Phat Pat Changes Course, Will Appeal StarCaps Ruling After All; Kevin Williams Unsure

by Christopher Gates on Feb 25, 2011 5:47 PM CST in Minnesota Vikings

From what Judd Zulgad from the Star-Tribune is saying on the Twitter, it appears that Pat Williams has changed his mind and will be appealing the StarCaps ruling to the Minnesota Supreme Court after all.

Phat Pat had initially said that he was giving up on the StarCaps case, citing the $1 million-plus in legal fees that he's paid fighting the 2 1/2-year long battle. However, something has possessed him to change his mind on the matter. . .not sure who or what, as Zulgad doesn't clarify any of that sort of thing on his Twitter or anywhere on Access Vikings that I can see.

Zulgad's partner at Access Vikings, Chip Scoggins, is reporting that Kevin Williams, on the other hand, is still undecided about whether or not he's going to appeal the latest ruling in this battle.

From a Vikings perspective, I'm not sure what to make of that revelation. Obviously, the guy wants to clear his name, which has been dragged through the mud by the NFL for no reason at all. . .but from a Viking perspective, if the NFL is just going to find some idiotic, BS excuse to suspend him anyway, maybe he should just get it out of the way. I'm getting the feeling that next season is going to be a rough one whether we have #93 for 12 games or for 16 games. . .yes, I know, it pains me as much to say it as much as it pains you to read it. . .so it may help the coaching staff to know which four games to plan on not having him for.

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ok.....

does this mean he is not retiring!?! And if not, are the Vikes going to make an offer?

by muffin man on Feb 25, 2011 5:59 PM CST reply actions

He's not retiring.

He’s said a few times near the end of the season and after that he would like to play one more year. He’ll be a FA with us and it’s extremely unlikely that the Vikes will make an offer. To be fair, no one on either side has said anything either way on the matter, but the unfortunate fact is that Phat Pat is aging (to put it lightly- in fact, he’s the oldest active defensive player in the NFL) and that his production is declining. I love me my Phat Pat, and it pains me to say it, but the big fella has lost a step. And if we’re going to be deciding on his permanent replacement, better to do it in 2011 than in 2012.

I only wish we could have won a Super Bowl for him in 2009. The image of him fulfilling his promise to practically strip down and toss all of his gear to the fans had we done so would have been burnt into my memory forever.

…for several reasons.

Nothing's tougher than being a diehard Vikings fan.

by KJSegall on Feb 25, 2011 8:58 PM CST up reply actions

ummmm...contract negotiations?

I wonder if this is Pat’s way of helping the negotiations along…if the players decertify the Union, then the players can sue the NFL under anti trust laws. If the Star Caps lawsuit is still going on, I would think that the Minnesota Supreme Court could take into account any court outcome on the anti trust lawsuit, including any violation of Minnesota law. If the Star Caps suit is ended, then the NFL won’t have to worry about that as well as the Anti Trust statutes. Tricky situation, but I hope Williams succeeds.

by Chris3 on Feb 25, 2011 7:52 PM CST reply actions

Perhaps.

I won’t lie, I’m a bit hazy on the whole specifics of the Williams’ court case, but I do believe antitrust has something to do with it, so that could be an intriguing tie-in. It’s too bad the Williams’ simply can’t sue the NFL for hiding the fact that they knew StarCaps had not only banned substances from the players, but also the fact that they hid knowledge that StarCaps contained dangerous substances from the players. I’ve never been able to wrap my head around the fact that the NFL hasn’t gotten into legal trouble for that.

Nothing's tougher than being a diehard Vikings fan.

by KJSegall on Feb 25, 2011 8:55 PM CST up reply actions

Pat wants to play and he is a free agent.

That is they key here. He will be a lot more attractive to any team as a 16 game player vs a 12 game player.

http://vikingsmashfootball.wordpress.com/

by BeardedAxe on Feb 25, 2011 7:55 PM CST reply actions

He'll be back!

He wants to go out looking good. Most people had no idea that he & Kevin played last season INJURED. KW had the knee cleaned out a few weeks back & Pat had the arm fixed. They will both be back at full strength by time for camp. The team will shoot him an offer, just not the high dollar one. He will re-sign & help train Kennedy & Guion to fill in.

L. A. Player

by L. A. Player on Feb 26, 2011 7:41 PM CST via mobile reply actions