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WATKINS GLEN, NY -- Everyone danced around the subject Friday when Dale Earnhardt Jr. made his first media appearance since he was sidelined from NASCAR competition four weeks ago by a concussion.What? You didnt say the word! he joked.Of course the word the Sprint Cup Series star was referring to was the R-word -- retirement. And given Earnhardts history of concussions, stepping away from competition is something that may be forced upon him sooner rather than later.Traumatic brain injuries are a hot topic in the sports world, and doctors are taking the issue extremely seriously. As Junior said Friday, The doctors wont let me race. This is not my decision, but its the right decision and I trust what my doctors are telling me.But then again, Earnhardt did make the decision to seek out those doctors when he realized that something wasnt right in his head.Thats a brave move in a sport renowned as a bravery contest, where drivers are expected to demonstrate their toughness on and off the track.Dale Jr. had a hell of a role model in that regard. His father Dale Earnhardt was known as Ironhead as much for his ability to shrug off injuries from wrecking as he was for his aggressive racing.By putting himself in the position to be sat down by doctors, Earnhardt Jr. did something his old man would probably have never done, and thats a measure of how far he has stepped out of that hugely intimidating shadow.Of course, Junior also likely never figured he was going to miss at least five races, and in all likelihood, the 2016 Chase for the Sprint Cup. While he is in daily conversation with his doctors, his concussion symptoms are only evaluated every two to four weeks. There is still no guarantee that he will be ready to return to the No. 88 Chevrolet at Michigan International Speedway in late August, or anytime this season.Or at all, for that matter.But Earnhardt insists that just like reporters didnt bring up the R-word in his Friday news conference at Watkins Glen, neither have his doctors. Their full focus is on his recovery and a return to his normal life.That is not the conversation your doctor is going to have with you when he is trying to get you right, Earnhardt said. You are just worrying about getting normal. You go in there and you see your doctor and all you and him talk about and all he cares about is fixing you.He doesnt care about my racing or whatever I do as a profession. He is just trying to fix what is wrong with me. Thats his job -- hes not a counselor or a psychologist.And that is not the conversation you are going to have in the middle of treatment with someone who is suffering or someone who is going through that process, he added. The conversations I have had with him is that he believes we are going to fix it. He believes that he can make me stronger and that I will be able to pick up where I left off.Earnhardt is a man given to curiosity, always learning. He spent a lot of time over the past few years researching his family history, even traveling to Germany to do it.He has studied the many varieties of concussions, picking the brains of his doctors. Even before his latest injury, he pledged to donate his brain to researchers studying chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE.Dale Jr. watched his father die in a racing accident, and he seems to have a realistic grasp of his own mortality. That, along with the memory of what he endured when recovering from a concussion that caused him to miss two races in 2012, adds into why he wasnt afraid to speak up this time when he knew something wasnt right.Having the courage to admit something was wrong may ultimately enhance his own legacy.Its really hard, as a driver, to say that youve got a problem because you basically put yourself out there to be pulled out of the car, he said. But man, your quality of life is so important. Your health beyond your driving career is so important. If you plan on having a family, or have a family already, those things are going to be a priority. There are so many reasons to do the right thing and go ahead and get the help you need and get back in the car when youre healthy.I feel like it would be even harder, the younger you are, when youre trying to get a career going and just trying to make a living driving cars, he added. Being in the situation Im in now, having ran for so long, maybe it wasnt as challenging or as hard a decision to make, to make the right choice. But if I was 21 and just getting started or very young, it would be so hard to make that decision.With 26 career Sprint Cup race wins and a 13-year reign as NASCARs Most Popular Driver, Earnhardt can be proud of what he has achieved, even if he never takes another green flag. JR Motorsports is solidly established as a top Xfinity Series team, so Earnhardt will have plenty to keep him occupied in racing when he stops driving.There is little reason to believe that this concussion will force him into retirement, but a Sprint Cup field without its most popular driver is something that Earnhardt, his fan base and NASCAR are eventually going to have to prepare for.Hes almost 42, and while he and team owner Rick Hendrick have talked about extending their contract beyond 2017, the next contract would likely be Earnhardts last.Everyone would like him to be able to go out with a happy retirement tour like Jeff Gordons, but I suspect most folks would rather have Earnhardt step away from racing on his own terms (for the most part) rather than put himself and his competitors in unnecessary danger.Especially Earnhardt himself -- whether or not he is ultimately the one who makes the decision. Tim McCarver . The home side created most of the chances but struggled to break down Braunschweigs resilient defence, resulting in the Bundesligas 1,000th scoreless draw. Albert Pujols . -- Yogi Ferrell orchestrates pretty much everything in Indianas offence. http://www.custommlbcardinalsjersey.com/custom-lane-thomas-jersey-large-1571q.html .In my heart and mind Im competing for India, luge competitor Shiva Keshavan told The Associated Press in an email interview. Every day Im flooded with messages from Indians all over the world telling me they are supporting me. Bruce Sutter . Louis Blues. Shane Hnidy joins Brian Munz for the broadcast on TSN 1290 Radio at 7pm ct. Stan Musial . Scott won the Australian PGA last week in his first event in Australia since winning the U.S. Masters in April. American Matt Kuchar, ahead by two strokes with four to play and even with Scott with one to go, double-bogeyed the 18th after taking two shots to get out of a bunker. PHILADELPHIA -- The Eagles do not appear entirely convinced that the most critical call in their loss to the Detroit Lions was the correct one, and may be sending a clip of the play to the league for review.With 2:41 remaining and the Eagles nursing a two-point lead, Lions cornerback Darius Slay forced a Ryan Mathews fumble that was recovered by Detroit along the right sideline.Replay shows that the fumbled ball was first between the legs of Eagles center Jason Kelce while his arms were out of bounds before being secured by the Lions. By rule, if a player touches a loose ball while out of bounds, the offensive team keeps possession.Its a dead ball out of bounds. Thats the rule, said head coach Doug Pederson at his day-after press conference. That was one of the things I wanted to make sure this morning that I was correct and accurate in that ruling. Its just one of those things. But we cant cough the ball up.The play was reviewed, but Pederson was told that it wasnt touched by us.Pederson consulted witth Eagles manager of football compliance John Ferrari, who used to work in the Park Avenue command center with vice president of officiating Dean Blandino, both during the game and on Monday morning.dddddddddddd While Pederson has personally not seen definitive evidence that the ball touched Kelce, his conversations with Ferrari appear to have led him to that conclusion.The head coach was asked if he planned on sending a clip of the play to the league for review.Well send a few clips in out of this game, he responded, but again, thats not why we lost this football game.Blandino offered an explanation of the officials ruling via Twitter.Penalties were also a factor in this game. The Eagles were whistled for 14 penalties for 111 yards compared to two penalties for 18 yards for the Lions.We almost overcame it and won it, said Pederson, and thats a tribute to the football team. ' ' '