CLEVELAND -- A state appeals court in Cleveland has ruled that the widow of a former Notre Dame football player can proceed with claims in a lawsuit that said her husband was disabled by and ultimately died from concussion-related head injuries suffered during his college career in the 1970s.Steve Schmitz was alive but suffering from dementia and early onset Alzheimers disease when he and his wife, Yvette, sued the NCAA and the university in Cuyahoga County in October 2014. The lawsuit alleged both institutions had shown reckless disregard for the safety of college football players and for their failure to educate and protect players from concussions.The lawsuit said the link between repeated blows to the head and brain-related injuries and illnesses had been known for decades, but it wasnt until 2010 that the NCAA required colleges to formulate concussion protocols to remove an athlete from a game or practice and be evaluated by doctors if there were signs of a concussion.Records show Schmitz, a standout at St. Edward High School in the Cleveland suburb of Lakewood, was a kick returner, running back and wide receiver for Notre Dame from 1974 to 1977.The lawsuit said Schmitz was diagnosed by the Cleveland Clinic in 2012 with a latent brain disease called chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, and suffered from severe memory loss, dementia and Alzheimers. Schmitz died in February 2015 at a hospice. He was 59.David Langfitt, one of Yvette Schmitzs attorneys, told The Associated Press on Tuesday theres no way to know many concussions Schmitz suffered at Notre Dame, but said it undoubtedly was many.We do know that CTE has only one cause and thats repetitive head impacts of any kind, Langfitt said.A Cuyahoga County judge dismissed all the lawsuits claims in September 2015. The 8th District Court of Appeals ruled last week that the judge erred in dismissing claims of negligence, fraud and loss of consortium against the NCAA and Notre Dame and a second fraud claim against Notre Dame.An attorney representing Notre Dame declined to comment when asked if an appeal was planned.Concussions and their effect on the brain have received considerable attention in recent years as researchers concluded there is a link between CTE and Lou Gehrigs disease, Parkinsons, Alzheimers and dementia. The NFL announced Monday that it would begin paying former players in the next few months from the leagues $1 billion settlement of a class-action lawsuit after the U.S. Supreme Court dismissed two pending challenges.A number of class-action lawsuits have been filed this year against the NCAA and universities by former players over the handling of concussions by schools during their collegiate careers. Cheap College Jerseys Free Shipping . -- Ken Appleby made 32 saves for his first shutout of the season to lead the Oshawa Generals to a 2-0 win over the Belleville Bulls on Wednesday in Ontario Hockey League action. College Jerseys Cheap . Ouellette, from Montreal, already has three Olympic gold medals since joining the team in 1999. http://www.jerseyscheapncaa.com/ . -- Cam Newton pranced into the end zone, placed his hands over his chest and did his familiar Superman pose. Authentic NCAA Jerseys Wholesale . In what the team had called a retirement, Ryan said Thursday that he is resigning as chief executive of the Rangers in a move effective at the end of this month. Cheap NCAA Football Jerseys . Defencemen Drew Doughty, Shea Weber and forward Ryan Getzlaf also scored for the Canadians, who started their gold-medal defence 2-0. Goalie Roberto Luongo, getting the call in place of Game 1 starter Carey Price, was solid when needed in making 23 saves for the shutout. EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- With Kobe Bryant retired after two decades in purple and gold, the Los Angeles Lakers are entering a new and somewhat uncertain era featuring a first-year head coach and a roster built around several promising young players.And as the illustrious franchise seeks to reclaim its place among the NBAs elite after three straight seasons of missing the playoffs, and after posting their worst record ever last season, the Lakers looked ahead Wednesday to one of the most exciting, and certain, elements of their future: their state-of-the-art $80 million training complex.Standing before the imposing shell of a two-story, 120,000-square-foot structure that is expected to open by summer 2017, Lakers officials offered a glimpse Wednesday into the new facility while also announcing a long-term partnership with UCLA Health, whose name will grace the not-yet-finished building. Lakers officials said the UCLA Health Training Center will be triple the size of the teams current training facility, the Toyota Sports Center, which sits less than a half mile away. (The Lakers have practiced at the Toyota Sports Center since 2000 and today share the complex with the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League.)Construction on the Lakers spacious new complex -- which, for the sake of convenience, isnt far from Los Angeles International Airport -- began in September 2015. It will house the Lakers business and basketball operations, as well as the teams D-League affiliate, the D-Fenders. Other impressive features include a barbershop, multiple whirlpools, cryogenics chambers, a theater, kitchen and more.We want players to treat this place like a second home, said Lakers chief operating officer Tim Harris.UCLA Health has also been designated as the exclusive in-game health provider for Lakers players, including at the new facility. Aside from speaking well of the new facility and all that it will offer, Lakers officials emphasized injury prevention -- a buzzword in todays NBA -- as key to their new partnership with UCLA Health.All of this, all of this, is with an eye towards prolonging the careers of these great athletes, Harris added, addressing a group of Lakers players in attendance at Wednesdays event outside the facility. It wasnt just about athlete care. It was about prevention, performance and prolonging their careers.Lakers president Jeanie Buss echoed that point, adding, We just retired a player who playeed 20 years in the NBA in Kobe Bryant and maybe we can keep pushing that, and certainly with the partnership with UCLA Health, that will give us those kind of resources.ddddddddddddWearing hard hats, fluorescent orange safety vests and goggles, Lakers players toured their future home.Its more than helpful, said guard DAngelo Russell. The 82-game season, plus more including the playoffs, is wear and tear on your body. It starts with the rehab and trying to keep your body 100 percent before every practice, before every game, before every road trip. [Its great] just knowing that you have the best people going into the practice facility every day to help your body do that for you.Speaking of the facility, Lakers rookie head coach Luke Walton, a former Lakers player, referenced many new features, such as an underwater treadmill. But one change especially caught his attention: larger ice baths. The Toyota Sports Center features single-person metal tubs; the new center, which will house three rehabilitation pools, can hold up to 15 at a time, Walton said.But will the glittering new facility help attract potential free agents, especially after the Lakers have struck out on big-name targets in each of the past four summers?I think it can, Walton said. I dont think you strictly rely on it. I think the way we play and the way we compete helps lure free agents. I think when players from across the league come and see this place, theyll be very excited about it. But to me, the most exciting [thing] is the ability to train the guys we already have in here. Weve got a great group of guys, a good young core, and to be able to have them in a place like this and work with them every day is going to be a lot of fun. Buss pointed out that, regardless of the new facility, she believes free agents have always been excited about the Lakers.She added that she believes the new facility will further establish the commitment of the organization to be on the cutting edge. In the Lakers current training facility, 11 championship trophies line the window of Buss office that overlooks the practice court -- and a smiling Buss said that feature will continue at the new facility so that the players will always be reminded of what the goal is and to be inspired by the work that they have to put in to get that trophy. ' ' '