Junior Seau, presumably staring off at the farm that NBC think he lives on.

NBC has gone to great lengths to put together an informative country-by-country breakdown of the 2012 Summer Olympics, with each nation’s athletic history being profiled on the network’s Olympics website. For example: did you know that Liechtenstein does not have any athletes at the Summer Olympics and, therefore, will not contend for any medals? That’s some incredible insight right there.

Other countries obviously have a significant wealth of information available, and that’s great, because most of us probably don’t know a lot about a territory like, say, American Samoa. So what would NBC have us learn about such a place and the great athletes that it has produced?

Consists of seven small islands about halfway between Hawaii and Sydney. Located 2,300 miles southwest of Honolulu in the South Pacific Ocean and is the most southerly of all lands under American sovereignty.

Became a U.S. territory in 1900 by a treaty with the United Kingdom and Germany. Until 1951, was under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Navy. American Samoans are considered U.S. nationals, not U.S. citizens. Since 1981, has had a non-voting delegate in the U.S. House of Representatives.

The most famous person from American Samoa is the former Miami Dolphins linebacker Junior Seau, who now is now retired after playing for the New England Patriots.

I guess “retired” isn’t false. I’m just not sure that “is now retired” is the right way to describe Seau’s current situation. Perhaps “who retired after playing for the New England Patriots” might have been the better phrase to avoid using key words like “shotgun” and “chest”, but every site’s editor has his own style, so who am I to nitpick?

Meanwhile, if you’re in the market for a beachside home, Fox News is reporting with some great hyperlinking that Seau’s Oceanside house is for sale for $2.3 million. It’s a beautiful home, but you will have to get used to ESPN filming crying women outside of it every few weeks.

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According to a continually updating report from TMZ.com, former San Diego Chargers linebacker and NFL 1990s All-Decade Team member Junior Seau has been involved in a possible shooting and may be dead. Whoa.

The report:

Cops in Oceanside, CA are investigating a possible shooting involving former NFL star Junior Seau … law enforcement sources tell TMZ.

We spoke with an investigator in the coroner’s office .. who told us they got a call to respond to the scene … though the details surrounding the situation are still unclear.

Cops are currently at a residence where 43-year-old Junior is believed to be staying.

People in law enforcement are telling us Junior Seau is dead … but we are unable to confirm that right now.

And the update:

11:06 AM PDT — A man just came out of the house appearing extremely distraught … and he is now talking with law enforcement.

This is obviously the worst kind of sports news, and I think I speak for everyone when I hope it’s not as bad as it seems.

UPDATE:

Ugh, now it’s official. TMZ says Junior Seau is dead.

NFL legend Junior Seau was found dead in his home in Oceanside, CA … and a law enforcement source at the scene tells us cops believe he shot himself.

Seau was 43-years-old … and leaves behind 3 kids and an ex-wife.

Every imaginable condolence goes out to Seau’s family.

In a pro football world where wearing high-top cleats to honor the passing of Johnny Unitas can earn you a $25,000 fine, it shouldn’t come as a huge surprise that players hoping to wear red, white and blue gear on the 10th anniversary of 9/11 is a punishable offense. Chicago Bears linebacker Lance Briggs tweeted about his new patriotic Reebok gear and how he expects to be fined for wearing it. So did Kansas City Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles. So did Washington Redskins tight end Chris Cooley and Tennssee Titans quarterback Matt Hasselbeck and most of the San Diego Chargers. So whether or not the league approves, they can’t fine everybody for supporting their country … can they?

Briggs:

Reebok great job on these gloves and shoes..looks like I’m getting fined this week. Lol! By far the best fine I will ever have to pay. Thanks…Fines for gloves could be as much as 5k..the shoes 8-10k I think. not 100% on the shoe fine.

Is wearing 9/11 commemorative gear “showboating”? Is it being done to draw attention to the players who choose to break the rules? To give them more media coverage? I’m blogging about them. I think it’s a valid consideration, but when your talking point is “do I or do I not want to show respect and reverence to my country’s worst tragedy in my lifetime” I’d hope the simple gesture of fellowship and patriotism would not go hand-in-hand with the Lambeau Leap. At the same time, what are Never Forget gloves accomplishing, and isn’t there probably a better way for rich people to show their support to the victims of the attacks?

Regardless, don’t assume the league is totally heartless: the NFL and NFLPA will donate $1 million to related charities and memorials. Of course, the average NFL team is worth about $1.04 billion and ESPN just completed an eight-year extension worth as much as $1.9 billion annually with the NFL for the rights to Monday Night Football, so the issues of “how much can we give” and “how much can we take away from you” sort of go hand in hand.

[h/t Shutdown Corner]

Former college standout turned glorious NFL draft bust turned Otis from The Devil’s Rejects-style drugged-out Texas highwayman Ryan Leaf is recovering from surgery to remove a benign tumor from his brain. Leaf had surgery last week, and yes, every single report of this guy having a tumor removed from his brain features a paragraph about how he is one of the worst football players of all time. I hope the surgery was an Eternal Sunshine thing to remove the word “bust” from Ryan Leaf’s brain.

“I am looking forward to resting a bit and being with my family,” Leaf told the AP in a statement.

“This was just another bridge for me to cross, and I will continue to live each day to the fullest and give back where I can!”

Examples of Leaf giving back to date include getting a four-year $31.25 million contract with a $11.25 million signing bonus to play 21 career games and working 10 years of probation for eight felony drug charges. He also fleed to Canada and signed a contract to write three autobiographical books about his life, which I guess constitute giving back. Peyton Manning helped deliver life-saving goods to the people of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina and has a children’s hospital in Indianapolis named after him. I mean, I’m just saying.

In all seriousness, brain tumors are serious business, and absolutely no one wishes him well.

[via USA Today]

While NFL players and owners have left the league’s lockout in the hands of lawyers and judges, one faction in this cruel and malevolent tornado of greed and arrogance stands out for bravery, earnestness, sincerity, dignity, and all-around smoking hottery. I’m talking, of course, about the NFL cheerleaders. While players are restricted from using facilities or meeting with team officials, the cheerleaders have put the fan’s best interest into perspective, as a few of the league’s teams have launched their cheerleader auditions for next season in recent weeks.

The cheerleaders know that they may not have jobs next season, yet they brought in hundreds of wide-eyed and perky hopefuls to audition to become the next wiggling and writhing faces of their respective franchises, because they believe that America’s true pastime (get cheerleaders, baseball) won’t miss a single second next season. Most recently, the San Diego Chargers cheerleaders welcomed their newest additions, as did the Atlanta Falcons and the New England Patriots. And a few other teams did as well, but their web masters are apparently locked out, too (*cough* Baltimore Ravens *cough*).

Let’s pay these heroic spirit masters the respect they deserve by admiring their recent efforts in picture and video form. Also, I strongly suggest blasting Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the USA” while scrolling through this.

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We haven’t seen TV’s Tila Tequila since she was running for her life at a Gathering Of The Juggalos concert (pictured below). She’s rebounding in a big way, appearing the latest installment of “Between Two Ferns,” that one spoof show with that one guy from The Hangover. Watch as she and Zach double-team Jennifer Aniston, who I guess has a movie coming out or something.

Tequila was involved in a domestic dispute with Chargers defender Shawne Merriman (now with the Bills), who apparently restrained her after she allegedly tried to drive home from his place while intoxicated. Merriman actually spent two hours in jail over the incident, but that’s not as bad as having to play for the Bills.

“Tell Jennifer about yourself.” Oh, man. I don’t know how many people other than Zach Galifianakis can roll out the same shtick over and over and still make it unpredictably funny. And of course Aniston ruined it with a long ending. I should have come to expect that from a woman whose claim to fame was a layered haircut.

Via NY Mag and the ShareBros.