Maybe it was the "dog days of summer" malaise. Or it was something too depressing to write about.
But one of the stories we missed toward the latter part of the summer was the disturbing news that former Michigan defensive back and Notre Dame assistant coach Corwin Brown was hospitalized after a seven-hour standoff with South Bend police in mid-August.
Eventually, the standoff ended when Brown shot himself in the stomach. The wound wasn't fatal, and police were able to remove him from the house and take him to the hospital.
Brown was arraigned last week on three felony counts of confinement and domestic battery. He was released after posting a $5,000 bond. Brown is now undergoing psychological treatment at the University of Michigan. His court case was delayed until Nov. 30 or when his treatment concludes.
The incident began as police responded to a domestic dispute at Brown's home, during which gunshots could be heard inside the house. Brown's wife and children were released from the home, but he stayed inside as police tried to talk him out. No shots were fired during the standoff with police.
As Brown was recovering from his injuries, his family released a statement expressing the belief that Brown was suffering from the same degenerative brain disease (chronic traumatic encephalopathy) that many former professional athletes including former Detroit Red Wing Bob Probert — have dealt with after their playing days had concluded. The condition develops from repeated trauma to the head.
While Brown may indeed be exhibiting symptoms of CTE — such as memory loss, impulse control problems, aggression and depression — the disease unfortunately cannot be diagnosed in a living person through any sort of tests or exams. CTE is eventually diagnosed studying brain tissue under a microscope.
(Hat tip, ESPN.com's Michael Rothstein)