People who cover sports for a living can easily tell the difference between “running out the clock” and “running up the score,” but a recent story stating that eight living National Football League players had tested positive for a disease that can only be detected during an autopsy demonstrated that these reporters shouldn't dabble into matters of science without verifying their information.

Initial reports indicated that NFL Hall of Famers Tony Dorsett, Joe DeLamielleure and Leonard Marshall -- as well as five other athletes -- were found to have chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative brain disorder that is only detectable after the diseased person has died.