday night that the team was aware of the lawsuit. He could not comment further because of the pending litigation.

Tom Brady: Wes Welker will 'definitely' play Sunday

If things go according to Wes Welker's plans, he will suit up for his new team, the Broncos, and head into Gillette Stadium to take on his old team, the Patriots this Sunday. That's if that a pesky concussion doesn't get in the way.

Patriots quarterback Tom Brady — putting Monday's loss to the Panthers behind him — and speaking on WEEI's Dennis and Callahan Show, said he's not worried about Welker missing the game and thinks he'll "definitely" be on the field.

"I've been around [Welker] long enough to know what he's all about," Brady said Wednesday. "He loves playing football, and if there's a chance for him to play, especially coming back here, he's definitely going to be out there. I've got no question about that."

The quarterback hasn't actually spoken to his old friend, however. He just believes that this is the sort of game that Welker wouldn't miss.

"No, no he didn't do that," Brady said. "But it would take an awful lot for him to miss the game."

Welker has to clear all the NFL concussion protocols before he can consider even suiting up. But this a game he's had marked on his calendar ever since he left New England under less than amicable circumstances.

Revenge aside, there's also the matter of Peyton Manning needing Welker. Demaryius Thomas and Eric Decker present a formidable matchup for teams to cover, but it's Welker who is the spark plug on this offense, generating an almost stealth-like presence that teams are forced to defend, drawing coverages away from the receivers on the outside.

NY politician pushes to ban peewee football throughout state

The discussions over the increasing number of football head injuries are sprouting up everywhere from Pop Warner fields, high school gyms, the NFL Commissioner's office and all the way up the the White House.

Suggestions on how to stem the tide of serious, long-lasting health concerns have included everything from upgrading equipment, limiting what constitutes a legal tackle and/or fining and suspending players for flagrant hits.

Now one New York politician wants to take it one step further and has quietly introduced legislation to prohibit children younger than 11 from playing organized tackle football anywhere in the state, according to The New York Daily News.

"I want to protect the children," said Bronx Assemblyman Michael Benedetto. "I want them to get an appreciation of the game but I also don't want them to come out of this wonderful sport in a damaged condition."

Benedetto's push to ban the sport for children is the first such proposal in the nation.

President Obama recently publicized the debate over kids playing football when he said he would think twice about allowing a son, if he had one, to play football.

And a newly-released book by Dr. Robert Cantu, a Boston neurosurgeon, urged kids under 14 to avoid the sport altogether.

Benedetto agrees with the doctor's assertion that big hits on little children could be hazardous to their health in the future.

"I think the evidence is now out there that kind of warrants another look at youth activities," he said Friday.

Youth football officials have debunked Benedetto's bill as an overreaction to a few high-profile incidents involving college and pro players.

"This is absolutely the first we have heard of any state doing something like this," said John Button, executive director of Pop Warner Football. "Frankly, it is disturbing."

More than 250,000 children — some as young as 5 — play tackle football in Pop Warner leagues across the country.

Benedetto said it's too early to tell whether the bill will pass the Assembly this session and is still looking for a sponsor to take it to the State Senate.

State Sen. Martin Golden gave the proposal little chance of success in the conservative Senate.

"Somebody always wants to regulate something," he said. "And regulating 6 and 7-year-olds playing football is not the place to do it."

Still. Where's there's smoke, there's fire — especially with the blades of the helicopter-parent society of today fanning the flames.

Drew Brees gets behind the wheel of a New York City yellow cab

Drew Brees got behind the wheel of a New York City taxi cab and picked up unsuspecting passengers around Manhattan to help raise awareness about head-related injuries.

In a video titled "Who Dat Cabbie" posted on YouTube, the New Orleans Saints quarterback drives your typical yellow cab adorned with a gold number nine (his jersey number) hanging from the mirror, a Drew Brees bobblehead on the dash and a hack license on the bulletproof partition (Hey, it's still New York) with the driver ID number 5,476 (the NFL single-season yardage record he holds).  The expiration date on the license reads 'never.'

Six different passengers get into the cab and at first, fail to recognize the Super Bowl MVP.  As Brees cruises around the streets of Manhattan, pedestrians spot him and yell things at the familiar-looking cabbie like "Who dat?" and "Hey, it's Drew Brees" before each of the surprised fares catch on.



One female passenger asks Brees, "Why are you driving a cab?"  To which he replies," Just for fun, it gives me something to do, keeps my reaction time quick."

Brees teamed up with Dick's Sporting Goods to inform people of the dangers of concussions in sports.

During the ride, the six-time Pro-Bowler quizzes the passengers about sports injuries while getting the questions from his armband like he does in the huddle.

All the passengers got prizes at the end of the ride and— more important to Brees— an education on the seriousness of head trauma.

For tourists, the sight of Drew Brees as a hack is a shock, but real New Yorkers were probably more shocked that they actually got a cab that didn't smell or a driver that wasn't yakking on his phone.