Athletes Put Lives on the Line

(NEWSER) - A sixth former NFL player has been diagnosed posthumously with a rare brain disease, lending credence to claims that concussions sustained playing football can have a cumulative, even deadly, effect, the Tampa Tribune reports. Tom McHale, who played for the Buccaneers, died from an overdose of painkillers and cocaine in May. But doctors think his poor judgment could have been the result of chronic traumatic encephalopathy, commonly associated with boxers. More»

Roethlisberger risks losing far more than just a football game

(NEWSER) - Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger plans to start Sunday’s playoff game despite having sustained a concussion on the final day of the regular season, and he and the people aiding and abetting that foolhardy decision need a wake-up call. “Ben Roethlisberger is not brave,” Charles P. Pierce writes for OT, the Boston Globe’s weekly sports magazine. “Ben Roethlisberger is a moron.” 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»

Scientists focus on effect of repeat injuries

(NEWSER) - Celebrated Bears safety Dave Duerson killed himself this week at age 50, and his family is donating his brain to science to see whether his suicide may have been related to concussions and brain injuries received as a player. "He had informed (his family) at some point that he wanted his brain to be studied so people could learn more about the effect of brain trauma and so kids could play the game more safely in the future," a co-director of the Boston University School of Medicine tells the Chicago Tribune. More»

2nd complaint claims the NFL covered up concussion dangers

(NEWSER) - Another lawsuit is being leveled against the NFL over brain damage suffered by former players. Ex-Miami Dolphins team members Patrick Surtain and Oronde Gadsden, along with 19 other players, have filed suit in Miami and are charging that the NFL deliberately omitted or concealed evidence connecting concussions to long-term neurological problems, reports the AP . The NFL has reacted by denying wrongdoing, as it did against a similar lawsuit lodged earlier this week. More»