ASS News » The 35-year-old Moore says he still suffers from

It has been 10 years since Steve Moores NHL career ended with an attack by former Vancouver Canucks forward Todd Bertuzzi. The 35-year-old Moore says he still suffers from headaches and low energy, even if he feels better overall and wants to get on with his life. But there has been no closure for the former Colorado Avalanche centre, whose $38-million dollar lawsuit against Bertuzzi and the Canucks is still in the courts after numerous delays. A trial date has been set for Sept. 8. Moore, a rookie on a powerhouse Avalanche team, still remembers that game on March 8, 2004, and the devastating effect it had on his career. "I think about it at times like this," Moore said Friday in a phone interview with The Canadian Press. "When the anniversary comes around, its hard not to reflect on the impact this has had on my life, which is dramatic. "At the same time I think a lot about how grateful I am that this wasnt worse. Every time I watch it I have the same reaction other people have, which is shock and disgust. Its just a little stronger when its yourself youre looking at and when youre aware of everything that happened in the three weeks leading up to it -- the threats and all those things." It all started on Feb. 16, 2004, when Moore flattened Canucks captain Markus Naslund with an open ice hit that put Vancouvers scoring star out with a concussion but was deemed legal by the NHL. Major retaliation was expected. Vancouvers Brad May was quoted as saying there was a "bounty" on Moores head. But when the teams next met on March 3, with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman in the house, there were no incidents. The fireworks came in their March 8 game, a 9-2 Colorado win. Moore squared off against Matt Cooke in the first period, a fight that was considered a draw. It appeared that was the end of if. But things got nasty in the third frame. Moore was challenged again. He turned away. Bertuzzi skated up behind him, tugging on his jersey, then punching him from behind and falling on top of him as other players piled in. Moore lay motionless on the ice in a pool of blood before being stretchered off and taken to hospital. The diagnosis was a concussion and three fractured vertebrae. Bertuzzi was suspended for the rest of the regular season and the playoffs, which cost him about $502,000, and he didnt play during the 2004-05 lockout season. But he was reinstated for the 2005-06 campaign and has since continued his career, most recently with Detroit. He also pleaded guilty to a criminal charge of assault causing bodily harm and was sentenced in 2006 to a years probation and 80 hours of community service. There was also Bertuzzis tearful apology on television. But nothing could fully heal Moores wounds. After five years visiting the best specialists he could find, he was told he had made a remarkable recovery but none would give him clearance to play hockey again. His career was over. "That was a very difficult time for me," he said. "It took a heck of a lot longer than I expected, but I was expecting to go back and I never thought about anything other than returning to play." He has since started the Steve Moore Foundation to help people with head and neck injuries. "Over the last few years, with the number of concussion injuries, especially with high-profile players, the public has been educated in a major way, but we still have a long way to go not just in making people aware of this, but in avoiding them and treating them," he said. While Moores foundation keeps him busy, he is also still dealing with the lawsuit, which could set a standard for determining responsibility for on-ice behaviour and injuries. Moore said the suit was not so much about the money as being compensated for the loss of his dreams. When Moore was injured, he was in his first full NHL season. He had five goals and seven assists in 57 games, but injuries had seen him move up from the fourth line to regular duty with stars like Joe Sakic and Paul Kariya. "I lost my entire career in my rookie year," he said. "I think any player put in that situation would do the same thing. "I cant recover anything else. I cant recover my career, the experience of living out my dream from the time I was two and half years old of playing in the NHL." He said the injury cost him all the good things about being an NHL player: rewarding himself and his family for the hours they put in to get him there, the chance to skate in the playoffs and maybe even win a Stanley Cup, or even the chance to be an inspiration to youngsters hoping to be in the league one day. "Everything I watched my peers go through the last 10 years," he said. "Ive watched the careers theyve had and I cant get any of that back." Bertuzzi has alleged the Canucks then-coach Marc Crawford urged his players to make Moore "pay the price," while Crawford has claimed Bertuzzi disobeyed instructions to get off the ice before Moore was attacked. Asked if he has forgiven Bertuzzi, Moore spoke instead of being frustrated at the repeated delays in the trial and the resistance put up by the opposing side in the lawsuit. "Im a very forgiving person," said Moore, who lives in Toronto with his wife and two small children. "Everyone saw what happened on March 8, 2004, but what they havent seen in whats gone on since then. "To me, its just been a continuation of what happened, just off ice and away from the cameras. Its not a situation that happened 10 years ago and its over and everythings been resolved and moved on. "Theres nobody that would like to move on more than me. Every day I try to move on, and I have moved on in other areas of my life, but this isnt over." Kurt Warner Womens Jersey . 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Still, for anyone watching closely, its hard to fight the feeling that somethings not quite right with Peyton Manning. The feeling snuck up again Wednesday. With the undefeated Chiefs next on the schedule, Manning sat out of the weeks first practice to give his tender ankles -- which make him feel like the James Caan character in the movie "Misery," as Jim Nantz recounted Manning telling him -- a bit of a rest. "Its my preference to be out there, but at the same time, I kind of do whats best for the team in order for me to get healthy," said Manning, who participated in the team walk-through, then headed to the trainers room for rehab. Not that giving a 16-year veteran a day off every now and then is all that unusual -- or that giving Denvers "Plan B," backup Brock Osweiler, some much-needed work with the first team is such a bad idea. But Manning does not take kindly to missing practices, as he told his coach and trainer three weeks ago, when his balky ankle (or ankles, depending on who you talk to) made him a scratch for the first time as a Bronco in a regular-season practice. "I can assure you I did not go down without a fight," he said that day. This time, he said hed been pretty much resigned to sitting out since Monday, when an MRI showed no further damage to Mannings right ankle following a low hit from Chargers lineman Corey Liuget. "It happens with a lot of guys. Champ (Bailey). Wes (Welker)," Manning said. "I dont know if its an age-bracket thing or what. Ive made a lot of adjustments these past two years at this point in my career and this is just another one of them." More than a missed practice or two, its how Manning has been looking on the field the last few weeks that has brought about some head scratching. Ever since Jason Babin of Jacksonville hit him low in a game Oct. 13 and Manning lit into officials for not calling anything, he has looked a bit more rushed than usual in the pocket. His passes, never works of art on his healthiest days, have wobbled a bit more. He has been slightly quicker to throw to the safety valve coming out of the backfield. There are many reasons that could explain that, including the fact that Denvers wide receivers are seeing more press coverage. Either way, Knowshon Moreno has 24 catches and is Denvers leader in receptions since the Jacksonville game. Dating to that game, Manning has thrown five of his sixx interceptions.dddddddddddd Not surprisingly, hes been sacked and stripped of the ball from the blindside once a game for the last three, starting when Robert Mathis of the Colts burned left tackle Chris Clark for a safety in Denvers lone loss this season. Mannings latest setback came courtesy of Liuget, who dove at the quarterbacks ankles and left him wincing in pain at the end of Denvers 28-20 win last week. The Broncos were peeved enough over that hit, they sent it to the league to review. The league said the hit wasnt illegal. "Were playing football," said Broncos interim coach Jack Del Rio. "People are going to get hit. We do as good a job as anybody out there in terms of protecting our guy. Its important to us. Well continue to do that. But at the end of the day, its football." Next up, the Broncos face Kansas City, which leads the league with 36 sacks -- not exactly the matchup they want with a quarterback whos less than 100 per cent and doesnt move well when he is at full strength. At whatever level hes playing, Manning is still producing. His 3,249 yards and 33 touchdown passes are still both well ahead of record pace. The Broncos are 8-1 and would climb into a first-place tie in the AFC West by beating the Chiefs. Yes, the weather will get worse, starting Sunday, when the forecast calls for a high of 40 with a chance of snow. And yes, the competition gets tougher, also starting Sunday, when the Broncos play the Chiefs, followed by road games against New England and the divisional rematch at Kansas City. Manning said if he had to, he could be ready for Sundays game without practicing at all. That wouldnt faze the Denver receivers. "You still want to get some throws in and get some work in throughout the week," Eric Decker said. "But a lot of that is taken care of physically, and mentally is the big part of it." Manning, though, expects to be on the practice field before the week is out. Skipping practice "kind of goes against what I believe in," he said. "I believe in practice. I believe theres a reason for it." Notes: LB Nate Irving (shoulder) was held out of practice with the shoulder injury he suffered last week. ... CB Champ Bailey was limited, in hopes of returning for the first time since reinjuring his foot against Indianapolis on Oct. 20. ... RB Ronnie Hillman was inactive for the second straight game last Sunday but his replacement, C.J. Anderson, did not get any touches on offence. ' ' '