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An initial hearing for former NFL player Corwin Brown on charges he struck his wife and held her against her will in their home was put on hold Tuesday while he undergoes psychological testing.
Defense attorney Mike Tuszynski told St. Joseph County Superior Court Judge Jane Woodward-Miller that the former Notre Dame defensive coordinator was at the University of Michigan Hospital. All Tuszynski would say outside court was that Brown was hospitalized.
Chief Deputy Prosecutor Ken Cotter said Brown's wife, Melissa, requested the testing.
"The state's not going to stand in the way," he said.
Brown, 41, faces charges of confinement and domestic battery stemming from a seven-hour standoff with police Aug. 12 at his home in Granger, just northeast of South Bend. Prosecutors say Brown held his wife hostage with a handgun and bruised her.
The standoff ended after Brown shot himself in the abdomen.
He was arrested Sept. 9 after being released from a mental health facility in South Bend and was released from the St. Joseph County Jail on Sept. 12 after being arraigned and posting $5,000 bond.
Brown's family has said they believe his actions might stem from brain trauma he suffered while playing football. Brown played in college at Michigan and played eight seasons in the NFL as a defensive back with the Patriots, Jets and Lions. His family has said they believe he may suffer from the same type of brain trauma as Dave Duerson, the former Chicago Bears star who committed suicide in February.
Tuszynski wouldn't comment when asked whether the testing Brown was undergoing was related to that.
Woodward-Miller set a new initial hearing date of Nov. 30, but Cotter asked that it be moved up if Brown is released from the hospital earlier.

As we consider who will rule the NBA in 2015, something that Mike Prada said in defense of his choice of a number of current high school players was that the NBA is "a young league." He pointed out that the 2011 scoring champ and MVP -- Kevin Durant and Derrick Rose -- are both 22 years old. If the form holds, that'd mean that the potential 2015-06 scoring champ and MVP would be entering college as freshman ... right now. Four years is an eternity when you think about it that way.

But is the NBA a young league compared to seasons past? There are a few ways to look at it. While we could compare the league's weighted average age over time, that doesn't give us a real indication of the quality of the NBA's youth at any given point; teams will always play young, unproductive players over older ones thanks to lust for the sirens Potential and Upside. Especially now in the age of the era-long rebuild projects, it's hard to tell if all of the league's youth deserves its minutes.

I decided to look at three discreet processions of age since 1961: that of the first team All-NBA, that of the top five picks in the NBA Draft and that of the NBA champions. (This one is an average weighted by minutes played.) Has the All-NBA team gotten younger over the years? What about the top of the draft? Those who hold the O'Brien?

Again, because of data issues, I just pulled the numbers for every fifth year, beginning with 1961. That makes this project less a study than a glimpse at the topic. Here are the results.

Not that there is ever a good time to break a bone, but Toronto Maple Leafs goaltending prospect Jussi Rynnas could have picked a better time to break his ring finger last season, playing for the American Hockey-League's Toronto Marlies just when it seemed like every goaltender under contract to the big club was getting injured.

The 24-year-old is still waiting to make his NHL debut, though he has fully recovered from the break suffered in a February practice. Veteran Jean-Sebastien Giguere and sophomore Jonas Gustavsson were both injured around the same time.

"I remember when I flew back to Toronto from Winnipeg and, I think, the next night Giggy got hurt," Rynnas said. "Everybody got hurt, and I realized that it was my chance to get into the NHL. But I hope, this season, I get my new chance."

In touring NFL training camps post-lockout, it's uncanny how many teams are utilizing two tight-end sets to spring slot receivers all in the name of matchup advantages in the passing game. We know the NFL has become more pass-oriented -- teams threw the ball nearly 57 percent of the time last season -- but finding innovative ways to enhance the trend is, well, the trend.

"You can flex them, create mismatches," Panthers Coach Ron Rivera said of his tight-end tandem of Greg Olsen and Jeremy Shockey. "With the kind of speed and ability our two guys have, if you match them with a linebacker, you can exploit things."

In Minnesota, base sets feature tight end Visanthe Shiancoe and rookie tight end Kyle Rudolph, with receiver Percy Harvin rotating in and out of the slot, sometimes playing wideout to clear the field for personnel edges between the hash marks. The Vikings are hardly alone. In fact, what they're doing -- using three-receiver sets on first and second down -- is more the norm.

It's no wonder why. It's worked.

Other than the Pittsburgh Steelers, who've represented the AFC twice, the other four teams in the past three Super Bowls (Arizona, New Orleans, Indianapolis and Green Bay) were pass-first teams that frequently incorporate multiple receiver sets into the base sets. The Steelers aren't what they used to be either in terms of running the ball. Last season, they threw it 479 times and ran it 471.

The baseline for every team in the NFL is to run the ball and stop the run, but if you can't pass or stop the pass, you're pretty much doomed. Even Jets Coach Rex Ryan, whose ground-and-pound strategy has come within a hair of getting to the Super Bowl, said his team will throw the ball more this season to ease the predictability of what they've done.

"It's changed dramatically," Vikings Coach Leslie Frazier said. "If you're a slot receiver you're as valuable as the No. 2 and sometimes the No. 1 receiver because that's the guy getting a lot of throws to move the sticks. Look what [Wes] Welker did as a complement to Randy [Moss] in New England. Those guys' value has really risen.

"So has that of the tight end that can open up in the formation. Look at what Antonio Gates has done in San Diego. That's opened up a Pandora's Box for athlete tight ends. The NFL is a passing game and if you can spread people out, you can find mismatches."

The Chargers' use of Gates has forced teams to use coverage linebackers or to double him with a linebacker and nickel corner or safety. That allows players like wide receiver Vincent Jackson on the outside to play in single coverage. Colts tight end Dallas Clark, who frequently lines up in the slot, has the same impact on defenses opening things for wide receivers Reggie Wayne, Austin Collie and Pierre Garcon.

It also works the other way. The Eagles' underappreciated slot receiver Jason Avant seems to always spring free in clutch moments because of the attention paid to Jeremy Maclin, DeSean Jackson and tight end Brent Celek. Expect the same out of Atlanta's Harry Douglas, who's buffered by tight end Tony Gonzalez, Pro Bowl wide receiver Roddy White and rookie Julio Jones.

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These multiple receiver sets are more and more common on what used to be traditional running downs. There's no doubt coaches are sampling what's gone on in high school and college in using spread offense and defensive concepts.

As a result of the game being played more in open space, the landscape of how rosters are built and how personnel is valued has been reshaped.

Fullbacks are of far less value than a second- or third tight end or slot receiver. Tailbacks have lost their once princely importance -- although not as much as we might think, some GMs and coaches said -- because of the emphasis on the passing game. Case in point: the tailbacks for the last three NFC champions: James Starks (Packers), Pierre Thomas (Saints) and Edgerrin James (Cardinals).

To defend the more wide-open offenses, defenses have been resculpted, too.

Run-stuffing, facemask-bending inside linebackers are outdated, unless they can also run and cover tight ends like Green Bay's Desmond Bishop. In-the-box strong safeties are on the endangered list. Teams must have two safeties who can play in space to cover slot receivers, tight ends and running backs. Being a third cornerback also is a badge of honor, not a stigma, since teams are forced to play so much nickel coverage.

The Packers proved last season that a team can't have enough cornerbacks. The Eagles followed suit this offseason, adding top-tier corners Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Nnamdi Asomugha to go with Pro Bowl corner Asante Samuel.

"This is a matchup league and you have to get match-up speed, athleticism, strength and power to match up," Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff said. "If you're not matching up in athleticism and speed to cover your side of the field given the strength of the passing teams in this league, then that team could struggle.

"We know that we have to have those safeties that can play both sides. It's no longer as much strong and free safeties in their respective spots. Both guys have to be able to run underneath with tight ends as does the nickel linebacker. You have to have enough coverage skills so you're not exposed. One-dimensional games from players make them hard to hang on to. You need versatility. Versatility is the key in today's game."

The mayors of San Francisco and Oakland and the NFL called for an end to acts of violence at sporting events, after two men were shot and wounded following a San Francisco 49ers-Oakland Raiders preseason game.

Investigators Sunday looked for suspects and interviewed witnesses to the violence the night before in the parking lot at Candlestick Park after the matchup.

Motives for the shootings - including whether they were influenced by emotions surrounding a game involving fiercely rival teams - weren't known.

But the shootings evoked memories of another recent disturbing act of post-game violence involving two rival California pro sports teams - the near-fatal beating this spring of a San Francisco Giants fan outside Dodger Stadium.

In Saturday's attacks, a 24-year-old man, who reportedly was wearing a "F-- the Niners" T-shirt, was shot several times in the stomach. Police said he managed to stumble to stadium security for help despite the severe injuries. He remained hospitalized in serious condition Sunday.

A second victim, a 20-year-old man, was treated for less serious wounds in a separate shooting, also after the game.

Sgt. Mike Andraychak said no arrests have been made and that police are looking for "a person of interest" connected to at least one of the shootings. He would not specify which shooting.

Apart from the shootings, a third victim, a 26-year-old man, was also hospitalized in serious condition Sunday after he was knocked unconscious in a stadium bathroom during the game. That attack appeared unrelated to the other two, police said.

The victims' names have not been released as the violent spree overshadowed the 49ers' 17-3 victory over the Raiders.

The crimes prompted San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee and Oakland Mayor Jean Quan to issue a joint statement saying that violence at stadiums in both cities will not be tolerated.

"The incidents ... are completely unacceptable and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law," the mayors said. "Fans come to our stadiums to enjoy an afternoon of football, not to be subjected to intimidation or violence. These games are family events and the types of images we witnessed last night have no place in our arenas."

NFL spokesman Greg Aiello echoed similar comments, saying "we deplore the activities of a handful of fans at last night's game and pledge our full support to Mayors Lee and Quan and to state and local law enforcement agencies."

49ers coach Jim Harbaugh, who once was a coach in the Raiders organization, said he was saddened to hear about the violence.

"I didn't know anything was going on during the game. I wasn't aware of that," Harbaugh said. "I feel bad for the people who got injured and the people who had to see that, for those who had to witness it."

The team said that "these kinds of events are disquieting to everyone in the Bay Area community. We are working to assist the San Francisco Police Department in any way possible to understand how and why this happened."

Raiders CEO Amy Trask said in a statement that "the incidents at last night's game are not acceptable to the Raiders or to any National Football League team and our thoughts are with all affected."

Head Coach Hue Jackson also shared his desire for a safe fan-friendly environment "where we wish that people come out and enjoy a game and hopefully that those things don't happen."

On Saturday, Sgt. Frank Harrell said the man shot wearing the T-shirt drove his truck to a gate and stumbled to stadium security. A second man shot before that in the parking lot and had superficial face injuries, Harrell said.

He said the two shootings were being treated separately "but we believe they are related."

The attacks come nearly five months after San Francisco Giants fan Bryan Stow was severely beaten by two men in Los Angeles Dodgers gear outside Dodger Stadium after the archrivals' season opener in Los Angeles. Two men charged in the beating, Louie Sanchez, 28, and Marvin Norwood, 30, have pleaded not guilty.

Stow, 42, a Santa Cruz paramedic, suffered severe brain injuries and remains hospitalized in serious condition.

That attack drew widespread attention and focusing the spotlight on security at Dodger Stadium, and the intense rivalry among Dodgers and Giants fans.

Christian End, an assistant professor at Xavier University in Cincinnati, who specializes in sports fan behavior, said there are several factors for unruliness at sporting events - including the magnitude of the game, if it is between arch rivals, adrenaline and alcohol. There's also "deindividuation," when fans supporting a particular team adopt a group mentality and may become uncivil.

"The anonymity of large crowds can afford some fans the opportunity to act in a way that they typically wouldn't because there's less accountability and less fear of repercussion," End said.

End said violence between fans of opposing teams can typically begin with light banter, followed by "one-upping" each other with statistics or other chatter that could draw a crowd.

"Then it could be taken up a notch where the fun aspect is gone and it just escalates," End said.

End said he doesn't believe fan violence has increased in the last 10 years but may appear that way partially due to new technology at hand.

"There are more cameras covering games and more fans using their smartphones," End said. "Any acts of aggression have a higher probability of being captured and being shown over the Internet and on television.

"It would give the impression that, 'Boy, fans are engaging in all of this aggressive behavior.' But you have to remember that a vast majority of them are not."

Associated Press sportswriters Janie McCauley in Oakland and Josh Dubow in Alameda contributed to this report.

The Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics were the 2010 NBA championship finalists, but their respective conference semifinal debuts raised serious doubts as to whether they could resume their epic postseason rivalry yet again.
In Boston’s case, the situation is a little worse because they are now facing a 2-0 deficit to a hungry Miami Heat team that looks like a shark who smells blood in the water.
The Lakers have a chance to even their series with the Dallas Mavericks in Game 2, but they must first explain, and then correct, the mistakes from their monumental collapse in Game 1.
Los Angeles let a 16-point lead evaporate at the expense of the jumps-shooting Mavericks and instilled hope in a team that few even saw competing in the series.
It should sound familiar because New Orleans also defeated the Lakers in Game 1 of their first round series, but unlike the Hornets, Dallas has enough talent to catch the two time defending champions sleeping.
Dirk Nowitzki showed plenty of heart in the closing minutes of Game One, and although I tend to disagree with TNT analyst Charles Barkley’s opinion that Dirk is a better player than Lakers star Kobe Bryant, he did have a bigger impact.
The Lakers and especially the Celtics find themselves in potentially dire situations right now, but is there any chance that one or both can make it back to the 2011 NBA Finals?
History says that the Celtics face much longer odds as more than 70 percent of teams who have seized a 2-0 lead in a series have gone on to advance.
It seems as if Boston has instantly aged in the first two games of their series, as the speed and athleticism of LeBron James Dwyane Wade and the Heat have dominated the conversation.
But the Celtics do have the advantage of experience and the propensity to excel under adverse circumstances.
If any team in this year’s playoffs has the ability to rebound from a 2-0 deficit, it’s the Celtics, and they have proved their resiliency time and again.
But the loss of center Kendrick Perkins may have dealt the Celtics a wound that will not heal, and I’m not sure if experience of the Big Four will be enough to counter the talent of James, Wade and Associates.
The Lakers face shorter and much simpler odds than the Celtics, but it’s yet to be determined how they will respond after the loss in Game One.
Kobe Bryant is rumored to have cursed at Pau Gasol for his play late in the fourth quarter, but he should have reserved some of the foul language for his own inability to seize the moment.
The Lakers had established what seemed to be an insurmountable 16-point lead but witnessed it disappear in a hail of errant jump shots from the perimeter.
Instead of feeding the ball into the post and taking advantage of their series mis-match, the Lakers decided to launch shot after shot from the perimeter.
Center Andrew Bynum failed to score double digits and probably touched the ball less than 20 times in Game 1, yet he is the one player the Mavericks can not physically match.
The Lakers could remove much of the suspense from their series with a steady serving of Bynum in the paint, and head coach Phil Jackson has acknowledged this.
Bynum is playing aggressively in the post and demanding the ball, and Jackson has previously said that if Bynum ever learns to perform with mentality, he could be unstoppable.
If Bryant and his teammates recognize this dynamic, then a trip to the 2011 NBA Finals is still a possibility, but the Celtics have a much tougher task to conquer if they hope to meet the Lakers there.

Have you ever been burned by the stove top? Or an open flame? How did it feel? How many times have you been burned?
It’s argued, if ever, you could count how many times you’ve been seriously burned. Me—once—by an oven. I was (attempting to) bake cookies. I know exactly where I burned myself to this day: It was directly above my ring finger and pinky finger on my right hand.
I have never burned my hand on an oven, or anything like it, since.
That’s an example of the human body’s ability to learn from trauma. I’ve also had times without a motor vehicle, I’ve been homeless, and have spent many days without a cellphone; things I am not currently experiencing now. But the experience has allowed me to get on the ball, and do what I need to do to get my life together. I realize the value of those things, and appreciate, highly, what I have now.I work harder. I’m more aware. I don’t want to go back.
The Sixers have felt much pain in their rollercoaster past five years. The departure of Billy King, Pat Croce, Mo Cheeks, and the franchise player, Allen Iverson(notes), among others, has left them coachless, starless, hopeless, and has left them looking on the outside of the playoffs looking in.
After a 27 win 2009-’10 season, the team underwent, yet another, transformation last offseason. They dumped a couple of high-priced mediocre players, and signed a number two overall draft pick. Despite the moves, It seemed like another dried up season was on the horizon after, ironically, a 99-90 loss at the hands of the Miami Heat, lead them to a 3-13 2010-’11 start—good enough for last place in the Atlantic Division.
It was from there, the Sixers began to pick up their pace.
“When we were 3-13, we could have hung our heads and guys could have went their separate ways. [Coach, Doug Collins] wouldn’t let us,” forward Elton Brand(notes) said. “He called guys out, which might not have happened in the past. He straight-up called them out. He said names. To their faces. In front of the team.”
“I wanted us to be relevant again. We are,” Collins said. “I want us to be more than relevant. I want us to be really good. I wanted people in the NBA talking about us, which they are.”
And the Sixers have found themselves here—full circle—in the playoffs against the team to contributed two of the first 13 losses on the season.
Again, the Sixers have found themselves in, yet, another hole—a 3-1 hole in a best of seven series. All of the games the Sixers had lost this series were games in which they had bolted out of the gates, only to fall in the end by an average of double-digit losses.
Last week, however, in a game that coach Collins called a ‘human nature’ game, the Sixers finally were able to finish. The Sixers’ Jrue Holiday(notes) and Lou Williams were able to make crucial shots in the last couple of minutes ending in Evan Turner(notes) free throws to seal their first victory of the series.
“It was easy for us when we were down seven with 8 minutes to go for guys to pack it in and get ready for that vacation,” Sixers guard Lou Williams said. “Instead, guys locked down on defense and made some big shots.”
They’ll need that again in game 5. The Heat aren’t in love with expanding this series another game—at all. “The way we should play is with a deep sense of urgency and desperation.” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “We had that for the most part in the first three games. We had a sensational second quarter in Game 4. … But that wasn’t enough of a burst. We weren’t able to sustain it and we relaxed.”
The Associated Press reported in tonight’s preview: “Some Philadelphia veterans, Elton Brand in particular, said before the series began that the Sixers’ collective youth would prove beneficial at times in this series. In short, Philly’s younger starters—three of the 76ers’ first five had never started a playoff game before this series began—are still learning the magnitude of the playoff stage”
Tonight will be an interesting game. In my opinion, the Sixers don’t go out of here like the Indiana Pacers did. They will fight the Heat all the way down to the final buzzer—even if they fall.

Close followers of the draft can tell a hundred stories about teams that drafted great athletes with hopes of turning them into something resembling a finished product on the football field. But in the process we occasionally overlook the stories of players whose athleticism was so good it almost made you overlook the fact that they already were elite football players.
Consider my recent look at the best top-10 picks of all time. Rod Woodson, the top athlete in 1987, fell to No. 10. Deion Sanders, the top athlete in 1989, landed at No. 5. Charles Woodson landed at No. 4 in 1997. Even Ronnie Lott fell to No. 8 in 1981.
A common denominator: All were cornerbacks. (Yes, Lott was a corner at USC and was a Pro Bowl player at that position for San Francisco before he moved to safety.) Which brings us to LSU corner Patrick Peterson, the best defensive player in this draft.
Good personnel people have known for years that they must build a team from the middle out. Start at quarterback, build the lines and let the rest fall into place. But Peterson is that rare talent who can make his mark on the game from the periphery. His athleticism is remarkable — at a little more than 6-foot and 219 pounds, he runs in the 4.3 range in the 40-yard dash, and his game is refined.
As a cover corner, he can turn his hips, explode out of the backpedal and change directions easily. In run support, he can be a force. As big or bigger than many running backs, Peterson can discard wide receivers who try to block him. And his ball skills are remarkable. He locates well, has great hands and attacks the ball like it’s being thrown to him.
Peterson might not be as close to the ball off the snap as Alabama defensive tackle Marcell Dareus, or be in position to rush the passer like Texas A&M linebacker Von Miller. But where he’s lined up shouldn’t take away from what he is, clearly the best defensive player in the draft.

Joey Clinkscales, the Jets’ vice president for college scouting, used the words “best player available” to answer the first question about the team’s draft strategy.Even though they are not scheduled to make a selection until the 30th pick next Thursday, the Jets have not changed their most basic drafting tenet, Clinkscales said. They may pick a few more defensive players, but they are making no guarantees.
“It’s nice to have six picks this year, for a change,” Clinkscales said.
Clinkscales then smiled and said, “We’ll see how long we have six picks.”
That got a big laugh from Mike Tannenbaum, the general manager, who has not been afraid to make draft-day deals since Rex Ryan became coach two years ago.
Six of the seven players the Jets have drafted in the last two years have played offense. But three wide receivers — Santonio Holmes, Braylon Edwards and Brad Smith — are free agents and their futures are uncertain, so the Jets might be more likely to draft a player at that position.
“There’s no magical answer,” Tannenbaum said. “It’s just going to be the judgment of who’s the best player on the board and what’s going to happen in free agency.”
Terry Bradway, the team’s senior personnel executive, said the Jets might draft a player perceived to have a higher intellect, work ethic and intensity than another player because the lockout may last a while, and there might be more urgency for the team to jell quickly.
“We’re going to put a premium on that, anyway, in a normal situation,” Bradway said, “but in this situation, it could mean the difference in one or two players.”
The Jets have improved to the point that the strength of the 45-man roster is paramount, not filling positions of need. The opinion of Mike Westhoff, the special-teams coach, may become more important. The Jets do not need first-year players to make immediate impacts.
“Special teams could be a tie breaker when we’re dealing with two or three names on the board,” Bradway said.
Scouts now have a better idea of the kind of players Ryan likes, since he has coached for two successful years. They are less likely to project someone who played at one position in college into another position in the N.F.L., as they did with Vernon Gholston, a former No. 1 pick who has been a bust.
Tannenbaum still sounded as if he wanted to keep all of his options open. He did not even want to hazard a guess as to what salary structures would be like under a new collective bargaining agreement, when there is one. He sounded as if he was ready to go with the flow.
“The only part you can control is the preparation,” he said.

The two-time defending NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers have gotten their campaign for a third straight underway against the New Orleans Hornets in the first round of the playoffs. Even though the Lakers haven’t exactly started off on the right foot as they lost Game 1 in somewhat convincing fashion, the defending champs did get some good news this week as they learned that forward Lamar Odom has won the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year award.
Coming into the first-round series against the New Orleans Hornets, the Los Angeles Lakers had been struggling and were in desperate need of flipping the switch to get back into a championship form. Unfortunately, Kobe Bryant and company haven’t been able to flip that switch just yet and might be in trouble if they can’t win Game 2 before the series shifts to New Orleans for games three and four.
Despite the fact that the Lakers are now facing an uphill battle in the playoffs, the two-time defending champs will almost certainly play at a much higher level in Game 2 as it is basically a must-win situation and the team will be motivated after seeing Odom win the Sixth Man of the Year.
With 14.4 points and 8.7 rebounds per game while shooting a career-high 53% from the floor this season, Lamar Odom was more than deserving of the Sixth Man of the Year award. There was a lot of debate about the Dallas Mavericks Jason Terry winning the award yet again, but it would be hard to argue that Lamar Odom wasn’t the best bench player in the league this season.
Hopefully, this recent award will be enough to motivate Lamar Odom to rebound from a disappointing performance in Game 1 where he had just one rebound.