It's takes no stretch of the imagination to come to the general conclusion that the number of heavy hits professional football players take are hazardous to their health. The Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy has studied the brains of 5 former NFL players after their (early) deaths and discovered brain damage that's commonly associated with boxers. Twelve professional athletes, including six NFL players, have agreed to donate their brains to the center after their deaths to help the center with its study of the long-term effects of concussions, which published studies connect with cognitive impairment and depression. The NFL says that "in regard to its players, the long-term effects of concussions are uncertain." [NYT]

Venus and Serena met during the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open yesterday, and Serena beat her big sister, pictured above. Venus won Wimbledon this year and just snagged a doubles gold medal with her sis at the Olympics, so things obviously could be worse for her.

Wherein you, the readers, talk amongst yourselves.

Sports, with the notable exception of the Olympics and University of Virginia football/basketball, are not my thing. Are you sports fans? Which ones do you watch?

• Michelle Obama doesn't know what she's wearing tonight. National emergency! [People]

• The Australians have decided to lighten up and let Snoop into their country. I mean, if they allowed K-Ci and Jo Jo past customs, then it's only fair. [EUR]

• Scary Spice is getting a $400,000 payment from OK! magazine to renew her vows with her duck-killing husband. It ain't Vivienne and Knox money, but it pays the bills. [SP]

• Remind me to never get on Faith Evans' bad side. [NYP]

• US Boxing is not exactly a force to be reckoned with. [BV]

The Olympics are over. If you have been reading Stereohyped for the last two weeks, I'm sure you know that it saddens me greatly. In honor of the "Redeem Team's" gold-medal win over Spain, here's a clip of 1992's infamous Dream Team. Goodbye, Olympics.

Because Slate just had to find out why more white people aren't winning sprinting medals, the folks there turned to the old argument that people of West African descent are genetically predisposed to running better than whites. Culture — which affects the racial makeup of champions in sports from track to water polo — is mentioned, but the focus is on genetics. Now what? Once again assured that they are at some sort of genetic disadvantage, white runners can feel better about losing? [Racialicious]

It might come as a huge shock to some of you longtime readers, but I don't much care for sports. The Olympics are a very notable exception. I'll sit in front of the television and enjoy the most random event that I wouldn't dream of watching any other time. This is one reason why NBC is making crazy money off of these games — the dedication of only-during-the-Olympics sports fans like myself.

But enough about me, what about the athletes? We all know the Lebrons, the Kobes, and the Serenas — they're excellent athletes, they're famous, and, unlike many of their Olympic colleagues, they get more than one chance every four years to do their thing when millions are watching. Today and next week, we'll highlight some (relatively) lesser-known Olympic-medal hopefuls.

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At the 2000 Olympics, the U.S. won the men's 1,600 meter relay. That win doesn't matter much anymore, since the International Olympic Committee has ordered team members to give their medals back. Team member Antonio Pettigrew pulled a Marion Jones and admitted that he was doping at the time, and now everyone, including track superstar Michael Johnson (he's got medals to spare), has to hand over their golds. Johnson said he would willingly give up his medal and that he felt cheated and betrayed by Pettigrew's testimony. As for the other guys on the team, well, they can't really judge:

Three of the four runners from the relay final have been tainted by drugs. Alvin Harrison accepted a four-year ban in 2004 after admitting he used performance enhancers. Calvin Harrison tested positive for a banned stimulant in 2003 and was suspended for two years. Young was banned for life for doping violations.

[LAT]

LeBron James graces the cover of next week's Time, and it's a far more flattering photo than the last James cover that made headlines. Surely, you know what I'm talking about. In the issue, which tells us the 100 athletes "to watch," James makes a promise that, after that humbling bronze medal win four years ago in Athens, the men's basketball team would definitely bring home the gold medal at the Olympics this year.

Newly-minted Vogue model Toccara Jones hit the red carpet for last night's Justin-Timberlake-hosted ESPY awards. Despite the occasional "television personality" and actor — Forest Whitaker and Samuel L. Jackson were in attendance — the red carpet was mostly populated by impossibly tall NBA players and their dates/girlfriends/wives, who all looked like little people or children posing with their daddies, despite their five-inch platforms. Pics after the jump.

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Sports columnists are touting the men's and women's Wimbledon's finals this weekend as "instant classics." Rafael Nadal broke Roger Federer's winning streak in an epic battle, and Venus Williams beat her sister Serena, making this her fifth Wimbledon win. The two later went on to win the doubles championship.