It’s a sad day for NASCAR fans and the family of racing legend Richard “Dick” Trickle.

On Thursday, May 16, 2013, the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department received a phone call informing them they’d soon find the dead body of the 71-year-old “White Knight.”

Upon investigation, authorities found Trickle dead from a gunshot wound outside his pickup truck at the Forest Lawn Cemetery in Boger City, NC.

According to reports, authorities believe the phone call came from Trickle himself, and Sheriff’s Lieutenant Tim Johnson has stated they do not suspect foul play.

Yesterday (April 29, 2013), Washington Wizards center Jason Collins announced he was gay, making the 34-year-old NBA star the first male professional athlete for a major American sport to openly come out.

It’s 2013, but who’s counting? Like the majority of the country (with the exception of NFL player Mike Wallace, perhaps) am proud of Jason Collins. I applaud is bravery and look forward to how his honesty and

I didn’t used to be such an advocate of celebrities (including athletes) “coming out.”

Not because I thought they shouldn’t, but because I thought they shouldn’t feel like they have to.

So, by now you’ve probably heard about Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te’o and his Fake Dead Girlfriend.

I wish I was writing this post because I had some sort of answer or way of making sense of it, but I don’t. Like a lot of people, I’m still trying to wrap my brain around the situation.

One thing I do know is that I don’t think there’s anything funny about any of it.

While it might feel like it all happened at once, what recently came to light as a hoax actually started years ago.

Jovan Belcher at a game in Denver, November 2010.

On Saturday, December 1, 25-year-old Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher murdered his 22-year-old girlfriend, Kassandra Perkins, before driving to Arrowhead Stadium, thanking the general manager and head coach for all they’d done for him, and shooting himself, effectively completing suicide.

Naturally, the Internet is frantic, scrambling to report news about the murder-suicide. Belcher wasn’t the most well-known NFL player, but the situation is absolutely tragic and people are curious.

Belcher was wealthy and famous, after all. He’d been a member of the Male Athletes Against Violence initiative during his time at the University of Maine, and he had a degree in child development and family relations. He and Perkins had just welcomed a baby girl into their lives.

Since Saturday, I’ve read and listened to some speculation among the news reports, and I thought it’d be appropriate to share my thoughts on some of the indisputable facts about the situation.

Given all the sports-related (and especially NFL-related) health issues in the news lately (Greg Montgomery, Junior Seau), I thought Celebrity Psychings readers would be interested to know that the National Football League has launched NFL Life Line.

NFL Life Line is a free and confidential support hotline for members of the NFL family, which includes current and former NFL players, coaches, staff (for the team and league), and their family members.

Organizations involved with NFL Life Line include the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the Jed Foundation, the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention, the Education Development Center, and Link2Health Solutions.

U.S. gymnast Shawn Johnson hopes to make a comeback after her gold and silver wins back in 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, but the 20-year-old woman has an entirely different attitude about the equipment she uses to compete.

Namely, her body.

Johnson gained around 25 pounds during her three-year break after Beijing. It’s no surprise. She went from being a medal-winning Olympic gymnast to a regular teenager.

Yet, the media – which was used to seeing her with next-to-no body fat – went wild.

Junior Seau. January 19, 1969 - May 2, 2012

In light of the tragic suicide of former NFL linebacker and Hall of Famer Junior Seau, Dr. Teena Shetty and NFL All-Pro and nine-year veteran punter Greg Montgomery, Jr. spoke with Fox News last week about a possible depression epidemic in professional sports.

The two hot topics on the table?

Both the physical and the emotional impacts professional athletes endure.

Dr. Teena Shetty, a neurologist who also works with the New York Mets and the New York Giants, points out that without a clearly documented concussion history, we can’t make a real connection between any concussions Junior Seau had and the state of his mental health.

She does, however, point out that concussions to upset the chemical balance in the brain and that repeated disruptions “may lead to depression.”

On Friday, the White House announced that legendary women’s basketball coach Patricia “Pat” Summitt will receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom, one of America’s highest civilian honors.

Summitt, who was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s Disease in 2011, launched The Pat Summit Foundation Fund to provide grants for nonprofit organizations that provide Alzheimer’s education, support, and research.

Last week, Summitt stepped own from her role as the head coach for the Tennessee Lady Vols last week with 38 seasons and 1,098 wins under her belt. She is now head coach emeritus.

President Obama praised Summitt for her hard work and success, both as a basketball coach and an advocate for curing Alzheimer’s:

Coach Summitt is an inspiration, both as the all-time winningest NCAA coach, and as someone who is willing to speak so openly and courageously about her battle with Alzheimer’s.

Learn more about The Pat Summitt Foundation Fund.

Image Credit | CC

Country singer Carrie Underwood and her hockey playing husband Mike Fisher have teamed up to let teens know they’re “beautiful,” “special,” and “loved.”

The celebrity couple recently filmed a public service announcement (PSA) for Do It For Daron (D.I.F.D), a “youth-driven initiative focused on raising awareness and inspiring conversations about youth mental health.”

Friends and family of Daron Richardson created D.I.F.D. after the 14-year-old girl committed suicide. The program “supports programs and initiatives aimed at transforming youth mental health” and aims to help create a future where young people can seek help without feeling afraid or ashamed.

During the PSA, Underwood tells teens to:

Happy Hump Day, lovely readers!

Remember when I told you about “Touchdown Tommy” Edwards? The former Hokie football star who, after learning how to manage his own substance abuse problems and bipolar disorder, launched the Heart of Virginia Foundation and Music 4 Mental Health?

Well, Music 4 Mental Health currently is trying to raise $100,000 to fund a documentary about substance abuse and mental health in southwestern Virginia. The documentary will be in conjunction with PBS.