Down, Set... Die.

San Francisco offensive lineman Thomas Herrion collapsed in the locker room and died Sunday morning, shortly after the 49ers played the Denver Broncos in a preseason game.

Dear NFL, since you do not guarantee NFL player contracts, as TO's agent ranted about, can you at least guarantee a peaceful death? I imagine you are real nervous hoping this guy was not on stereos! Dear Philly, somebody just "died for the game", if TO dies, will you pay the rest of his contract? Dear ESPN, you are slowly, & sadly becoming a shill for your events & becoming FOX news. A football player dies, and you zoom in on his weight as the problem. They bring in experts, and researchers and any other talking head to discuss weight of a highly conditioned relatively lean offensive linemen. They have no imperical evidence that it was his weight.....he may have been on Vioxx, which just got slammed for $256 million when a marathon runner fell out and died. The NFL PR spin machine was hard at work, without any facts.

Herrion, a 6-foot-3, 310-pound guard, collapsed after listening to coach Mike Nolan address the team in a postgame meeting. Medics administered CPR on him and took him to an ambulance that rushed him to a nearby hospital. Three hours later, Herrion died, cause of death unknown until toxicology tests are performed; results return in three to six weeks. Yet, Herrion has consitently tested negative for steroids. The death comes four years after offensive lineman Korey Stringer of the Minnesota Vikings died of heatstroke during a training camp practice on a day during which the heat index soared to 110. Herrion died after he game, in 60 degree weather 50% humidity.