Pat Williams Taps Out Of Starcaps Case Fight

by Christopher Gates on Feb 9, 2011 7:44 PM CST in Minnesota Vikings

About two and a half years after the NFL attempted to suspend Minnesota Vikings defensive tackles Pat Williams and Kevin Williams for testing positive for a substance that they had allowed eight other players to skate away suspension-free for a couple of years prior, the biggest, loudest, and (now) oldest member of the Beloved Purple is finally tired of fighting.

"I just want it to be over," Pat Williams said in a telephone interview. "If I lose, I lose. I'm not mad at anybody. Right now, I want it to be over because it's cost me so much money, close to $1 million (in legal fees). It ain't cheap."

Yes, #94 says that he has spent nearly one million dollars in legal fees fighting to clear his name over the course of the past couple of years.

It's not expected that Phat Pat will re-sign with Minnesota, and even though his play on the field may have declined slightly in 2010, most of us will remember the years that the big man spent here as one of the NFL's premiere run-stuffing defensive linemen. Unfortunately, it's just as likely that more people will remember him for the whole Starcaps saga, and that's a shame.

Not as much of a shame as the fact that Roger Goodell and the National Football league now have carte blanche to arbitrarily enforce the league's rules about performance enhancing drugs however they want against whomever they want, mind you. . .but a shame none the less.

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That sucks so much

I imagine if he won, a counter-suit about legal fees could potentially be successful, but that would also take a long time.

Just not worth it.

by Arif Hasan on Feb 9, 2011 7:46 PM CST reply actions

Good job NFL

Not only did you break the bank of one of your elite players, but you broke his will…

by muffin man on Feb 9, 2011 8:24 PM CST reply actions

The NFL did to Pat Williams what a buffet table never could.

Proud contributor to Daily Norseman and SB Nation Minnesota

by Eric J. Thompson on Feb 9, 2011 8:39 PM CST up reply actions

hahaha

come on, how long have you been saving that one.

by muffin man on Feb 9, 2011 9:15 PM CST up reply actions

Don't expect us to sign Shaun Rogers.

Just saying. He is gettin up there in age and has lost a good chunk of his dominance…with that said, he is still definitely worth a look.

by StuckInCA on Feb 9, 2011 9:02 PM CST reply actions

Sue Starcaps!!

If the Williams’ don’t sue the living hell out of Starcaps, I will be shocked. They better. I mean that’s a million in legal fees, not to mention 4 game checks that will be another million or more that they’ll lose. Then they can sue for defamation because now a lot of people will, as mentioned, only remember them for the Starcaps case. They have a multimillion dollar lawsuit coming there way.

Make Starcaps pay for their dirty practices and pills!

by SkolNick on Feb 9, 2011 9:31 PM CST reply actions

I’m pretty sure Star Caps has gone out of business leaving Williams with no one to sue.

It would be nice if the Williams sued the NFL for reckless endangerment or something like that.
Considering the NFL knew about the hidden dangers of Star-Caps, and they still failed to put it on it’s list of banned substances.

by chaosg on Feb 9, 2011 9:43 PM CST up reply actions

That would work too

They definitely have a case no matter who they decide to go after. It’s bulls*** what happened to them.

by SkolNick on Feb 9, 2011 11:44 PM CST up reply actions

I guess that's up to the Williams.

Like Pat said, he’s already paid nearly $1mil for defense attorney’s in the last couple yrs.
I doubt he’ll take the risk of losing even more money to the NFL and it’s evil empire of lawyers.
It would certainly help if the Vikings organization had their backs, but I’m sure they’re trying to keep their noses out of it.

It’s truly a sad day when the Commissioner is hell bent on running a highly respected, veteran DT out of the league.

by chaosg on Feb 10, 2011 12:24 AM CST up reply actions

Still think we should resign Phat Pat

He knows he is aging and won’t be able to demand as much as he used to.
He has expressed a desire to retire a Viking and play a little more. So he can’t play a full game. Who do you want in there on a crucial goal line stand or critical short and 1st situation. I don;t care if he has dropped off some, He is still a force in those situations,
He signs cheap (due to sitting out 4 games) Used in those above mentioned situations where he is fresh and ready to plow the field.
Cone back Pat
This still gives Guion or Kennedy their time to use their youth and speed on passing downs. Letroy should be ready after a year of more play but Pat is someone still valuable to this team

AKA : Revenge4Webb

by CitrusFLViking on Feb 9, 2011 11:31 PM CST reply actions

Amen

Love me some Phat Pat.

by Jepp The Viking on Feb 10, 2011 11:45 AM CST up reply actions

I love Pat Williams...

… everything about him. It is unfortunate this total BS happened to him. He basically, along with Kevin Williams and a few other guys, got caught in the NFL trying to win a case to expand their ability to do what they want. But the case itself was just so minor and basically total BS.

by HammeroftheGods on Feb 10, 2011 9:09 AM CST reply actions

I wouldn't be surprised

If drug testing etc come up in the CBA discussions. If the NFL change their stance about substances where a player has made all due effort to find out what is in it, then adding a suspension for players who’d be fine under the new policy would be unduly provocative. That said, I believe the players were warned about using the company as a whole rather than particular products but I don’t know if that was before or after the failed drug tests.

by ViolentSilence on Feb 10, 2011 10:13 AM CST reply actions

The NFL has a chance to make things right

Drop the suspensions. Put these players on probation for a year and test the hell out of them. It’s BS that the players just automatically take the downfall for this crap. But now the NFL has an ego the size of king kong and won’t back down and are trying to deliver “justice”. This is the NCAA all over again. Protect who they want to protect and skew the entire system to generate the most $$$. Do the right thing. Drop the suspensions. Put them on probation and random testing for a year or two.

by DM_Purp on Feb 10, 2011 12:46 PM CST reply actions

This is sick

and I’ve seen it in other arenas where a large company can basically kill a legit case with court costs. This happens far more than you’d think and kind of makes me wish people who asked for appeals on a verdict would have to pay both sides…

It's a lot easier to love the Vikings when they win...

by Grime on Feb 11, 2011 11:14 AM CST reply actions