NFL Stars Donate Brains to Science

Tennessee upsets the Steelers' shot at top playoff berth

(NEWSER) - In NFL games today, New York Jets likely blew their playoff chances in a snowy loss to Seattle, while Tennessee clinched home-field advantage, AP reports:

• Seattle coach Mike Holmgren topped his former star player Brett Favre as the Jets missed several scoring chances and lost their bid to stay atop the AFC East, 13-3.
• The lowly Bills upended Denver, 30-23, as the Broncos failed to clinch a playoff berth.
• Tennessee routed the Pittsburgh Steelers 31-14 to clinch the No. 1 seed and home-field advantage for the playoffs.
• With a 42-7 loss to the New Orleans Saints, the Detroit Lions became the first team ever to go 0-15.

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»

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»

Indy handles the Ravens, and New Orleans routs Arizona

(AP) - The Indianapolis Colts and the New Orleans Saints are moving on in the playoffs. Peyton Manning led Indy to a methodical 20-3 win over the Baltimore Ravens and will play the winner of tomorrow's Jets-Chargers game for the AFC title. New Orleans, meanwhile, got big performances from Reggie Bush and Drew Brees and routed Arizona 45-14. The Saints will host the NFC title game for the first time in franchise history, playing the winner of the Cowboys-Vikings matchup. More»

(NEWSER) - When Willis McGahee was wheeled off the field during the AFC championship game, “it was impossible not to fear the worst,” writes Wendy MacLeod in the Washington Post. And when she tried to find his status online, she turned up a YouTube video entitled, “McGahee Gets ‘Jacked Up’ … Hardest Hit Ever!” It’s hard not to conclude that “we've become like the jaded spectators who watched the gladiators in ancient Rome.” More»