Domestic Violence Linked to Football Upsets

Three ex-athletes want league to monitor all ex-players

(NEWSER) - Three retired football players are suing the NFL because they say they got banged up so much in their playing days it left them with brain injuries. They want the league to set up a program to monitor the problem among all former players, reports Bloomberg . The three former athletes—Harry Jacobs, Jerome Barkum, and Tommy Mason—each suffer from brain injuries caused by frequent tackles during their careers, according to the federal lawsuit. They're also seeking unspecified personal-injury compensation. More»

Tampa, Chicago will play league's fifth regular-season game at Wembley

(AP) - With the lockout over, the NFL will return to London for a fifth straight year. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will play the Chicago Bears at Wembley Stadium on Oct. 23 in the fifth regular-season game in the British capital. The game had been under threat because of negotiations over a new labor agreement between the league and its locked-out players. The two sides announced a 10-year labor deal yesterday to end the dispute. More»

Team has sued 125 fans, made $2 million

(NEWSER) - Over the last 5 years, the Washington Redskins have won $2 million in judgments after suing 125 season ticket holders who wanted out of their multiyear contracts, the Washington Post reports. Many say they’re loyal fans who simply fell on hard times, but the Redskins insist that lawsuits are a last resort. "We are supposed to pay our bills,” says one distraught fan forced into bankruptcy by the team's actions. “I ain't trying to get out of anything." 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.