The Florida Panthers have acquired forward Jarred Smithson from the Nashville Predators, according to the Associated Press.

The trade was announced Friday, and Nashville will get a sixth-round draft pick in the 2012 draft in return.

Smithson appeared in 497 games for the Predators, which is sixth in franchise history.

Major League Baseball has asserted that the collector of Ryan Braun’s urine sample “acted in a professional and appropriate manner,” Yahoo! Sports reported Friday.

“The extremely experienced collector in Mr. Braun’s case acted in a professional and appropriate manner,” MLB executive vice president Rob Manfred said in a statement. “He handled Mr. Braun’s sample consistent with instructions issued by our jointly retained collection agency. The Arbitrator found that those instructions were not consistent with certain language in our program, even though the instructions were identical to those used by many other drug programs – including the other professional sports and the World Anti-Doping Agency.”

Despite the MLB’s statement, Braun is still not convinced that the sample was handled properly.

“I honestly don’t know what happened to it for that 44-hour period,” Braun said, according to the report.

The New York Jets will reportedly give outside linebacker Aaron Maybin a first-round restricted free agent tender, a source has told the New York Daily News.

The estimated value for the one-year tender will be between $2.5-2.75 million, according to the Daily News. As a result of the tender, another team would have to award the Jets their first-round pick in the 2012 draft if they were to sign Maybin.

The Jets will also have the right to match any contract offer given Maybin, as he is an unrestricted free agent.

Last season  Maybin had 11 tackles and six sacks in 13 games. Throughout the past two seasons with the Bills and the Jets, he has had 35 tackles, six sacks and five forced fumbles.

Rams head coach Jeff Fisher said today that St. Louis would not be trading Sam Bradford, according to USA Today.

Fisher addressed comments about a particular Bradford trade at the scouting combine saying, “That wouldn’t be an option.”

Bradford, 24, was the first overall pick in the 2010 NFL draft. In his rookie season he threw for 3,512 yards and 18 touchdowns en route to being named the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. In 2011, he threw for just six touchdowns and 2,164 yards.

“He’s an outstanding person, (and) he’s very, very talented athletically,” Fisher said.

Newly acquired Angels hurler C.J. Wilson has yet to bring his game to the mound in Los Angeles, but in this Funny or Die original, the All-Star demonstrates that he is already trying to show off his dance moves in his new city.

Wilson is well known for his many interests outside of baseball such as car racing, music, art, and books.

The NFL is considering implementing a 40-yard race for future NFL Combine prospects in addition to a strength competition, according to The New York Times.

The goal of the potential changes, according to The Times, would be to give the viewers a less monotonous experience than watching simple routine exercises.

“We would not want to do something that was just good for television, or just good for the fans, if it were at the expense of either the football evaluation or the players’ preparation,” said Eric Grubman, executive vice president of N.F.L. ventures and business operations, told the Times. “It’s a balancing act. The combine works.”

“When you make it interesting, people want to see it,” Grubman said. “When you let them in, it gets bigger. When it gets bigger, other people want to be there. It goes from football media, who are attracted to it because it’s such a pure event, to popular media, to sponsors because fans are watching.”

Currently the potential draftees are given the opportunity to participate in the 40-yard-dash (with no completion), the bench press, the vertical jump, the broad jump, the three-cone-drill, the 20 yard shuttle, and the 60 yard shuttle.

NBC’s Jimmy Fallon jumped on the Jeremy Lin craze as he parodied Peal Jam’s “Jeremy” in one of his patented musical impersonations.

In January, Fallon also did a remix of a famous David Bowie song to create a new character, Tim Tebowie. 

Carolina Panthers tight-end Jeremy Shockey will return to play in 2012, according to ProFootballTalk.

While some previous reports from team officials made Shockey’s NFL future unclear, sources with knowledge of the situation told ProFootballTalk that the Pro Bowler “isn’t calling it quits.”

Shockey, a 10-year veteran, will be a free agent in March. Last season for the Panthers, he had 37 receptions for 455 yards and four touchdowns. For his career he has had 547 receptions for 6,143 yards and has 37 touchdowns.

Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow and Limp Bizkit headliner Fred Durst reportedly had dinner Wednesday night at Craig’s restaurant in Hollywood, according to Fox Sports.

While Tebow often takes the opportunity to spread the word of God, and Durst, during his hey-day, was known for encouraging fans to “break stuff,” the two apparently have developed a friendship. Fox reports that the two met while Tebow was playing at University of Florida.

“Fred has been a fan of Tim’s since he played at Florida,” A source told Fox Sports. “Fred is from Florida and used to go watch Tim play.”

Tebow emerged to stardom this season when helped the Broncos win six games in a row, and he was 7-4 overall as the team’s starter in the regular season. Through 14 games last year, he threw for a 46.5 completion percentage, 12 touchdowns and six interceptions. He also ran for 660 yards and six touchdowns.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Spike Lee made peace in Miami after a racially insensitive tweet by Mayweather about New York Knicks guard Jeremy Lin sparked an online rift between the two, according to Fox Sports.

Lee and Mayweather were both present at AmericanAirlines Arena during last night’s Miami Heat victory over the New York Knicks. According to a tweet from Lee, the two settled their differences.

Floyd Mayweather And I Had A Great Conversation Courtside.We're MAD COOL.ALL LOVE.2 Brotha's.YA-DIG yfrog.com/gyylvaij

—
Spike Lee (@SpikeLee) February 24, 2012

Mayweather caused a stir online earlier this month when he tweeted, “Jeremy Lin is a good player, but all the hype is because he’s Asian … Black players do what he does every night and don’t get the same praise.”

Lee, in particular, took exception to the tweet. Replying later, “Floyd Mayweather I Hope You Watched Jeremy Hit The Gamewinning 3 Pointer With .005 Seconds Left.Our Guy Can BALL PLAIN AND SIMPLE.RECOGNIZE.”

The Knicks lost 102-88 to the Heat with Mayweather on hand.

Wizards center JaVale McGee has drawn attention for a variety of things, both on and off the court this year, that have little to do with helping Washington win basketball games.

Earlier this season he was scolded by his former coach Flip Saunders for throwing an alley-oop to himself off of the backboard during a fast break in a game the team ultimately lost. He also was mocked by many blogs for an incident last month when he sprinted back on defense while his team still had possession of the ball.

Now a video is circulating of the 24-year-old singing along to pop-sing Adele while driving in his car:

Dallas Mavericks’ guard Vince Carter hosted a $30,000-per-person fundraising event for President Barack Obama according to Star Telegram.

According to reports, about 70 guests, including Obama himself, gathered to show support for the upcoming presidential campaign. Among other basketball figures in attendance were commissioner David Stern, Magic Johnson, Alonzo Mourning, Marc Cuban, and Chris Paul.

Obama thanked Stern for helping to resolve the NBA labor battle which threatened to cancel the 2011-12 season.

“I don’t know what I would be doing with myself if I at least didn’t have some basketball games around,” Obama said, according to the Star Telegram.

John Elway provided Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow with his strongest endorsement to date, according to USA Today.

“He added a great spark for us, and we really had some good things happen to us. I was really happy with his progress,” Elway said

“Tim’s gonna be the guy for a long, long time.”

As recently as late November, Elway’s confidence in the second-year quarterback’s ability to play a significant role in the team’s plans were not high. In an interview on Nov. 20 with 102.3 FM in Denver when asked if he saw Tebow as the team’s future starting quarterback, he simply said, “no.”

“I think obviously [Tim Tebow] is making progress week in and week out,” Elway continued, “When you look at our third down numbers, those have to improve. I mean, that’s the bottom line. We can’t go 3-for-13 and win a world championship. Those are the type of things we have to keep improving.”

Tebow helped the Broncos win six games in a row, and was 7-4 as the team’s starter in the regular season. Through 14 games last season, the 24-year-old threw for a 46.5 completion percentage, 12 touchdowns and six interceptions. He also ran for 660 yards and six touchdowns.

The Chicago Bears are set to resume contract talks with star running back Matt Forte, according to ESPN.com.

The two sides had been working toward a contract extension under previous Bears general manager Jerry Angelo. Angelo was fired this offseason, however it is reported that the talks will again resume under newly hired general manager Phil Emery.

Last season Forte ran for 997 yards before spraining his MCL in a loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 13.

Prior to the injury he was averaging a career high 4.9 yards per carry. In 2008-09 he ran for a career high 1238 yards and eight touchdowns, but only averaged 3.9 yards per carry.

Ryan Zimmerman has told reporters that he is close to a contract extension with the Washington Nationals, according to Tim Kurkjian of ESPN.

Ryan Zimmerman just told us that he is close to a contract extension with the Nationals

—
Tim Kurkjian (@Kurkjian_ESPN) February 24, 2012

The 27-year-old third baseman had given the Nationals until Saturday to come to terms on an agreement for a deal that would keep him in Washington well into his 30’s. While he is still under contract through the 2013 season, he has said he doesn’t want negotiations to impact his play during the regular season.

It was initially believed that Zimmerman would seek a Troy Tulowitzki sized contract extension, however, recent reports indicate that he may be willing to take less to give the team a hometown discount. Zimmerman grew up in Virginia and played his college ball for UVA.

Some reports have said that the only thing getting in the way of finalizing a deal is an agreement on a no-trade clause.

Atlanta Braves third baseman Chipper Jones confronted internet rumors yesterday that he had gained weight over the offseason.

“I’m also fat now, from what I hear,” Jones told the Atlanta Journal Constitution. ““I’m a little worried, this is the first time I’ve ever been called fat.”

Thing is, I’m seven pounds lighter than I’ve ever been in camp, and now I’m fat,” Jones said. “I weigh 226, 227. Usually I’m 235.”

Rumors had circulated that the 39-year-old All-Star had gotten “fat” after an Associated Press photographer published an unflattering image of Jones wearing a baggy shirt. According to Jones’ defenders, the photo looked like he had gained mass around his midsection because it was a windy day and he was wearing a loose fitting shirt.

You can see the photo here.

The 39-year-old hit .275/.344/.470 last season with 18 home runs and 70 RBI. Over the course of his career, he has hit .304/.402/.533 with 454 home runs and 2387 hits.

Minnesota Twins slugger Justin Morneau told the Star Tribune that his reoccurring problems with concussions could end his career.

“Well, I don’t think there will be a career if it’s something I’m dealing with,’’ he told the paper. “That’s the reality of the whole thing. I’m obviously not going to continue to mess around with this if it continues to be a problem. There comes a point where you can only torture yourself for so long.

“It’s something I love to do but you keep preparing and you keep being left out, that’s something that nobody wants to go through. Obviously it’s been a tough winter that way. I try not to think about that kind of stuff. Obviously it’s crossed my mind and it’s something I’ve had to think about but when that stuff comes into my mind I continue to look for something positive, and look how far I’ve come in the last week or in the last month and just hope it continues to go well.”

Morneau missed the entire second half of the 2010 season after suffering a concussion July 7 of that year. Prior to the injury he had been voted a starter to the American League All-Star team, and was batting .345/.437/.618 with 18 home runs and 56 RBI in just 81 games. In 2011, he only managed to play in 69 games due to post-concussion symptoms.

Morneau was named the American League Most Valuable Player in 2006 at the age of 25 when he hit .321/.375/.559 with 34 home runs and 130 RBI.

Los Angeles Lakers center Andrew Bynum will receive a Synvisc injection into his right knee Friday, according to the Los Angeles Lakers’ official blog.

The injection, described as a “normal and continuing treatment to maintain (his) knee’s health,” is intended to lubricate his knee.

Bynum has suffered multiple knee injuries throughout his career and has been forced to undergo multiple surgeries. As a result, the seven-footer has not played more than 65 games in a season cine 2006-07 when he was 19-years-old.

In 30 games this season, Bynum is averaging career highs in points, rebounds, and minutes played.

Former NFL star Terrell Owens will make his Indoor Football League debut Saturday night, according to the team’s official website.

The Wranglers will play their first game of the season, at home, against the Witchita Wild. According to ProFootballTalk, the game will be televised on ESPN3.

Owens was signed by the Wranglers in a deal that gave him 50% ownership of the team, and he can make as much as $500,000 this season.

Owens, who turned 38 in December, did not play in the NFL last season. He had 72 catches for 983 yards in 2010 for the Cincinnati Bengals, then underwent surgery for a torn ACL in April 2011. He was medically cleared to play in 2011 but remained unsigned.

The Miami Dolphins have won a coin flip against the Carolina Panthers to earn the eighth overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, according to the Dolphins’ official website.

“I think it makes a big difference,” Dolphins general manager Jeff Ireland said. “I’ve never been into a draft where I didn’t feel like if you’re at the 10th pick there are nine players and if you’re the 22nd pick there’s usually 20 players so you’re usually right behind it. So the higher up the board I can get, as long as it’s with the flip of a coin, I’ll take it.”

The Panthers and the Dolphins both finished the 2011 season with a 6-10 record, and were also deadlocked in all other traditional tiebreakers. Last season Carolina owned the No. 1 overall pick and selected the eventual NFL Rookie of the Year, Cam Newton. Miami had the No. 15 pick last year.

Instead of a traditional United States quarter, a custom coin was flipped. On one side was the Miami Dolphins’ logo, on the other was the Carolina Panthers’ logo.

David Stern has been the commissioner of the NBA for 28 years now, overseeing the rise and fall of Michael Jordan, Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant and countless other superstars. But never before, he said today, has he seen anything quite like the frenzy surrounding Jeremy Lin.

“I haven’t done a computation,” Stern told the AP today. “But it’s fair to say that no player has created the interest and the frenzy in this short period of time, in any sport, that I’m aware of like Jeremy Lin has.”

Lin’s popularity has grown astronomically in the two-plus weeks since he became the New York Knicks’ starting point guard. The top five videos on NBA.com since Feb. 4 are all Lin; Lin’s following on the Chinese networking site Sina is now over 1 million. Stern said today that he’s “never quite seen anything like” the attention on Lin.

“It’s fascinating,” the commissioner noted.

After a career year with the Seattle Seahawks in 2011, running back Marshawn Lynch is now guaranteed to remain in town for at least one more season. Seahawks GM John Schneider confirmed that the team will either re-sign Lynch or franchise him this spring.

“We’re having great discussions,” Schneider told the Seattle Post-Intelligencer today. “There’s no animosity at all. It’s good dialogue.”

Lynch rushed for career highs of 1,204 yards and 12 touchdowns last year in his first full season with the Seahawks, making just over $3 million. He’s due for a huge raise — if the Seahawks franchise him this spring, he will make nearly $8 million next season.

Lynch is far from the only free agent on the Seahawks’ to-do list this offseason — they’re also working on defensive end Red Bryant, linebacker David Hawthorne, fullback Michael Robinson, linebacker Leroy Hill and tight end John Carlson.

“Things are going well,” Schneider said. “There’s no panic. We want Red back. We want Marshawn back. If they decide to go somewhere else, that’s a bummer. But they know how we feel about them and they know we’ve been busting our tails trying to get them signed.”

A collective sigh of relief was heard around Wisconsin tonight as Ryan Braun was exonerated of allegations of performance-enhancing drug use — and perhaps no one was more relieved than Doug Melvin, the GM of Braun’s Milwaukee Brewers.

“As a general manager, you’re pretty excited to know that we have one of the best player in the game, MVP, back in the lineup,” Melvin said in an interview with Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee-Wisconsin Journal Sentinel. “To end the long wait … started to get a little impatient. But we stayed patient with the entire process and let it serve its course.”

Braun tested positive for PEDs in October, and the result was leaked Dec. 10. Braun was initially suspended for 50 games, but he appealed the suspension and was finally able to overturn it today.

“We knew that it would be a lengthy process, probably a little bit longer than we had anticipated,” Melvin said. “It hasn’t been done, I don’t think, before, so in that regard, the first time, I think it was new to everybody. We did make some decisions as a front office with our ballclub, but we also didn’t want to overreact, because we really did trust Ryan.”

The reigning NL MVP will now be back in the Brewers’ lineup on Opening Day. Braun hit .332 for the Brew Crew last season with 33 home runs and 111 RBIs.

The Columbus Blue Jackets have been working the phones all season on a blockbuster trade, and now it appears they’ve pulled one off: Jeff Carter is headed to the Los Angeles Kings, according to TSN hockey insider Bob McKenzie.

Jeff Carter has been traded to LAK for Jack Johnson and 1st round pick. Pending a medical tomorrow.

—
Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) February 24, 2012

The Blue Jackets, who rank dead last in the NHL with 43 points in 60 games, have been shopping Carter and Rick Nash in advance of Monday’s trade deadline. By dealing Carter to L.A., they’ve unloaded a former All-Star who hasn’t worked out in Columbus.

The Kings gain a valuable scorer for the stretch run. Carter has scored 15 goals with 10 assists this season; his presence might turn the Kings into true contenders in a competitive Western Conference.

Pittsburgh Penguins star Sidney Crosby remains out with concussion-like symptoms, but there is encouraging news — the Pens’ captain skated with his teammates today for the second time in less than a week, according to the AP.

Crosby participated in the non-contact portion of today’s hour-long session, but Penguins coach Dan Bylsma said there’s no change in Crosby’s status. It remains uncertain when the 24-year-old center will play again. Crosby remains hopeful he will return sometime this season.

Crosby has played in just eight games this season, compiling two goals and 10 assists. He last played in a loss to the Boston Bruins on Dec. 5.

Philadelphia Phillies second baseman Chase Utley has battled knee injuries for the last 12 months, but he said today at Phils spring training that he’s feeling better and looking forward to a healthy 2012 season.

“It feels significantly better,” Utley told the AP. “Last year it was very uncomfortable, especially the first week. Right now, I think I’m in a good place. The goal for me is to kind of stay in the same place and improve in small increments and not try to irritate it to the point where I’d have to slow down.

Utley was diagnosed last February with patellar tendinitis, bone inflammation and chondromalacia (pain due to irritation under the kneecap). He played through the pain and saw action in 103 games last year, but it was one of the least productive seasons of his career. Utley batted just .259 with 11 home runs.

“I’m always looking for ways to improve. I haven’t come to the conclusion that I need to change things,” Utley said. “I think what I’m doing now is putting me on track to contribute like I have in the past.”

Kevin Kolb is currently the quarterback of the Arizona Cardinals, but the Cards’ front office is doing little to quell the rumors that Peyton Manning remains a possibility for next season.

“We’re about opportunities to get better,” Arizona GM Rod Graves said today, according to CBS. “Everyone out there associated with our team understands that this is a competitive game, and we’re all looking to get better. So if those opportunities present themselves, so be it. Otherwise we’ve got an outstanding group of quarterbacks right now.”

Kolb went 3-6 last season as the Cardinals’ starter — he threw for 1,955 yards, nine touchdowns and interceptions but was shut down late in the season with an injury. John Skelton stepped in for Kolb and won five of the Cards’ last seven games. Both Kolb and Skelton remain under contract.

“We believe we can win with those quarterbacks,” Graves said. “We’re preparing as if they’re going to be the group we’re working with, and we’ll see what other opportunities present themselves if that happens.”

Kolb, like Manning, is due a hefty bonus from his current team in March. If the Cardinals keep Kolb past March 17, they owe him a cool $7 million.

San Francisco Giants ace Tim Lincecum was sidelined at spring training due to back tightness earlier this week, but the young righty now says he’s throwing again and feeling healthy.

“A couple of days ago I felt something in my back and figured why press it,” Lincecum told the Associated Press after a bullpen session today. “I don’t have to get ready for another month and a half, so I just let my body readjust itself. I threw today and felt great.”

Lincecum went 13-14 last season with a 2.74 ERA, striking out 220 in 217 innings of work, making 32-plus starts for the fourth consecutive season. He said today that he still sees room for improvement in 2012.

“I want to throw more strike ones,” Lincecum said. “I want to get back to using my fastball to control the strike zone.”

Joe Torre and his business partner Rick Caruso have withdrawn their bid to purchase the Los Angeles Dodgers, according to a report today from Bill Shaikin of the L.A. Times.

Sources told Shaikin that owner Frank McCourt’s refusal to include the Dodger Stadium parking lots in the sale was a major sticking point — it’s been speculated that McCourt plans to keep the lots and build on them.

It’s unlikely that the former Dodgers manager will reenter the bidding war to purchase the team. While Torre and Caruso believed the parking lots to be negotiable, McCourt has said he has at least one bid that would allow him to keep the lots.

Caruso is perhaps best known for the Grove and Americana shopping and entertainment complexes in Los Angeles.

New York Jets management addressed the media today and gave an answer to the question on everyone’s minds — who’s the quarterback next season, Mark Sanchez or Peyton Manning?

Well, more like a non-answer. Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum and coach Rex Ryan believe in Sanchez, according to an ESPN report, but they’re also leaving the door open to explore other options.

“We believe in Mark,” Tannenbaum said. “I think he is going to continue being a winning NFL quarterback that has started and won a lot of games for the Jets, and we are excited that he is here. But with that said, just philosophically, my general approach is when there are opportunities for the team, I have a fiduciary duty to the team to look into it. The day I got hired I meant what I said, every rock, every day. We look at every opportunity every day to get better.”

Manning is still under contract with the Indianpolis Colts, but speculation abounds that the Colts may choose to unload Manning soon rather than pay him the $28 million bonus that triggers on March 8. If that happens, the Jets may look into acquiring the veteran QB.

Ryan insists that while the Jets are willing to explore the Manning possibility, that doesn’t mean they’ve lost faith in Sanchez.

“In my opinion, we have the best corner [Darrelle Revis] in the history of football along with Deion Sanders and we are still looking at a million corners,” Ryan said. “We also have Antonio Cromartie. We have a great group of corners, but that doesn’t mean we are not going to do our due diligence and look at every possibility regardless of the position.”

When Chris Paul landed in Los Angeles this past December, traded from the New Orleans Hornets to the Clippers in a preseason blockbuster, he had one year left on his contract and a big decision to make about his future. Now, he says, that decision is a done deal — he wants to pick up his option and stay for another season.

“[The decision] didn’t take long,” Paul said today in an interview with Jim Rome. “It didn’t take long at all. When you go to play somewhere for a season, it always helps to be around good people. Blake Griffin definitely changed the culture around here, and DeAndre Jordan, this is a great group of guys. Not only is basketball going well, but this is a great group of guys.”

Paul has quickly vaulted the Clippers into the national spotlight — a laughingstock last season, the Clips are now atop the Pacific Division at 20-11, regarded as a serious threat to represent the West in the NBA Finals. Paul is averaging 19.2 points, 8.6 assists and 2.3 steals per game and making a real case for his first MVP.

The Clips currently have Paul under a max contract, making $17.8 million this season. Next year, they’ll be shelling out even more.

Perhaps the only athlete in Wisconsin more popular than Ryan Braun, Aaron Rodgers, took to Twitter to express his happiness that the reigning National League Most Valuable Player won his appeal against a 50-game suspension. 

#exonerated

—
Aaron Rodgers (@AaronRodgers12) February 23, 2012

MLB and cable sports tried to sully the reputation of an innocent man. Picked the wrong guy to mess with. Truth will set u free #exonerated

—
Aaron Rodgers (@AaronRodgers12) February 23, 2012

When its guilty until proven innocent, all u need are the facts. #howsthecrowmlb #exonerated

—
Aaron Rodgers (@AaronRodgers12) February 23, 2012

Reigning National League Most Valuable Player Ryan Braun has won his appeal of a 50-game suspension, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

A source has told the paper that a three-man panel voted 2-1 to overturn the positive test for a banned substance. Braun reportedly appealed not against the result of the test, but on the testing process itself. With the initial suspension overturned, Braun will be eligible to play opening day for the Brewers.

Braun had tested positive for a banned substance in October. In 2011 the 28-year-old was named the National League Most Valuable Player after hitting .332/.397/.597 with 33 home runs and 111 RBI.

A Jeremy Lin signed rookie card auctioned off for $21,580 on eBay, according to Yahoo! Sports.

“I saw a lot of potential in him,” Yair Rozmaryn, the eBay seller told ESPN on Wednesday.

The rookie card was sold  by Yair Rozmaryn, a card collector in Manhattan, who originally bought the card for $1,000 from another collector on eBay two weeks ago. At that time, Lin was had yet to become an international phenom.

Jeremy Lin was passed up by two teams including the Golden State Warriors and Houston Rockets before being claimed by the New York Knicks off waivers.  In his last 11 games, Lin is averaging 23.9 points and 9.2 assists.

Tregg Duerson, the son of deceased NFL  star Dave Duerson, is suing the NFL over the league’s handling of his father’s concussions, according to the New York Times.

Duerson’s claiming that the brain disease that his father developed was the result of the concussions he sustained during his playing career, which ultimately caused him to commit suicide.

Sustaining multiple concussions during his playing days in the NFL, Duerson developed chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a progressive disorder caused by repeated trauma which can lead to cognitive dysfunction, depression and lack of impulse control.  The same disease is consistent in a number of former NFL players.  Along with Duerson’s son, hundreds of retired NFL players, who have also acquired disorders resulting from alleged mismanaged concussions, are suing the league.

In Duerson’s ten-year NFL career, he was a four-time Pro Bowler and a two-time Super Bowl champion with the Chicago Bears and New York Giants.