I'm sure the ******* and the state of Minnesota will find some way to work around that.

quote:

Originally posted by Rusty:
Wow...they actually took action against someone

Sacrificial Lamb

Why does the NFL bother with a roids' policy. Im sure 3/5+ of the league is taking something that isnt tested for ie: HGH. It's a joke. If they are going to ban roids, they need to go after all the PEDs and have a strict list of what you can take.

I'm guessing it's akin to the "speeding" situation.

Police know they cannot catch all of the speeders on the freeway...or they would have to have all of the force on the roads, writing tickets every minute of every single day...soooooo.....what's the next best thing....make yourself visible...make a few examples of the violators which makes the general populace step in line...and try to keep it under control.

the Williams' sisters got caught speeding on the freeway....they need to pay the fine and hope the other guy gets caught next time.

Commish Badall has egg on his face over this...he can't be too happy that he looks the fool in all of this.

Pat Williams is thinking about retiring.

http://profootballtalk.nbcspor...hes-50-50-to-retire/

Looks like the drug testers are getting a little too close for comfort.

That would be devastating to their defense

And that's a bad thing how?

Pat Williams probably just wants to avoid training camp. Brent can announce a phoney retirement to skip camp, he thinks, so why can't I?

I'm just waiting for a Minnesota judge to block his retirement.

Pat Williams is 37. He’s getting close to retirement anyways and I’m sure he realizes that this year was his best year to win a championship. Throw in the starcaps case and I wouldn’t be surprised if he called it quits.

If I had to make a prediction, I bet he does the same thing Favre does regarding retirement.

Lawsuit over NFL suspensions to trial

quote:

Hennepin County District Court Judge Gary Larson ruled Thursday that there are several outstanding questions on employment issues, so the trial will start March 8.

The Williamses were suspended for four games after testing positive in 2008 for a banned substance that can mask the presence of steroids. They sued the NFL, arguing the testing violated Minnesota labor laws.

Larson says it's unclear whether the Vikings or NFL -- or both -- are the players' employer under state law.

The NFL has argued that federal labor law should pre-empt state law because uniform standards are necessary nationwide. But Larson says many corporations have employees in multiple states and they comply with state laws.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=4924886

But the league is claiming victory

quote:

In response to Thursday's ruling in the pending StarCaps litigation, the NFL has declared that the league has won the case.

Well, most of the case.

"Today's decision, along with the federal court decisions in this case, properly rejected virtually all of the claims asserted against the NFL's program on performance enhancing drugs," NFL spokesman Greg Aiello told us via e-mail. "It further confirmed that the program is operated with integrity and consistent with best scientific practices. We are confident that we will prevail on the remaining two claims."

more -

http://profootballtalk.nbcspor...ry-in-starcaps-case/

Very confusing to me.

Wow, interesting, I am looking forward as to how this will play out.

quote:

Originally posted by PackerRuss:
Wow, interesting, I am looking forward as to how this will play out.

"Wake up to find out that you are the Eyes of the World..."

Or it could be

"...a FatPat on the back and more of the same..."

FatPat has already stated he might "retire". Something tells me if this ruling comes down he's retiring for certain

Maybe time for another cruise or boat trip for some of the older guys to work out the kinks.

quote:

Originally posted by JJ Kool K:
Pat Williams probably just wants to avoid training camp. Brent can announce a phoney retirement to skip camp, he thinks, so why can't I?

quote:

Originally posted by Satori:

quote:

Originally posted by PackerRuss:
Wow, interesting, I am looking forward as to how this will play out.

"Wake up to find out that you are the Eyes of the World..."

Or it could be

"...a FatPat on the back and more of the same..."

Satori, nice....

I was thinking more along the lines of

"if the thunder dont get you then the law will...."

Or maybe its

"troube ahead, trouble behind, (im going to retire), cause that notion just crossed my mind"

The time has come......

Cheaters

"MINNEAPOLIS -- Minnesota Vikings lineman Kevin Williams says he never would have taken a weight-loss supplement two years ago had he known it contained a substance banned by the NFL."

Yeah, and the Vikes never would've tampered with Favre if they known it was illegal.

From everything I’ve read, the NFL has made it clear that it’s up to the player to determine what they put into their bodies, not the league office. The NFL can’t list EVERY pill, powder, cream, clear or gel that is banned as that would just lead to players trying to find the one supplement that the NFL has not explicitly banned and load up on it. The NFL has instead put a list out of supplements that are legal and if you wish to venture outside of the supplements on that list, then you better be careful.

What people forget is that a 4 game suspension means that this is Kevin Williams SECOND violation. Any intelligent person who had one strike on their record would have been extremely careful to not test positive again.

quote:

Originally posted by CUPackFan:
F

What people forget is that a 4 game suspension means that this is Kevin Williams SECOND violation. Any intelligent person who had one strike on their record would have been extremely careful to not test positive again.

I don't think that's right, I believe under the old CBA and drug testing policy. It would of been the THIRD strike to get a four game suspension out of it.

1st time is a letter and a warning,second they enter the testing program,IIRC.

quote:

Originally posted by CUPackFan:

What people forget is that a 4 game suspension means that this is Kevin Williams SECOND violation. Any intelligent person who had one strike on their record would have been extremely careful to not test positive again.

Good call

Going back to the risk/reward equation. If there are multiple approved supplements on the list that are good for weight loss, why on earth would you take on such a risk in taking an unapproved one....unless there was some un-specified reward.

Now the reward may have been as simple as the roster bonus of $400k for making weight. Or there may have been another reason to take the Star Caps.

Stupidity is an excuse for being a viking, but it doesn't help much in a court of law

quote:

Originally posted by CUPackFan:
From everything I’ve read, the NFL has made it clear that it’s up to the player to determine what they put into their bodies, not the league office. The NFL can’t list EVERY pill, powder, cream, clear or gel that is banned as that would just lead to players trying to find the one supplement that the NFL has not explicitly banned and load up on it. The NFL has instead put a list out of supplements that are legal and if you wish to venture outside of the supplements on that list, then you better be careful.

That was absolutely true, but based on where things stand now because of Judge Queenie Homer's prior 'decision,' anything not specifically on the banned substance list is fair game - in Minnesota only. I have no faith that this kangaroo court will suddenly reverse itself. It's going to bounce back around the system and could possibly wind up in Congress if the Supreme Court won't hear it. What a travesty all around.

quote:

Originally posted by JJSD:

quote:

Originally posted by CUPackFan:
From everything I’ve read, the NFL has made it clear that it’s up to the player to determine what they put into their bodies, not the league office. The NFL can’t list EVERY pill, powder, cream, clear or gel that is banned as that would just lead to players trying to find the one supplement that the NFL has not explicitly banned and load up on it. The NFL has instead put a list out of supplements that are legal and if you wish to venture outside of the supplements on that list, then you better be careful.

That was absolutely true, but based on where things stand now because of Judge Queenie Homer's prior 'decision,' anything not specifically on the banned substance list is fair game - in Minnesota only. I have no faith that this kangaroo court will suddenly reverse itself. It's going to bounce back around the system and could possibly wind up in Congress if the Supreme Court won't hear it. What a travesty all around.

Your absolutlely right. The state court keeps reversing itself, and it's a shamockery now. I don't think there is anyway this doesn't go to the Supreme Court, which could be bad for the NFL. Recently, the NFL argued in the Supreme Court, that all NFL teams and players were employees under the NFL for merchandising purposes. If this goes to the SC, the NFL would have to argue that the players in the case, are NOT employees of the NFL and therefore did not violate the state employement law.

The two biggest issues of the case now, are 1) Did the NFL violate the state employment law, (for the most part, I think the judge has ruled they did not, and the federal court ruled the same way), 2) Does the CBA trump the MN state law, and are the players employed by the NFL or a private entitity like the Vikings.

Either way, this case will likely have be a major factor if the Vikings have a team in 3 years.

In the litigation filed by Vikings defensive tackles Pat and Kevin Williams against the NFL, it has long been alleged that the NFL did not suspend other players who had tested positive for Bumetanide due to taking StarCaps, an over-the-counter weight loss supplement that had been spiked with the banned substance.

And though there had been prior indications that the allegation of disparate treatment was correct, the man responsible for implementing and overseeing the league's steroids policy admitted while testifying on Tuesday that, indeed, suspension were not imposed on multiple players. Specifically, Dr. John Lombardo testified that more than six players who tested positive for diuretics from 2005 to 2007 were not punished, per the Associated Press.