No Appeal Hearing Set for Pat and Kevin Williams

by Christopher Gates on Nov 14, 2008 11:18 AM CST in Minnesota Vikings

According to Judd Zulgad over at ye olde Star Tribune, the law firm of Williams & Williams has yet to have their appeal hearings over their positive tests for Bumetanide. This is good news for the 2008 Vikings, as it means that the heart of the best run defense in the National Football League is going to stay intact for at least a little while longer.

No appeal date has been set for Falcons' defensive tackle Grady Jackson, either. Jackson, who also tested positive for Bumetanide, has filed a class-action suit against the makers of StarCaps, a supplement that had been approved by the National Football League back in 2004. StarCaps had advertised themselves as being "all-natural," yet has now been found to contain the offending diuretic that the players in question have tested positive for.

Pro Football Talk speculates that the hearings and subsequent suspensions might not happen until after the season is over, due to scheduling issues and getting a complete grasp of the information presented. They also say that rival teams like the Bears and the Packers would likely be ticked off at such a development, as it would allow the Williams brothers to play out the season for the Vikings as all three teams pursue the NFC North title and a playoff berth.

To the latter point, allow me to express my thoughts in this way:

Boo. Freaking. Hoo.

The fact of the matter remains that nobody should have any idea what Bumetanide or StarCaps are as of right now, because nobody should know that any of the players whose names have been leaked tested positive for anything. The National Football League has a confidentiality agreement in place for these sorts of things. That agreement was violated by somebody (whose name escapes me at the moment) that made the decision that "breaking" this story or "getting a scoop" was more important than the rights of the players involved. Just another fine example of how the media in this country now has absolutely zero integrity. . .but that's another debate for another time and another forum.

So, basically, anyone that wants to complain that Pat and Kevin Williams haven't "gotten what they deserve". . .be they Packer fans or Bears fans or Colts fans (who took a creepily inordinate amount of joy in this news, for some reason). . .can feel free to, in the words of noted American philosopher Peter Griffin, kiss the fattest part of my ass. Nobody should know what they "deserve," because nobody should have any inkling that any of this has taken place.

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Comments

First, of all if the company failed to disclose the ingredient I don’t think that any of these players should be suspended (I am not saying that because I am a Homer, but because the players could not have known the ingredient was in this pill so logically how can you possibly hold them accountable?)

Second, IF the league ignores common sense here and does hold them accountable then I think we should get these suspensions over asap. It would hurt this team more to lose them in the playoffs, or worse next year when (God willing) we have traded for an above average qb.

by aceinthecorner on Nov 14, 2008 12:40 PM CST reply actions

Bumetanide

Read somewhere that a Script is needed for this ingredient so doesnt that violate FDA regs.But the League has always suspended players who fail drug screens due to banned substances regardless how substances got into players systems.The leak of players failing should also be a sore spot for the League.Will be very interesting on how Goodell handles this one.

by speedlod on Nov 14, 2008 1:19 PM CST reply actions

Travis Henry

Travis Henry won an appeal on a marijuana-related suspension on much shakier grounds than this. I don’t find in unfathomable that the Williams boys and everyone else will not be suspended… I think with a strong case, (which I feel they have) an appeal could be possible. I hope it will be possible, at least. With Goodell though, who knows.

V-I-K-I-N-G-S! Skol Vikings, Let's Go!!

by TheViking83 on Nov 14, 2008 2:29 PM CST up reply actions

Packers fans

I don’t know what it is, but my hatred for them has increased ten-fold this year.

If a Packers fan ever says something to me about this, it would take all the patience I have to not beat them senseless on the spot while screaming “Johnny F***ing Jolly” in their face.

That’s right, Cheese-Head Bashing Time.

‘And the wild things roared their terrible roars and gnashed their terrible teeth and rolled their terrible eyes and showed their terrible claws’.

by SippyCup on Nov 14, 2008 2:20 PM CST reply actions