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2B Daily News – Friday, October 18, 2013 49ers' Patrick Willis to play through pain SANTA CLARA (AP) — The pain Patrick Willis is feeling in his groin is not enough to keep him from starting in his home state when the San Francisco 49ers face the Tennessee Titans on Sunday. Not even close. San Francisco's All-Pro middle linebacker, who also is still healing a broken bone in his right hand suffered during training camp, plans to play through the pain for the second straight week after missing the previous two games. He admits he's not healthy — just healthy enough to help his team. ''I'd be lying if I said I felt A-plus out there,'' Willis said Thursday. ''I can't lie and say I can get to fifth gear right now. I don't think I can. But I think my first, second and third gear, maybe fourth, can be enough to do well. And hopefully when that bye week comes, I can get back up to that seventh gear.'' The 49ers (4-2) still have two games to play before that week off. And the way Willis sees it, he can grind through games at Tennessee (3-3) and against Jacksonville (0-6) in London and rest later. San Francisco sure hopes that formula works out. Willis was solid, but not spectacular, for most of the 49ers' 32-20 win over Arizona last Sunday — but he made the biggest play of the game. With the Cardinals driving for a go-ahead score in the third quarter, Willis stripped the ball from wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald deep in 49ers territory. Rookie Eric Reid recovered, and San Francisco started an 18-play touchdown drive that put the game out of reach. ''I know it made Pat feel good to get his feet back out there,'' fellow All-Pro middle linebacker NaVorro Bowman said. Forcing turnovers is something Willis and the 49ers have been awfully good at lately. San Francisco has 10 takeaways in the past three games — all wins — that led to 54 points, including four in each of the past two games. The 49ers forced only one turnover in the two previous games — both losses — combined at Seattle and at home against Indianapolis. The ability to make such game-changing plays is why Willis will continue to play through pain. Coaches also expect him to adjust to his limitations better this week, too. ''You go through two weeks of total inactivity and then you come back to practice with a leg injury that is still lingering there, you don't always have that confidence,'' defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said. ''But he played fine, and I think he'll be better this week.'' Working through injuries is nothing new for the native of Bruceton, Tenn., which is about a 90-minute drive west of Nashville. He played three times with a cast on his right hand in college at Mississippi and broke that same hand in a one-on-one blocking drill with fullback Bruce Miller in training camp. Willis sat out all four preseason games but returned for San Francisco's season-opening win over Green Bay, though he said the hand is still not fully healed. He has missed only six games in his seven-year career, making the Pro Bowl each season. Willis referenced the same mantra that teammate and defensive lineman Justin Smith often sites when asked why he plays through injuries: ''If you only play this game when you're 100 percent, then you'd never play.'' ''You just have to tough it up and get ready to play some football,'' Willis said. ''And that's what I love.'' NOTES: Coaches and players said they were shocked and saddened to hear that team medical director and physician, Dr. Daniel Garza, died at his home Tuesday night. Garza was a leading researcher in concussion and brain-related injuries at Stanford and had worked for the 49ers since 2007. The cause of death has not been announced. ''He was an A-plus doctor and a friend of everyone in the organization. Tremendous individual,'' Fangio said. ... WR Jon Baldwin (illness), DT Glenn Dorsey (hamstring) and LB Ahmad Brooks (non-injury) did not practice. The team did not disclose why Brooks was absent. ... Fifth-round pick Quinton Dial or practice squad player Mike Purcell could be activated as a backup this week if Dorsey (hamstring) can't play, Fangio said. Tony Jerod-Eddie would make his first career start if Dorsey is inactive. ... The team waived WR Chris Harper. He was drafted in the fourth round by Seattle, released by the Seahawks on Aug. 31 and signed by San Francisco on Sept. 2. He has been inactive for every game. IPO to give investors a stake in NFL running back SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Here's a new twist on fantasy sports: a San Francisco startup is offering a chance to bet on the moneymaking potential of star athletes. The unusual investment opportunity kicked off Thursday with an IPO filing proposing to sell stock for a stake in the future income of the Houston Texans' Arian Foster, a top running back in the National Football League. The initial public offering hinges on a deal requiring Fantex Holdings Inc. to pay Foster $10 million in return for a 20 percent share of his remaining contract with the Texans, his endorsement income and any other future money tied to his football career. Those earnings could include potential broadcasting jobs that Foster gets after his playing career is over. It doesn't include money Foster would make if he pursues a career unrelated to football. Fantex plans to sell about 1 million shares at $10 apiece to pay Foster and cover other expenses. The tracking stock won't trade on a major stock exchange; instead, it will be bought and sold on a trading platform set up by Fantex, which was co-founded last year by Silicon Valley entrepreneur Buck French. Foster, who is in his fifth season with the Texans, is just the first player in what Fantex hopes will become a diversified line-up of star athletes. Foster declined to comment citing Securities and Exchange Commission regulations. The company is aiming to do IPOs featuring players in professional baseball, basketball, hockey and golf, as well. ''Our philosophy is to work with people who we believe have interesting Open Cockpit Biplane rides brand attributes that we can work with and they can work with us,'' said French who got rich during the dotcom boom after selling a software company to Siebel Systems. ''You don't have to be a superstar. I could see us working with big names and no names. The question is do they have attributes to build a brand for the long haul.'' At least one person associated with Fantex knows something about a long sports career. John Elway, the former Denver Broncos quarterback who is now executive vice president of football operations for his former team, is a member of Fantex's parent company, Fantex Holdings. This isn't the first time that a public figure has bet on his future moneymaking potential in the securities markets. British rocker David Bowie famously sold shares in his future earnings with the issue of ''Bowie Bonds.'' Just like any securities investment there are risks. The marketability of professional athletes can go through wild swings if they become embroiled in scandals, as superstars such as bicyclist Lance Armstrong and golfer Tiger Woods have proven. There's also no guarantee that athletes will have long playing careers. Foster, 27, already has suffered injuries to his knees and hamstring that have sidelined him in previous seasons and limited his ability to play in other games. He also has been plagued by an irregular heartbeat since he was 12, according to the IPO filing. So far, Foster has remained healthy enough to be one of the main cogs on the Texans, a team that was widely expected to be a Super Bowl contender. It's been a disappointment so far this season with a 2-4 record. Fantex is betting it can help Foster line up a lot of lucrative endorsements, as well as help him make money after his career is over. The Texans signed Foster to a five-year contract that will pay him $23.5 million during the period covered by the Fantex IPO. He also could earn up to $2 million in bonuses, depending on his performance, according to the IPO filing. He's also lined up endorsement deals that could pay nearly $700,000. If Foster collects the maximum amounts from his Texans contract and current endorsements, Fantex would receive about $5 million. ALCS (Continued from page 1B) ish off the fourth game of the series to be decided by one run. ''There's probably a reason I don't have any hair,'' Red Sox second baseman Dustin Perdroia said. ''It's stressful.'' Down 4-2 in the seventh, the Tigers put runners on first and third with nobody out when Jose Iglesias and Torii Hunter singled. Cabrera, who struck out with runners at the corners against Tazawa in the eighth inning of a 1-0 loss in Game 3, hit a soft grounder to second for a double play this time. That was Detroit's last stand in this one. Craig Breslow retired slumping Prince Fielder to end the seventh and got the first out of the eighth. Then Koji Uehara got five straight outs for the save. Now Detroit turns to Scherzer, a 21-game winner, to try to extend the season. The Tigers will have Justin Verlander ready to pitch Game 7 if there is one. Detroit may be without catcher Alex Avila in Boston. He left after the top of the fourth with a strained left knee. Boston led in only four of 36 innings in the first four games, but the Red Sox won two of them. They struck early in Game 5 when Napoli's drive easily cleared the 420-foot marker in center and landed in the ivy above two rows of bushes. Sharks handed first loss in shootout Historic Barnstormer offering vintage biplane rides in a 1929 New Standard Saturday & Sunday: 19th & 20th Red Bluff Airport Rides are $75/pp and can carry up to 4 Contact Mike for more info at 760-641-7335 or email at info@nostaglicwarbirdrides.com DALLAS (AP) — Cody Eakin tied it at final 1:02 of overtime. 12:58 of the second period and rookie Alex San Jose, which scored eight power-play Chiasson scored in the shootout to lift the goals in its first six games, was 0 for 5 Dallas Stars to a 4-3 win over San Jose on against Dallas. Thursday night that ended the Sharks' perSan Jose took a 1-0 lead just 9 seconds fect start to the season. into the game. Off the opening faceoff, Tyler Chiasson was the only one of the six Kennedy skated along the right wing and skaters to score in the shootout, beating Antti shot the puck past Ellis for his first goal this Niemi by firing a shot just inside the right season. post. Dallas tied the score on Tyler Seguin's Chiasson is Dallas' leader with four goals rebound goal at 16:44. His third goal extendin six games this season. For his NHL career, ed his personal points streak to five games. he has 10 goals in 13 games. The tie lasted barely a minute. The The Sharks (6-0-1) fell one game shy of Sharks took a 2-1 lead when Matthew Nieto tying the best start in their history, last seaskated to the top of the slot and fired a shot son's 7-0 beginning. The Stars outshot San Jose 31-29 in reg- off the right post and in at 17:52. Dallas outshot San Jose 12-11 in the periulation. The Sharks took all five shots in overtime but couldn't beat goalie Dan Ellis od. Each team failed to score on two power even though Dallas was short-handed for the plays. the player was ineligible that maybe we play two, under the parameters of the three, four games with this Unlimited Eligibility Appli- young man. There are a lot (Continued from page 1B) cations bylaw. Carton said of coaches that would have young man himself is doing that eligibility rule is the one had that knowledge and let everything right. There are a that he violated, without say- us play those games anytremendous amount of rules ing specifically which excep- way." and regulations you have to tion applied in this case — Carton said he then know in this job, and I have there are 16 different excep- immediately took the steps under section to report it to the section and to get better about learning tions 207.B.(5)c. of the NSCIF the other Division I schools, them all. It's purely on me." Several Chico players Administrative Guidelines still thinking he was in the were outspoken about their that either permit or prohibit right based on his interpretadispleasure with the forfeit eligibility of a transfer stu- tion of the transfer eligibility on Twitter on Wednesday dent. rules. night, intimating that it was "I don't think people real"I was wrong," he said. Pleasant Valley staff that told ly know or appreciate the "There's not going to be any the NSCIF office about positive working relationship placing blame from my end Chico's infraction. Carton we have with each other," of things. It started with me dismissed that accusation of Carton said of the two and ends with me." gamesmanship as well, and schools. "Pam, in alerting me ——— said it was actually PV Ath- to this, did us a huge favor. letic Director Pam Jackson I'm thankful she was courteThe Chico Enterprisewho notified him directly ous enough to let me know Record's Travis Souders after the game and told him — there was the possibility contributed reporting. FORFEIT