TUESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2013 SPORTS 9 former Chiefs players Photo of the day join brain injury lawsuit

KANSAS CITY: Hall of Famers Albert Lewis and Art Still are health problems they say were caused by football. The settle- among nine former Kansas City Chiefs players who have joined ment, subject to approval by a federal judge in Philadelphia, a lawsuit that contends the team hid the risks of permanent would apply to all past NFL players and spouses of those who brain injuries from repeated concussions. are deceased. The concussions happened between late 1987 and early McClain called the national settlement - which does not 1993 when there was no NFL collective bargaining agreement include an admission from the NFL that it hid information from in place. Five former players filed the initial suit against the players about head injuries - insignificant and said it provides Chiefs this month, saying the team ignored decades of scientific compensation only to the former players with the most severe research indicating repeated head trauma causes permanent brain injuries. Rather than protecting players who sustained brain damage. In the amended suit filed Saturday in Jackson concussions, the lawsuit said, the Chiefs increased their risks by County Circuit Court, the plaintiffs said Arrowhead Stadium’s giving them “ammonia inhalants, caffeine cocktails and/or artificial surface contributed to the head injuries. Toradol to abbreviate the need for concussed employees to Also joining the lawsuit were Dino Hackett, Todd McNair, miss working time due to a brain injury.” Toradol is an injectable, Fred Jones, Tim Barnett, Walker Lee Ashley, Emile Harry and anti-inflammatory drug used short term to treat moderate to Chris Smith, along with the wives of several of them. Ken severe pain. McClain, a lawyer whose firm is representing the plaintiffs, said Players were even more prone to head injuries because of at least 10 more former Chiefs could join the suit by before the the concrete-like AstroTurf surface that was in place until 1994, end of the year. “Certainly, Hall of Famers who contributed the lawsuit said. That surface made the players faster and was greatly to building the franchise add to the urgency for the cheaper than maintaining a grass field, the plaintiffs said. team to find a just resolution, rather than try to ignore it or act Because of the heightened violence of high-speed hits, the suit like they had nothing to do with it,” McClain said. says, the game became more attractive to fans and increased Chiefs spokesman Ted Crews said the team had no com- the team’s revenue. Missouri presented a “unique opportunity” ment. In recent years, a string of former NFL players and other to file the lawsuit because a state workers’ compensation athletes who suffered concussions have been diagnosed after statute was amended in 2005 to exclude cases of occupational their deaths with chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, injury that occur over an extended time. That exception more including Junior Seau and Ray Easterling, both of whom com- commonly applies in workplaces where smoking is allowed Marc Marquez (ESP/ Honda) races at Moto Grand Prix 2013 at Twin Ring Motegi in Motegi, on mitted suicide. In August, the NFL reached a tentative $765 mil- and workers suffer lung problems because of it. McClain also lion deal to settle lawsuits filed by more than 4,500 former play- represented workers at a Jasper popcorn plant who were October 27th, 2013 —www.redbullcontentpool.com ers who developed dementia or other concussion-related awarded millions of dollars in lawsuits. —AP LA Clippers beat Timberwolves 120-116

LOS ANGELES: The situation looked bleak at best for the coach Doc Rivers’ Clippers - down by four points with 18 seconds left in the fourth quarter. Then a couple of defensive stops, a huge turnover by Minnesota’s Kevin Martin, and two clutch baskets by Jamal Crawford forced overtime. That’s where Jared Dudley and Chris Paul took over. Dudley made a go-ahead 3-pointer with 38 seconds remaining in OT and Paul added five free throws in the final 19 seconds, leading Los Angeles to a 120-116 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday night. “The biggest thing we learned as a team from Doc is, even in practice, he talks about ‘The game is not over,” Paul said. “When we got down three or four there with seconds left, we could’ve said we lost this one. But we fought hard.” Blake Griffin had 32 points and 10 rebounds and was 10 for 11 from the free throw line before fouling out with 4:08 left in OT. The defending Pacific Division champions extended their winning streak to a season-best five games while beating the Timberwolves for the eighth straight time, their longest current streak against any opponent. Jamal Crawford had 22 points for Los Angeles, 7-4 since losing starting for- ward J.J. Redick with a broken right hand and a torn ligament in his wrist but 5-0 since Crawford was : Japanese figure skater performs during the women’s moved into the starting lineup. Paul finished with 19 of Japan’s national championships in Saitama, suburban Tokyo yes- points and 13 assists. LOS ANGELES: Los Angeles Clippers forward Matt Barnes (22) drives to the basket past terday. Murakami finished the women’s singles, while won the cham- Kevin Love had a season-high 45 points and tied Minnesota Timberwolves forward Corey Brewer, right, defending in the first half of an NBA pionships. — AFP a season best with 19 rebounds for the basketball game in Los Angeles on Sunday. — AP Timberwolves, back at Staples Center after their 104-91 loss to the Lakers on Friday night. It was GP Final champ Hanyu Minnesota’s first overtime game since beating Orlando at home on opening night. NBA results/standings “We just blew it. Blew the game. I don’t know books berth how else to say it. We blew the game,” Love said. Indiana 106, Boston 79; Toronto 104, Oklahoma City 98; LA Clippers 120, Minnesota 116 (OT). Nikola Pekovic had a career-high 34 points and TOKYO: Grand Prix Final champion ’s Kim Yu-Na at the Vancouver 14 boards. Martin scored 16 points after averaging Eastern Conference Western Conference 29 in the Timberwolves’ other two meetings against Atlantic Division Northwest Division recovered from an early Olympics, botched her trademark triple the Clippers - also narrow losses. Point guard Ricky W L PCT GB Portland 23 5 .821 - tumble to win the men’s title at the axel attempt twice in the free skate to fin- Rubio played 38 scoreless minutes with 12 assists. Toronto 11 14 .440 - Oklahoma City 22 5 .815 0.5 Japanese national champi- ish third overall behind Akiko Suzuki and “It was a tough loss for a lot of reasons. That’s all I Boston 12 17 .414 1 Denver 14 12 .538 8 onships, booking a spot at the Winter Kanako Murakami at the Super Arena in have to say,” coach Rick Adelman said. “I don’t want Brooklyn 9 17 .346 2.5 Minnesota 13 15 .464 10 Olympics in Sochi. With a 9.88-point lead Saitama, north of Tokyo. to say anything. I don’t want to get fined.” “We need NY Knicks 8 18 .308 3.5 after the short programme, Hanyu fell on The Japan Skating Federation decided to know how to win and play hard all the way to the Utah 8 22 .267 16 Philadelphia 8 20 .286 4.5 Pacific Division his opening quadruple salchow but later Monday to give the trio the three end,” Pekovic said. “Winning is a habit, like every- Central Division thing else. We still need to get over the hump to LA Clippers 20 9 .690 - nailed his next element, a quadruple toe berths alloted to Japanese women in the Indiana 22 5 .815 - learn how to close out these games.” Phoenix 16 10 .615 2.5 loop, as he skated to “Romeo and Juliet” Sochi figure skating competition. Detroit 13 16 .448 10 Matt Barnes, in his second game back following Golden State 15 13 .536 4.5 by in Saitama yesterday. “I feel totally disappointed today,” said Chicago 10 16 .385 11.5 an eye injury, was ejected with 56 seconds left in LA Lakers 13 14 .481 6 The 19-year-old earned 194.70 points Asada, who will retire from competition the third quarter after committing a flagrant 2 foul Cleveland 10 16 .385 11.5 in the free programme for a total of after this Olympic season along with Kim, Milwaukee 6 21 .222 16 Sacramento 8 18 .308 10.5 against Love on a drive to the basket with the Southwest Division 297.80, better than three-time world a fellow 23-year-old. Clippers leading 77-75. Love sank both free throws, Southeast Division champion ’s world record of “I still have about one month to go. I then added a go-ahead 3-pointer when Minnesota Miami 20 6 .769 - San Antonio 21 6 .778 - 295.27 set last month at the Trophee Eric will work harder still to perform my best,” retained possession. Minnesota was leading 106- Atlanta 15 12 .556 5.5 Houston 18 10 .643 3.5 Bompard in Paris. said Asada, who won the Grand Prix Final 102 before the Clippers forced OT. Crawford made a Washington 12 13 .480 7.5 Dallas 15 12 .556 6 But Hanyu’s new mark will not be women’s title after sweeping two events: driving layup and a dunk after Paul forced Martin Charlotte 13 15 .464 8 New Orleans 11 14 .440 9 recognised by the International Skating and home event, the NHK into his critical turnover. Pekovic then missed an 11- Orlando 8 19 .296 12.5 Memphis 11 15 .423 9.5 Union as the national event is not sanc- Trophy. footer and a 20-footer in the final 2 seconds of regu- lation. Pekovic had a chance to redeem himself, but tioned by the world body. Takahashi, 27, who took the Olympic missed a 5-foot baseline hook shot and Paul canned double this season. up in Zionsville, an Indy suburb, and led nearby Hanyu beat Canadian Chan into sec- men’s bronze medal and the world title in two free throws at the other end to seal the victory. Avery Bradley scored 13 points for Boston. Butler to back-to-back national championship games ond spot at the Grand Prix Final this 2010, finished fifth overalll in the men’s “We just played so hard for something like that Courtney Lee and Jeff Green each had 11 in coach as the Bulldogs’ coach. But there was no magic for the month in the Japanese city of Fukuoka competition on Sunday but the federa- to go down,” Martin said. “But we’ll bounce back Brad Stevens’ return to his hometown. Stevens grew Celtics, who lost their third in a row. — Agencies with a world record short programme tion gave him one of the three tickets for from it.” Griffin powered the Clippers to a 56-54 half- score of 99.84 but on Saturday the univer- Japanese men. time lead with 20 points, offsetting 22 points by sity student bettered that with a whop- Men’s Grand Prix Final champion Love - the second straight game in which Love had ping 103.10. Yuzuru Hanyu, 19, retained his national at least 20 in the first half. , with two Grand Prix men’s title with Tatsuki Machida, who Referee Marc Davis made a questionable foul call against Griffin - his third of the game - as Love initi- wins under his belt this season, finished won two Grand Prix events this season, ated contact while trying a desperation, buzzer- second overall with 277.04 points and second and third. beating shot from at least 10 feet behind the mid- Takahiko Kozuka third with 264.81. The other two men’s tickets went to court line before intermission. Love made all three , 27, who won Olympic Hanyu and Machida, with Kozuka made a free throws. bronze and the world championship in reserve skater in the team bound for 2010, finished fifth. Sochi. Raptors 104, Thunder 98 Olympic silver medallist , Hanyu beat three-time world champi- Kyle Lowry scored 22 points, making a pair of who took the women’s title in Fukuoka, on Patrick Chan in the Grand Prix Final, clinching free throws with 9.8 seconds left, and the was in first place after Sunday’s women’s breaking the Canadian’s short pro- Toronto Raptors handed the Oklahoma City short programme with 73.01 points gramme world record, after finishing sec- Thunder their first home loss with a 104-98 victory on Sunday night. The Raptors outscored Oklahoma ahead of Akiko Suzuki (70.19) and Kanako ond behind him at Skate Canada and the City 6-0 in the final 1:25, all from the free throw line, Murakami (67.42). Trophee Eric Bompard in Paris. and ended the Thunder’s nine-game winning Japan’s figure skating team-three men According to criteria set in advance by streak. Oklahoma City had been 13-0 at home, the and three women-for February’s Sochi the federation, the men’s and women’s NBA’s longest unbeaten stretch to open a season Winter Olympics was due to be national champions are given automatic since the Cleveland Cavaliers won their first 23 announced later yesterday after the qualification to Sochi. home games during the 2007-08 season. Amir women’s free skate, with the men’s and The remaining places are worked out Johnson had 17 points and 13 assists for Toronto, women’s national champions earning on the basis of factors including Grand which won its fourth straight road game, its longest automatic qualification. The remaining Prix Final results, world rankings and per- such streak since March-April 2002. Oklahoma City lost for the first time since Dec. 4 at Portland. Russell places are worked out based on factors sonal best scores. Takahashi finished Westbrook scored 27 points and Kevin Durant including Grand Prix Final results and fourth in the season-opening Grand Prix, added 24 for Oklahoma City, which missed its final world rankings. Skate America, but won the NHK Trophy, four shots. Japan’s former world figure skating while Kozuka had no trophy to show this champions and Olympic medallists Mao season. Japan will also send Narumi Pacers 106, Celtics 79 Asada and Daisuke Takahashi booked Takahashi and Ryuichi Kihara to the pairs Paul George scored 24 points and Lance tickets to the Sochi Olympics Monday, event and Japanese American siblings Stephenson recorded his third triple-double of the despite their disappointing performances Cathy Reed and Chris Reed to the ice season, leading Indiana over Boston. Stephenson at the national championships over the dance in Sochi. The same line-up of had 12 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists as Indiana weekend. skaters will represent Japan at the world (22-5) won its second straight and maintained its grip on the Eastern Conference’s best record. He’s the INDIANAPOLIS: Boston Celtics’ Avery Bradley (0) goes to the basket against Indiana Pacers’ Asada, the 2008 and 2010 world championships to be held at the same only player in the league with more than one triple- women’s champion who was second to arena in March. —Agencies Danny Granger (33) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Sunday. — AP