Steelers' D Shackles Patriots

Fellow players witness media circus

(NEWSER) - Newly-minted New York Jet Tim Tebow's locker room was open to reporters for the first time yesterday, and they pounced. "It’s like shark feeding, man," said Josh Baker, a reserve tight end who, possibly unfortunately, occupies the locker next to Tebow's. Surrounded by dozens of reporters, Tebow told the press that "there’s a lot that’s exciting about being a Jet," the New York Times reports. "I’m just trying to be a little piece to try to help this team win a few games." More»

Brain injuries associated with other players' early deaths

(NEWSER) - Doctors will inspect Junior Seau's brain for any evidence of injury from his football days, following an agreement with his family. Several early deaths among football players have pointed to brain injury, the Los Angeles Times notes. "The family was considering this almost from the beginning, but they didn't want to make any emotional decisions," says the San Diego Chargers chaplain. Finally, "they came to a joint decision that absolutely this was the best thing." More»

To look for signs of repeated head trauma

(NEWSER) - Did Junior Seau have football-related brain damage? The Boston University Center for Traumatic Encephalopathy wants to look at his brain to find out, Peter King reports on Twitter today. The Center has studied the brains of a number of deceased football players, and almost every time it's found evidence of repeated head trauma, according to Pro Football Talk , which suspects that a Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy diagnosis on Seau would be a " watershed moment ." More»

Championship team hit by tragedy time and time again

(NEWSER) - Junior Seau’s death is just the latest tragedy in the sad history of the 1994 San Diego Chargers. That team—the only Chargers team to make it to the Super Bowl—has seen seven other deaths. CNN has the rundown:

• 1995: Linebacker David Griggs, 28, dies in a car crash.
• 1996: Running back Rodney Culver, 26, dies in a plane crash.
• 1998: Linebacker Doug Miller, 28, dies after being struck by lightning.

Jonathan Vilma banned for the season

(NEWSER) - The NFL isn't just coming down on the coaches in the New Orleans Saints bounty scandal : Four players were suspended without pay today, ESPN reports. Linebacker Jonathan Vilma is suspended for the entire season, while defensive tackle Anthony Hargrove (now a Green Bay Packer) received an eight-game suspension, defensive end Will Smith four games, and linebacker Scott Fujita (now a Cleveland Brown) three games. Vilma and Smith are alleged to have helped Gregg Williams create and fund the program, Fujita and Vilma are alleged to have pledged significant funds to it, and Hargrove—who eventually admitted to the NFL that he was a part of the program—is accused of obstructing the NFL investigation into the matter. More»