LESAProject

Back in the 19th and early 20th centuries, surgeons used chloroform—yes, that chloroform—as a general anesthetic.It was during that time in 1886 when Dr. William Martin published a suspected case of chloroform toxicity in the British Medical Journal. These days, the National Toxicology Program lists chloroform as "reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen."Ah, how far we've come.For better or for worse, medical science is in a constant state of flux.For instance, treatments based on tradition and "how it's always been done" mentalities are now giving way to evidence-based decision making. What's more, less-invasive interventions are trumping more-invasive ones while ...

The National Wheelchair Basketball Association holds its 64th annual national championships in Louisville, Kentucky this weekend. Yeah, THAT Louisville, Kentucky—home of the Kentucky Derby, Louisville Slugger and the 2013 NCAA men’s basketball champion University of Louisville Cardinals.  When I received the press release from the Louisville Sports Commission that over 1,000 athletes on 85 teams were coming to the biggest wheelchair basketball tournament ever, my curiosity got the better of me.  I’ve seen nearly every sport imaginable but I had never watched an actual wheelchair basketball game. Sure, I’ve seen video clips of celebrity games and brief bits of actual ...

The Boston Marathon bombing on April 15 was a human tragedy of immeasurable sadness.However, what's even more tragic is the specific group which the responsible party targeted: marathon runners (and their families) that had committed endless time, finances and energies to prepare for one of the world's most respected sporting events in the Boston Marathon.All acts of terror at home and abroad are extremely horrific, but the attacks at the 2013 Boston Marathon stand out as incredibly disheartening. While there's always a select group of marathoners competing to actually win the race, the overwhelming majority of entrants are simply running ...

Tragedy has struck the 117th Boston Marathon, as two explosions near the finish line have reportedly resulted in multiple casualties and countless injuries. Details are still murky on this developing story, but the Boston Globe has announced these staggering figures:WCVB in Boston is reporting that two more devices were dismantled following the first set of explosions:A senior U.S. intelligence official said two more explosive devices were found near the area, and they were being dismantled.According to WCVB, the explosions occurred around 2:50 p.m. ET on Boylston Street after most runners had completed the race. The network also passed along that the injured—some of whom ...

U.S. Soccer fans have known Landon Donovan since he broke onto the international scene by winning the Golden Ball award in the 1999 FIFA U-17 World Championship. We’ve known Landon through his early trials and tribulations in the Bundesliga with Bayer Leverkusen. We groaned when he was loaned back to the nascent MLS league to play for the San Jose Earthquakes. Jeers turned to cheers when he led the Earthquakes to two MLS Cups. Confused and bemused we wondered how our best player could spurn the prestige of the European stage to slum for the LA Galaxy.  He made up ...

Sports movies—they help shape our personalities, determine who we associate with and bridge generational gaps, but above all, they continue to spark endless debates.The only indisputable fact that people agree on is that the great ones stand the test of time.But which are the great ones?MSG Network will attempt to clear up this timeless quandary as they roll out their third installment of the Emmy award-winning series The Lineup on Monday, April 8th at 10:30 p.m. ET.The show will debut eight 30-minute episodes, each one guaranteed to have spirited debate on the following types of sports movies: Baseball, Basketball, Football, Boxing, ...

When will American soccer begin to overtake the big three American sports—football, baseball and basketball—and compete for America's best athletes?No discussion in American soccer carries the enormous implications of this question.  Soccer fans figure it has to happen, eventually. The soccer haters take it as a sign of the sport's impotence that we're still asking the question.After the 1994 World Cup shattered tournament attendance records, soccer fans were certain that the glorious rise of the beautiful game in America was imminent. Major League Soccer attempted to ride this wave of interest to re-launch professional soccer in the U.S.  However, MLS soon ...

For any NHL fan, the stories of the trials every young player goes through to realize his dreams are the stuff of legend. T.V. commercials glamorize fitness sessions with teenage superstars, who conduct their dry-land training with the help of an army of personal trainers and the best technology sports science can offer.But behind the hype and the images that are routinely beamed into hockey households across North America, there are literally thousands of individual stories of players and families whose dreams never came true.An effort to demystify the modern NHL dream is the subject of a new and important ...

Oscar Pistorius, the first amputee to compete in the Olympic Games, allegedly gunned down his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, in cold blood. Given Pistorius' history and the fact that Steenkamp was shot multiple times inside the home, it seems far-fetched to believe there's an innocent explanation for the tragedy.Granted, stranger things have happened, and then there's the whole innocent-until-proven-guilty shtick, though South African law may be different. Suffice it to say, however, I'm part of the camp that's not holding its collective breath.We've seen this story before: A sensational athlete whose feats in competition are so profound, he or she gets miscast ...

Gentlemen, start your leashes.The Westminster Dog Show is back for its 137th consecutive showing, an impressive feat, and a true testament to the grandness of this event.Entries from all 50 American states, along with several foreign countries, comprise an impressive field of 2,721 dogs—the largest number in 15 years.This year also sees the introduction of two new breeds—the Treeing Walker Coonhound and Russell Terrier—which brings the total number of types up to 187.Here's a quick breakdown of when and where to watch the action, complete with some thoughts on why you'd be wise to do so. Where: Madison Square Garden, New York City, ...