5 THINGS TO KNOW

1.

A troubling study links football, CTE: Research on 202 former football players found evidence of a brain disease linked to repeated head blows in nearly all of them, from athletes in the NFL, college and even high school. The report doesn’t confirm that the condition is common in all football players; it reflects high occurrence in samples at a Boston brain bank that studies chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE. Many donors or their families contributed because of the players’ repeated concussions and troubling symptoms before they died. “There are many questions that remain unanswered,” said lead author Dr. Ann McKee, a Boston University neuroscientist. C5

Coming in August: Forty years later, we catch up with members of the Falcons’ Grits Blitz. We include the story of Ray Easterling, who paid the ultimate price for his playing style – suffering early dementia and committing suicide in 2012. Go online for the final report from Tuesday’s Braves-Diamondbacks game.

2.

Now what did Braves get out of this? Was dealing Jaime Garcia (left) and Anthony Recker a total dud for the Braves? Mark Bradley weighs in. C2

3.

Michael Vick, the intern: Former Falcons quarterback Michael Vick is spending his summer as a coaching intern for Andy Reid and the Kansas City Chiefs, according to NFL.com. Vick spent four seasons with the Eagles when Reid was coach in Philadelphia.

4.

Another national open: This week’s Canadian Open is the third-oldest national championship in golf behind the British and U.S. Opens. The Australian Open also began in 1904 but was later in the year.

5.

Big spender: Sporting Kansas City forward Dom Dwyer has been traded to Orlando City, Atlanta United’s opponent for back-to-back games, for what could be a Major League Soccer-record $1.6 million.