No Charges for Merriman in Tequila Incident: DA

Reality star savages NFL player via Twitter

(NEWSER) - Reality star Tila Tequila turned to Twitter today to tell her side of Saturday’s run-in with NFL star Shawne Merriman, writing that she’s “allergic” to alcohol and so couldn't have been drunk at the time he allegedly choked her. She also takes a jab at Chargers linebacker Merriman, suspended last season for using performance-enhancing drugs: “Steroid use makes people act aggressive … known fact.” More»

Shawne Merriman accused of choking her

(NEWSER) - Police arrested San Diego Chargers linebacker Shawne Merriman today after he allegedly choked his reality-TV star girlfriend, Tila Tequila, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports. She signed a complaint charging Merriman with battery and false imprisonment, and said he choked her when she tried to leave their house this morning. Tequila, whose real name is Tila Nguyen, is known for her now-canceled dating show, A Shot at Love with Tila Tequila. 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»

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.

Nick Novak confesses to peeing mid-game

(NEWSER) - A missed kick wasn’t the only embarrassment for the San Diego Chargers’ Nick Novak in a game this weekend. CBS cameras provided a shot of the man peeing on the sidelines, the New York Daily News notes. When reporters asked Novak about the incident, he wasn’t bashful. “I usually go two or three times a game,” he said. “If guys pay attention to that, you’ll see quite a few guys go to the bathroom.” More»