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Former Bear becoming something of a force?

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* Former Chicago Bears linebacker Hunter Hillenmeyer has been in the news quite a bit lately. He’s starting a fascinating new gaming company…

According to Hillenmeyer, the core concept behind OverDog is a simple one: Many professional athletes and even more sports fans are avid gamers, so why not create a product that allows them to face off against each other? […]

As Hillenmeyer explains, the way the product would work is a pro athlete would log on to the app via his smart phone and issue a challenge to his fans in any game of his choosing. After the athlete has issued the challenge, fans would get a notification on their phones and decide whether or not they want to play against the athlete. However, not every fan is going to be able to play against an athlete every time, so potential opponents for pros will be decided by a random drawing. Also, Hillenmeyer says that they are working to incorporate a streaming aspect, so at some point in the future of the product you could still watch the matchup even if you weren’t the one facing off against a pro athlete.

* But Hillenmeyer is also becoming involved in Statehouse issues. For instance…

Former Chicago Bear linebacker Hunter Hillenmeyer is backing a plan to limit tackling in practice for high school and youth football players.

The legislation from state Rep. Carol Sente, a Vernon Hills Democrat, could come before state lawmakers this week.

Hillenmeyer has written a letter to lawmakers urging support for Sente’s plan, which would limit full-contact tackling in practice to two days per week during the season in an attempt to reduce the risk of long-term injury from concussions. How often young players tackle at preseason practices would be left to coaches’ discretion.

“Without it, a rogue, wannabe-Mike Ditka youth coach will continue to have unchecked ability to overexpose our next generation to harm, harm that is avoidable and has long-term implications,” Hillenmeyer wrote.

* That bill died, however…

State lawmakers Wednesday balked at a suburban official’s plan to limit tackling at youth and high school football practices.

State Rep. Carol Sente’s plan to limit full-contact practice to twice per week tried to address a new focus on the long-term brain damage the repeated hits in football can cause.

But an Illinois House panel disagreed it was something the state should try to regulate, and rejected it by a 5-6 vote.

“I still have concerns about legislating these kinds of rules for athletes,” said state Rep. Sandra Pihos, a Glen Ellyn Republican.

* And Hillenmeyer is advocating for gay marriage…

Two Hall of Fame athletes signed a letter supporting a gay marriage bill on its way to the Illinois House.

Former Chicago Cubs shortstop Ernie Banks and former Chicago Bears defensive end Richard Dent, along with former Bears Hunter Hillenmeyer and Brendon Ayanbadejo, wrote that the “Illinois General Assembly should act now and give same-sex couples the freedom to marry.”

“In sports, any time a player is not treated with fairness and respect, the game is diminished,” the letter reads in part. “Similarly, treating any group of people as second-class citizens hurts us all, because discrimination is wrong no matter whom the target is.”

I’m not sure I’ve seen an athlete take this much of an interest in Springfield on bills as diverse as these. He hasn’t started contributing to campaigns yet, so maybe it’s just a passing thing.

* Roundup…

* Senate panel: Schools must carry catastrophic accident insurance: The Illinois Senate Wednesday started moving forward on an issue sought for years by former Rolling Meadows High School football player Rob Komosa, who died last weekend. A Senate panel Wednesday approved legislation that would require public and private schools to carry catastrophic accident insurance to cover their student athletes.

* Illinois bill to reduce flame retardants fizzles in committee

* State Senate panel backs letting DuPage cut some governments: DuPage County could get the power to shrink or dissolve 13 county governments and agencies under a plan approved by an Illinois Senate committee Wednesday.

* Illinois Senate president says private lottery manager was ‘experiment’ that needs improvement

* Lang, AARP tangle over email barrage

* Minimum wage increase plan raises ire from area businesses

* Lion Meat Act bill could go before General Assembly this week

posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Mar 21, 13 @ 12:00 pm

Comments

Say it ain’t so, Ernie !

Comment by x ace Thursday, Mar 21, 13 @ 12:09 pm
== so maybe it’s just a passing thing ==

I do not think so. Hillenmeyer was a favorite to one day become head of the NFL Player’s Union and was very vocal on the head injury issue when his own career was cut short. I think he has been pretty active in the River North tech scene since.

Definitely has an activist, entrepreneurial spirit and seems to have decided to make Chicago his permanent post-football home

Comment by Jimmy CrackCorn Thursday, Mar 21, 13 @ 12:09 pm
He retired because of concussion related issues which might explain the tackling thing.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/01/28/hunter-hillenmeyer-battling-nfl-bears-for-900000/

Some football players including his former bears linebacker mate brendon ayenbedajo have taken up the issue of gay marriage and are championing it in MD. That might be where that comes from.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/brendon-ayanbadejo-gay-marriage

Comment by shore Thursday, Mar 21, 13 @ 12:10 pm
He was always a very smart cookie so this is good to see. Anyone know what districts he lives in?

Comment by Chicago Cynic Thursday, Mar 21, 13 @ 12:26 pm
I had heard that he’s a Republican.

If so, that sort of moderate view on social issues may be what the party needs.

Comment by Skeeter Thursday, Mar 21, 13 @ 12:47 pm
I’ve never played football, but I’ve played other sports. When you do something every day, you get good. When you do something once or twice a week, you get hurt. How is limiting kids to twice a week tackling not going to set them up for getting hurt during games?

Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Mar 21, 13 @ 1:36 pm
Hillenmeyer also used to have a column on Jim “Mad Money” Cramer’s website, TheStreet.com. Good to see he has not fallen on the same sort of hard times as another former athlete-columnist for that site, Lenny Dykstra.

BTW, at least as of 2010, Hillenmeyer was a Republican. “The normally tight-knit linebacker corp is divided. Jamar Williams is not afraid to campaign in the locker room for Obama, while fellow linebacker Hunter Hillenmeyer preaches the Republican viewpoint.”

http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/politics/Presidential_Election_Divides_Bears_Locker_Room.html

Is the Illinois GOP really able to deal with an ex-union representative, pro-gay marriage Republican?

Comment by hisgirlfriday Thursday, Mar 21, 13 @ 2:19 pm
- Skeeter - Thursday, Mar 21, 13 @ 12:47 pm:

I had heard that he’s a Republican.

++++++++++++++++++++++

I’m not too sure. I tried finding that info, got a lead on where to start?

Comment by Cincinnatus Thursday, Mar 21, 13 @ 2:23 pm
Coached football last year, unlike one major group we did not put a limit on hitting in practice. They said the lawyers warned them if they had a hard standard and some coach broke it, it liability would be higher.

Not sure if the state needs to be in this one, does anyone really think a state law is going to stop some idiot coach?

If anything I think the IHSA might want to step in at the HS level.

Comment by OneMan Thursday, Mar 21, 13 @ 2:36 pm
Cincy,
It is something I recall hearing at the time.
I did a search to back what I recall hearing, and all I could find is the article posted by hisgirlfriday above.

Comment by Skeeter Thursday, Mar 21, 13 @ 2:38 pm
I was in Springfield when a neurologist spoke in committee about Rep. Sente’s bill. He sure convinced me with the research. He was an athlete himself and said he played football in high school.

Also, I had a former student who got OK’d to play after a concussion in football. The second one he had (same season) was a life changer. His personality changed and he had a hard time controlling his temper. That time the doc said no more contact sports ever. It was too late in my opinion.

Comment by Nearly Normal Thursday, Mar 21, 13 @ 2:43 pm
Thanks, Skeeter,

Public voting records show no votes in any primary, and only one vote in 2010.

Comment by Cincinnatus Thursday, Mar 21, 13 @ 4:15 pm
I have coached 7th/8th grade football for a long time and played through college. We watch for concussion issues a lot and take it very seriously. As soon as school starts we drop to 3 practices a week. There is some contact in every practice with very quick whistles, but we only go full out one practice and game day. Rest is about half speed and drills. We have had more kids hurt falling from trees, bikes, and skate boards. Our teams do very well against good competition. Most other youth coaches I talk to follow a similar system. Still run across the screaming coaches who think the NFL or big colleges must be scouting them.

Comment by zatoichi Thursday, Mar 21, 13 @ 4:53 pm
==require public and private schools to carry catastrophic accident insurance==

As opposed to self-insuring? School districts can raise a couple of million to settle. Sounds to me like a way to make the pot bigger for the trial lawyers. But maybe I’m misreading the whole thing.

Comment by Excessively Rabid Thursday, Mar 21, 13 @ 5:18 pm