Google's View of D.C. Melds New and Sharp, Old and Fuzzy

As you take a bird's-eye tour of downtown Washington, compliments of Google Maps' updated satellite feature, you hit a haze over the Mall.

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FOXSports.com looks at head injuries and Chris Benoit; comparisons to NHL

FOXSports.com has an article asking why more focus isn't on head injuries possibly contributing to Chris Benoit's double murder and suicide. The article points to research done on former NFL players by a brain research group that former WWE wrestler Christopher Nowinski is working with. The author says the focus is on steroids and other chemicals possibly altering Benoit's brain function, but those diving headbutts from the top rope could have just as much of an effect.

From the article: "In the non-hockey world, the spotlight has been on pro wrestler Chris Benoit and his murder/suicide incident, and while many media pundits are quick to point out things like steroid abuse, painkiller addiction, and other chemical factors, most are overlooking the role that cumulative damaging effects of concussions could have played."

The article brings up the usual points about former NFL player Andre Waters having the brain of an 85-year old man with Alzheimers after years of physical punishment in football. From the article: "It's not just getting your bell rung, and it's not just a few weeks of headaches. In severe cases, there's depression, anxiety, sleepwalking, memory loss, loss of cognitive functions, violence, even suicide. Since leaving the WWE due to severe concussion problems, Nowinski's turned his own suffering into a crusade for concussion awareness in sports."...More?

Triple H Return Info (Possible Spoiler)

From a WWE cable affiliate site:

Event Description: WWE heads to New York City for the Biggest Party of the Summer. Watch what happens when Jackass invades SummerSlam to challenge the Samoan Bulldozer, Umaga. Don’t miss John Cena, Batista, Lashley, Edge, Rey Mysterio and the return of Triple H as WWE presents SummerSlam on Sunday, August 26th, live at 8PM ET/5PM PT, only on Pay-Per-View. A World Wrestling Entertainment Production. Check out wwe.com for more details. Event Location: Continental Arena, East Rutherford, NJ

Dana White's Response to Steroid Use in the UFC

“Our policy on fighters using steroids, illegal drugs or any banned substance remains the same - you cannot use them,” said UFC President Dana White. “It’s not only unhealthy and unsafe, it is against the law. The UFC fully supports the commission’s efforts and we will continue to take measures that keep this sport clean and keep the athletes safe.”

Steroids in MMA? UFC? - You Can Bet On It

In the recent months of the meteoric rise of mixed martial arts (MMA) in the mainstream media, the scrutiny of its violence and brutality are slowly being sidelined due to the emergence of illegal substances showing up in the urine of its athletes.

In all honesty, MMA has never really been tested for banned substances, it has only been sanctioned by a legitimate athletics commission since 2000. Before then, participants didn’t ever have to worry about testing positive because there simply weren’t any tests.

Even at recent UFC and MMA events in the U.K. and Texas, athletes were not required to submit a sample - for some regulatory bodies it just isn’t in the rules.

And now, the UFC Lightweight Champion of the world is a doping cheater. And so was his most recent opponent from the same fight! According to UFC Lightweight contender Din Thomas, lots of guys knowingly use performance enhancers to compete better...More?

Triple H Stripped

Triple H Gets Beaten Down To His Pants
Uploaded by KazDaGr81

Georgia's top court hears teen-sex appeal

The courtroom was packed with supporters and cameras Friday as Georgia's top justices heard arguments over whether a young man serving a 10-year prison term for consensual oral sex with a fellow teenager should be freed.

The long punishment spurred angry protests and led the state to change the sentencing law.

A state judge in June ordered the young man freed, but because of an appeal by the state attorney general, Genarlow Wilson remains behind bars.

The Supreme Court justices will decide whether the state judge's order freeing Wilson should stand...More?

Congressional Hearings on Professional Wrestling

The office of Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-FL) released the following statement this afternoon:

"Earlier this month, I called for a Congressional hearing on steroid use in professional wrestling. I have talked with both the Chairman of the Energy & Commerce Committee, Rep. John Dingell (D-MI), and the Chairman of the Commerce, Trade & Consumer Protection Subcommittee, Rep. Bobby Rush (D-IL), on this issue. Although no hearing yet has been scheduled, I was encouraged by those discussions that a hearing likely will be held this fall."

Furthermore, Rep. Stearns plans to draft a letter to be sent to Vince McMahon to find out how they would go about learning more about how their company operates in preparation for the hearings this fall.

Woman Booked Into D.C. Jail Men's Cell

A D.C. jail made a mistake when a woman was booked in as a man at the U.S. Marshal Service's central cellblock. She lived, showered and slept in the central cellblock in downtown D.C. with men for two days before the mistake was corrected.

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Chris Benoit and the WWE Controversy vs. Michael Vick and the NFL

The WWE, its fearless leader Vince McMahon and the entire Chris Benoit controversy just caught a break. For weeks the "roid rage" controversy and the idea that perhaps the US government should step in and begin to oversee the inner workings of the testing and the steroid usage of wrestlers is gaining steam. World Wrestling Entertainment is fighting it off but still it had been front and center and on the minds of those trying to shape views on talk shows and of course it was wall to wall on cable news.

Enter the NFL and Michael Vick. The NFL superstar and multi-millionaire quarterback was indicted by a secret federal grand jury. Why? Allegations of hanging, shooting, body slamming, even electrocuting dogs to death as part of a multi-state underground dog- fighting operation. Does that trump the Benoit controversy? it will for a few days....The Falcons owner, Arthur Blank, releasing a statement today. He says the Falcons organization is working diligently on exploring its options, saying, quote, "Given the differing perspectives and strong feelings around this issue, we probably won't make everyone happy, but we are committed to doing the right thing."

While they sort through that - Vince McMahon just caught a huge break...More?

It's Ladies' Fight

You don't kick a girl when she's down, right? Not if you can pound her face instead. At the Fatal Femmes Fighting Championship, an all-female mixed-martial arts (MMA) event, almost anything goes in the cage. Sofie Bagherdai, otherwise a sweet, petite teenager from Southern California, has her opponent, Stephanie Palmer, pinned to the floor. Now she's ready to work--whack, a shot to the noggin. Bam! Pow! Boom! Half a dozen more. Palmer cowers in the fetal position, and the ref stops the fight. The medics cart Palmer out on a stretcher. (She escapes with a fractured foot, suffered earlier in the bout--which seems minor, considering the beating she took.) "I like to be friendly to my opponents, but from the start, she's been mad-dogging me, looking me up and down," said Bagherdai after the bout. "I wanted to make her pay."...More?

WWE won't be pinned down forever

World Wrestling Entertainment Inc. (NYSE: WWE) shares have plunged more than 5% over the past month as investors fled Vince McMahon's muscle-bound empire in the wake of the Chris Benoit tragedy. The stock is headed for an even bigger fall in the coming months as the company grapples with congressional scrutiny, potential lawsuits and long-overdue increased government regulation.

Nonetheless, WWE is something that truly adventurous investors should consider. The shares are trading at a multiple of 25, which is dirt cheap compared with its peers such as Playboy Enterprises Inc. (NYSE:PLA)'s 130 and Lions Gate Entertainment Corp. (NYSE: LGF)'s 53. Though profit and sales are expected to fall this year, analysts expect WWE to rebound next year...More?