When Chicago Cubs outfielder Kyle Schwarber suffered major damage to two of the four primary ligaments of his left knee this spring, his season was officially declared over.And yet, there was Schwarber in Games 1 and 2 of the World Series, back in uniform as a designated hitter, even notching two RBIs in Game 2.The Cubs organization had been pleasantly surprised when Dr. Daniel Cooper, the orthopedic surgeon who reconstructed Schwarbers ACL and repaired his LCL, gave clearance for Schwarber to participate in the Fall Classic as a DH. After all, multiligament knee reconstructions are complex; depending on the extent and location of the damage, the typical window for returning to play post-surgery starts at nine months. But, when Schwarber had his six-month checkup with Cooper, the surgeon was impressed by the stability of the knee and Schwarbers strength. Cooper gave the go-ahead for the outfielder to begin hitting and running the bases. Schwarber proved he could do both, and suddenly found himself in the lineup.After he exceeded expectations by not only returning for the start of the World Series but also by delivering at the plate, perhaps Cubs fans assumed it was only natural Schwarber would be cleared days later to play in the outfield.He was not.Team president Theo Epstein announced Thursday that Schwarber did not receive medical clearance to resume playing in the field. Just days after the social media world responded with admiration for Schwarbers work ethic and determination, there were some who expressed disappointment in the decision to keep Schwarber relegated to a potential pinch-hitting role as the series resumes at Wrigley Field.What could possibly keep someone out of the lineup when the World Series is at stake?Well, theres a reason medical decisions are left to the medical personnel familiar with the athlete and his injury. No one knows better than Cooper the detail of what was involved in reconstructing Schwarbers knee. And, since Cooper is considered one of the leading experts in multiligament knee reconstruction, his recommendations are probably worth following.For those looking for the rationale behind the decision to hold Schwarber out of playing the outfield, here are some things to consider:1. ACL grafts continue to strengthen over the first year. At six months, the ACL has not yet achieved its maximum strength.2. The ACL helps control deceleration and rotation at the knee; movements that combine the two are the most demanding on the ligament and therefore the riskiest (for example: planting and cutting laterally or jumping and landing while twisting).3. The addition of uncontrolled variables increases the level of difficulty for the athlete, thus increasing injury risk. Uneven terrain (from the outfield grass to the warning track), change-of-pace running (speeding up or slowing down while tracking a ball) and obstacles (the outfield wall or other outfielders, which is how Schwarber was originally injured) are all examples of uncontrolled variables in a game setting.4. Recent research shows that reinjury rates following ACL reconstruction decrease significantly when a return to full sports occurs at a minimum of nine months after surgery.5. A second injury would not only potentially cause Schwarber to miss another full season, but there is no guarantee his recovery would match what he has already accomplished. In other words, it could be career-threatening.Schwarber incurred some risk simply by returning to hit, run the bases and slide, but that risk was far less than what he would face playing the outfield. An athlete can practice hitting, running and sliding and can repeat the effort in virtually the same manner both when practicing and playing. There is no way to simulate every scenario an athlete would encounter in the outfield. Additional months of training -- and recovery -- are warranted before returning to the most complex activities.Decisions about returning to play following an injury are always informed by medical evidence, along with considerations of risk versus reward. Clearing Schwarber to do as much as he has already done did not come without these discussions. It is perfectly reasonable for him to have been cleared for hitting and not cleared for fielding.Schwarber is a competitive athlete. Of course he would love to be playing at full capacity in the ultimate competition. But he appears to have accepted his role and is, as he said, going to embrace it.If Schwarber and the Cubs can live with the decision, maybe everyone else should, too. Adidas Superstar Pas Cher France . The Vikings announced Thursday that Priefer will be one of seven holdovers from the previous staff, along with offensive line coach Jeff Davidson, wide receivers coach George Stewart and others. Norv Turner will mark his 30th year of coaching in the NFL as the offensive co-ordinator, as widely reported for weeks, and George Edwards will be the defensive co-ordinator. Basket Adidas Superstar Pas Cher . It was the second consecutive win for the Pacers (2-5), who lost their first five preseason games. Jeff Teague led the Hawks (1-5) with 17 points and eight assists and Al Horford had 12 points and seven rebounds. Mike Scott scored 15 of his 17 points in the second half. http://www.pascheradidassuperstar.fr/ . According to a report from the Vancouver Province, the Lions are expected to replace former DC Rich Stubler with defensive backs coach Mark Washington. Adidas Superstar Pas Cher . Andreas Johnson had a goal and two assists while Jacob de la Rose also scored for Sweden (2-0-0). Esa Lindell and Rasmus Ristolainen replied for Finland (1-1-0) Lindell opened the scoring for Finland just 41 seconds into the game, but the hosts quickly regained their composure and tied the score less than four minutes later on Wennbergs first of the game. Adidas Superstar En Soldes . Isner, ranked No. 14, won his eighth career singles title and took the title in New Zealand for the second time after his victory in 2010. The match was similar to Isners quarterfinal victory over fifth-seeded Philipp Kohlschreiber which went to three sets, all tiebreaks and contained no breaks of serve. PITTSBURGH (5-5) at INDIANAPOLIS (5-5)Thursday, 8:30 p.m. ET, NBCOPENING LINE -- Steelers by 2 1/2RECORD VS. SPREAD -- Pittsburgh 5-5, Indianapolis 5-4-1SERIES RECORD -- Steelers lead 21-6LAST MEETING -- Steelers beat Colts 45-10, Dec. 6, 2015LAST WEEK -- Steelers beat Browns 24-9; Colts beat Titans 24-17AP PRO32 RANKING -- Steelers No. 16, Colts No. 17STEELERS OFFENSE -- OVERALL (12), RUSH (23), PASS (7).STEELERS DEFENSE -- OVERALL (22), RUSH (9), PASS (26).COLTS OFFENSE -- OVERALL (14), RUSH (24), PASS (12).COLTS DEFENSE -- OVERALL (30), RUSH (24), PASS (32).STREAKS, STATS AND NOTES -- Steelers have won three straight in series and 13 of 15 since Colts moved to Indianapolis in 1984. ... Pittsburgh has lost four straight Thanksgiving Day appearances since 1983. ... Steelers have outscored Indy 96-44 in last two games. ... QB Ben Roethlisberger has thrown for three TDs vs. Colts in last two games and needs three more to tie John Elway (295) for No. 9 on NFLs career list. ... Roethlisbergers next 300-yard game will be No. 50 in career. ... WR Antonio Brown needs 93 yards to join Hines Ward as only players in franchise history with four straight 1,000-yard seasons, and one 100-yard game to break Wards career franchise record (29 games). .... Brown also is tied with Antwaan Randle El on Steelers list for most careers punt returns for touchdowns (five). ... RB LeVeon Bell needs two TD runs to tie Rocky Bleier (23) for No. 10 in franchise history. ... CB William Gay is tied with Hall of Famer Rod Woodson for most interception returns for score (six) in Steelers history. ... Pittsburgh defense had eight sacks against Cleveland last week in warmup to facing Colts team that has allowed league-high 35 sacks. ... Former Colts coach Tony Dungy and former Indy receiver Marvin Harrison will receive Hall of Fame rings during halftime ceremony.dddddddddddd ... Indy is 2-0 on Thanksgiving Day, winning at Detroit in 2004 and at Atlanta in 2007. ... Colts have won 10 straight Thursday night games since 2007. ... Indy is 35-21 in prime-time games since 2004, but 3-9 in last 12 night games, with four straight prime-time losses. ... Colts are chasing third straight win after stringing together first back-to-back wins since final two games in 2015. But QB Andrew Luck (concussion) will miss first game of season. Scott Tolzien will make first start -- and throw first regular-season pass -- since replacing injured Aaron Rodgers for Green Bay in 2013. ... Tolzien becomes Colts fifth starting quarterback (Matt Hasselbeck, Luck, Kerry Collins, Peyton Manning) to face Steelers in last five games of series. ... RB Frank Gore needs 58 yards rushing to pass Hall of Famer Tony Dorsett (12,739 yards) for No. 8 on leagues career list. ... WR T.Y. Hilton, former youth league teammate of Brown, needs 112 yards receiving for fourth straight 1,000-yard season. Harrison and Reggie Wayne are only other Colts to achieve feat. ... K Adam Vinatieri needs 13 points to extend NFL record of 100-point seasons to 19. ... Fantasy Tip: Go with Brown. Steelers receiver has torched Colts defense each of past two seasons: 18 catches, 251 yards, four TDs combined. Against NFLs worst-rated pass defense, theres no reason to suspect Colts will have answer this time, either.---For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL ' ' '