If you figured it was only a matter of time before helmet manufacturers began pouring money into lobbying efforts as a reaction to the intensifying pressure to make youth football safer, you were right. The Associated Press reports that Riddell, the official helmet for the NFL, spent $80,000 in the first quarter of this year after spending virtually nothing on lobbying in 2010. Riddell has come under fire by some lawmakers for what they contend are false and misleading claims about their helmets’ ability to prevent head injuries.

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