Minnesota Vikings defensive tackles Pat Williams and Kevin Williams stop running backs for a living. Today, they stopped the National Football League from suspending them — at least temporarily. To follow up yesterday’s post on the suspension of six NFL players for violating the league’s anti-doping policy, both Vikings DTs — Pat and Kevin Williams — were issued a temporary restraining order by a Minneapolis judge today, blocking the NFL’s four-game suspension. Hennepin County District Judge Gary Larson issued the temporary restraining order at the players’ request, saying he wanted more time to hear arguments in the case. No further hearing date immediately was set and I still don’t know if the “Williams Wall” will be uniform against Detroit Sunday. This ruling didn’t sit well with the NFL. League spokesman Greg Aiello said:

“The NFL Policy on Steroids and Related Substances is a collectively bargained program between the league and the NFL Players Association. The program and the Collective Bargaining Agreement expressly bar precisely this kind of lawsuit. All of the steroid program’s rules and procedures are established in agreement with the players’ union. In other words, the players have agreed to the rules and the procedures that they are now challenging.”

Judge Larson said he would make himself available to reconsider the issue. He also said he expected lawyers for the NFL, who participated in this hearing by phone, would take the issue to federal court in Minneapolis to get the suspensions reinstated. It appears this case is far from over.

I’m going to side with the players on this one. The league knew that a banned substance (Bumetanide) was present in the product StarCaps but chose not to share that information with the players. That’s wrong. Yes, ultimately the players are responsible for what they put into their bodies. I understand that. But if the product they are taking does not list a banned substance — like Bumetanide — as an ingredient, it’s fair to assume the product is OK to use. And if the league knows about this product being tainted and doesn’t share that information, it’s almost as if they are purposely working against the players. Sure, my advice would be to take EAS supplements and nothing else. Those products are certified as OK to use by the NFL. But if the rule says not to ingest specific ingredients and a player is taking a product that doesn’t list any of those ingredients, I believe there has to be some leniency.

Source: NFL.com

Post from: Every Morning Quarterback

‘Williams Wall’ Stops Suspension

National Football League Blogcast, NFL Blogcast

The NFL announced today the suspension without pay for four games of six players that violated the NFL Policy on Anabolic Steroids and Related Substances. The players specifically violated a longstanding provision of the policy relating to the use of diuretics and water pills, which serve as masking agents for steroids and are potentially dangerous to the health of players.

The policy states that the use of so-called “blocking” or “masking” agents, including diuretics and water pills, is prohibited and that a positive test will not be excused because it results from the use of a dietary supplement that unknowingly contained a banned substance. Supplements are not regulated or monitored by the government and players have been warned about the risks of supplement use. The policy states:

“You and you alone are responsible for what goes into your body. Claiming that you used only legally available nutritional supplements will not help you in an appeal ….. Even if they are bought over-the-counter from a known establishment, there is currently no way to be sure that they contain the ingredients listed on the packaging or have not been tainted with prohibited substances ….. If you take these products, you do so AT YOUR OWN RISK! For your own health and success in the league, we strongly encourage you to avoid the use of supplements altogether, or at the very least to be extremely careful about what you choose to take.”

The six players are each suspended for the final four games of the regular-season. If the player’s team qualifies for the playoffs, he is eligible to return to the active roster on Monday, December 29. The suspended players are:

• Charles Grant, New Orleans Saints
• Deuce McAllister, New Orleans Saints
• Bryan Pittman, Houston Texans
• Will Smith, New Orleans Saints
• Kevin Williams, Minnesota Vikings
• Pat Williams, Minnesota Vikings

The appeals process in this matter included close to 30 hours of hearings. NFL Executive Vice President of Labor and League Counsel Jeff Pash heard and decided all of the appeals except for Bryan Pittman’s. The appeals officer for Pittman was former NFL Executive Vice President and League Counsel Jay Moyer. Following are key excerpts from Jeff Pash’s decision upholding the suspensions:

• Bumetanide, a potent diuretic, has long been a prohibited substance under the policy and is similarly banned by other drug-testing programs. Diuretics are banned for two reasons – first, because they can be used to mask the use of performance-enhancing drugs; and second, because they can pose a threat to player health and safety.
• The policy contains numerous specific warnings about dietary supplements. NFL players received separate advisories regarding supplements (attached). These included two memos from Dr. John Lombardo (the program’s independent administrator) entitled “Weight Reduction Products,” which were sent to players in July of 2007, and again in July of 2008.
• In addition, two notifications specifically mentioning Star Caps were sent on December 19, 2006. One was sent to the presidents, general managers, and head athletic trainers of all NFL clubs. The second was sent to Stacy Robinson, the NFLPA executive who oversees the Steroid Policy on behalf of the union. The letter to Robinson states that “Balanced Health Products, which distributes Star Caps, has been added to the list of prohibited dietary supplement companies. Please distribute this information to the agents and players through your normal channels.” In response, Robinson had Balanced Health Products added to the list of banned companies that is maintained on the NFLPA’s website.
• (For those players with weight clause bonus provisions in their contracts,) the player specifically agreed not to engage in any “last-minute weight reduction techniques,” which included “use of diuretics.”
• There is no question that the policy embodies a collectively bargained rule of strict liability – a rule that players alone are responsible for what is in their bodies; that inadvertent or unknowing use of a prohibited substance will not excuse a positive test; and that supplements are used at a player’s own risk.
• With respect to the question of whether a specific warning should have been given regarding Star Caps, the policy does not set forth an obligation to issue specific warnings about specific products and no testimony suggests that the NFL and NFLPA have ever contemplated imposing such a requirement on Dr. Lombardo, who oversees the development of education materials on steroids. In keeping with that responsibility, the NFL, NFLPA, and Dr. Lombardo have emphasized the need for extreme caution in the use of any supplement, including weight reduction products, have established a Hotline for players to call for information regarding supplements, have established a Supplement Certification program with EAS to provide players with supplements that are free of banned substances, and have, in conjunction with reinforcing the strict liability rule, repeatedly warned players about the dangers of unregulated and inaccurately labeled dietary supplements. In the past, players have been suspended for using dietary supplements that contained a banned substance.
• The United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) does not issue specific warnings about specific supplements, nor are such warnings issued in other drug testing programs.

Clearly, the team that will be hardest hit by these suspensions are the NFC North Division leading Minnesota Vikings. Both Kevin and Pat Williams are Pro Bowl defensive tackles and considered among the best at what they do in the National Football League. Together, they are the heart and soul of a Vikings defense that prides itself on stopping the run. So far this season, the “Williams Wall” has been true to form as the Vikes are currently second in the entire NFL in run defense (73 ypg). The Vikings released a statement today saying:

“In response to this afternoon’s ruling, the Minnesota Vikings are very disappointed in the National Football League’s decision and suspension of Kevin and Pat Williams. At the appropriate time, we will have further comment.”

Pat Williams’ agent, Angelo Wright, had a comment today. He said a federal lawsuit aimed at preventing the NFL from imposing a four-game suspension on his client will be filed tomorrow:

“I believe that we’ll be able to offset this. I continue to maintain that he will play football. Though the tenets of the program are of strict liability, the league is supposed to act in conjunction with the players association, to communicate what products are acceptable and which are not. In this case, they’ve acknowledged that they withheld information from the players. I would feel more comfortable with the process, if there was an independent body governing over these cases. But this current set up is reminiscent of the British court, when they wore white wigs and proved to be your judge and your jury.”

If Mr. Wright achieves his goal, as he believes he will, Pat will be able to play Sunday at Detroit. But if the league’s suspension is then upheld, that could push Pat’s four-game suspension into the postseason. I’m not sure it matters because without Kevin and Pat in the Minnesota lineup this month, there’s a good chance there won’t be a postseason for the Vikings.

Sources: NFL Media, Vikings.com, TwinCities.com, Photo: Newscom

Post from: Every Morning Quarterback

NFL Suspends Six Players For Violating Policy on Steroids and Related Substances

Blogcasting the National Football League, Blogcasting the NFL

Arizona Cardinals two-time Pro Bowl WR Larry Fitzgerald is one of the best pure athletes in the National Football League. He grew up around the game. Larry was a ball boy for the Minnesota Vikings when Randy Moss and Cris Carter were wearing the Purple. He moved on to star at my alma mater, the University of Pittsburgh, where he was one of the most decorated receivers in Big East Conference history. Then as an NFL player himself, few have been able to compare to his combination of size (6′3″ 226), speed and ball skills. Add a dogged desire and determination and you’ve got all the ingredients of a superstar at his sport.

On and off-the-field, Larry Fitzgerald is a class act. As a member of Team EAS, Larry (aka “The Launch”) fuels his performance with Myoplex® RTDs, Myoplex® Deluxe bars, MuscleArmor™ and Betagen®. Larry told me: “My main thing is, right after I work out I drink a Myoplex RTD (Ready-to-Drink) shake. It’s already made. All I have to do is grab one out of the fridge in the cafeteria and drink it down. It replenishes all the nutrients lost from my workout. Myoplex has given me so much success. And a lot of my teammates have had success using it as well. It really helps me recover and gives me maximum performance when I need it.”

I spent some time with Larry at the “EAS Experience” at the Arnold Sports Festival Expo yesterday. Here’s our conversation.

DAVID: Larry, I just got back from the NFL Scouting Combine and I spoke with your head coach, Ken Whisenhunt, and your GM and VP of Football Ops, Rod Graves. Both men expressed their firm commitment to making sure you stay with the Arizona Cardinals. They described you as an integral part of the foundation of that team. But, you’re not signed yet. How is everything progressing there?

LARRY: Everything is progressing very well. And I just want to reiterate what those guys said. I’m totally committed to being an Arizona Cardinal. I’m totally committed to finishing my career there. That’s my love. I love the city. I love the people there. I love the organization. They’ve treated me with the utmost respect since I’ve been there and I want to finish my career there.

DAVID: Is this kind of a stressful time for you right now, not being signed yet and just not having a deal done?

LARRY: Yeah, you know it can be stressful at times because it’s someplace I really want to be but this is the business part of the game. It’s not the prettiest aspect of our business but it’s necessary at times. This is part of it. I’m not the first player to ever have to go through contract negotiations and I for sure won’t be the last. So, I just have to deal with it.

DAVID: The Cards seem like a team that’s very close to getting over the hump and into the playoffs. For whatever reason it happened — injuries or whatever — do you feel it hurt your offense to have the quarterback shuffle going on last season with Kurt Warner and Matt Leinart?

LARRY: I don’t think so. The way I look at it, I think we were very fortunate to have two quarterbacks that could go out there and play. I mean, what other backup quarterback in the league could you say had 27 touchdown passes last season? You can’t name one. We’re fortunate enough to have one (Kurt Warner) and he’s also won a Super Bowl and an MVP award. We also know we have our franchise quarterback in Matt Leinart that was drafted to lead our franchise to championships. And he’s gonna have his opportunity. He’s gonna have the reigns next year, going into next season, but we do have a security blanket in Kurt and we know he can go out and be good for us. No matter how many snaps he gets, he’s a veteran and he knows what he’s doing out there. But, we have a lot of faith in Matt and we know he’s gonna have success.

DAVID: There were a lot of high expectations for the Cards last season.

LARRY: Oh yeah, but every year you step on to the field you have high expectations for yourself. You work your tail off all offseason and you work to try to reach your goals by winning your division and going on and doing that type of thing. We start out in training camp and that’s everyone’s goal. We just focus on that and we believed we had an opportunity to make the playoffs last year, but we know this year we are a playoff team and there’s nothing that’s going to hold us back from that.

DAVID: The way you finished last season against the Rams, Larry — you beat them 48-19 plus, personally, you had 11 catches for 171 yards and two touchdowns. That had to give you some momentum going into next season.

LARRY: You know what, man. All season long we won games — all of our games were very close games. It always seemed to come down to the very end and we’d try to pull it out. I think finally, at the end of the year, we finally realized how to finish teams. We had the Rams down. And we finished ‘em. And that’s what we’ve got to be able to do. That’s what the good teams do. You look at the New England Patriots and Dallas Cowboys. When they got teams down, they put their foot on their neck and it’s over, you know what I mean? Take their will away from them. That’s what we gotta learn how to do, take teams totally out of the game and finish it.

DAVID: I remember you as a ball boy with the Vikings. I’ve been a Vikings fan since I was five. I used to listen to your dad’s radio show with Coach Green every week when he was in Minnesota. Then you go to my school and just tear it up. And now you’re a Pro Bowl player in the NFL. The years have gone by so fast. But have you felt almost destined for this success your whole life?

LARRY: Well, I wouldn’t say my whole life. My goal since I was a child and my parents’ goal for my brother and I was to be successful, law-abiding citizens. That was my goal, first and foremost. And my parents told me to pick a goal and make sure I set lofty goals for myself. And don’t fall short of them. Go out there and try to achieve everything you set yourself out to do. And that’s kind of what my brother and I have done. My brother graduated college last year in three years. He played football at Marshall for four years. He’s done everything we’ve asked him to do in terms of being a student-athlete. I’ve lived some of my dreams but I’m still not where I’d like to be, but that’s the kind of progression you have to make.

DAVID: I know you’re still a young player, but what do you want to accomplish as a professional football player before it’s all said and done?

LARRY: Everyone wants to win a championship and that’s my main goal. When you step into this league, that’s everbody’s goal — to be on a playoff team year-in and year-out and compete for a championship. But on a personal level, I want to be a Hall-of-Famer and be an All-Pro guy every year, somebody that when they say wide receiver, my name comes up in the discussion. It would be the same for a running back or quarterback. I think everyone wants to be recognized as one of the elite players to do it. But first and foremost, you want to win a championship.

DAVID: You’re coming off your second 100-reception season. Clearly, you’ve “arrived”, as they say. At what point in your offseason do you start preparing for the next season?

LARRY: As soon as I got back from the Pro Bowl, I was back on the grind again — working out and getting my body in shape. I’m here at the Arnold Sports Festival this weekend with EAS. I’ve been with Team EAS for four years. They’ve played a huge role in my success in the NFL. The things I put in my body are a direct reflection of how I practice throughout the week and how I play on the field. EAS has given me an opportunity to really fulfill my potential.

I really enjoyed my interview with Larry. We spent a bit more time shooting the breeze about Pitt Panthers basketball and high school football phenom Terrelle Pryor. Then Larry had to meet and greet his fans for EAS. Visit Larry online at larry-fitzgerald.com/jr/ or his Team EAS page.

Post from: Every Morning Quarterback

EMQB Interview: Larry Fitzgerald

Blogcasting the National Football League, Blogcasting the NFL

By the time Miami Dolphins RB Ronnie Brown walks into training camp this summer, he might think he’s in the wrong place. So much has changed in South Florida, it’s hard to recognize the 1-15 Dolphins. And that’s a good thing. There’s nothing like a nearly winless season to inspire change.

One of the few bright spots for the Dolphins in 2007 was the development of Ronnie Brown. Though his season ended after seven games with a torn ACL (trying to make a tackle after an interception, no less), Ronnie’s string of four consecutive 100-yard games had proven what Miami Dolphins brass strongly suspected when they selected him with the second overall pick in the 2005 NFL Draft — that he was the real deal. At six feet and 232 pounds, Ronnie’s built like a brick wall. And his ridiculous 40-time at the ‘05 NFL Scouting Combine wasn’t a fluke. The guy can move with the football in his hands. Factor in his pass catching ability and you’ve got all the makings of a workhorse, every-down back that 29 other teams wish they would’ve traded-up to get.

How good was Ronnie’s 2007 season before he messed up his knee trying to run down New England Patriots CB Randall Gay after an interception? He was leading the entire NFL in yards from scrimmage. But at the time of the injury, he wasn’t sure how serious it was or if or how long it would sideline him. His questions would soon be answered with bad news, though. “It felt a little weird and then once I actually went off the field, the doc told me he thought it was my ACL,” Ronnie explained. “Later on when I was in the shower and then also when I was trying to ice it, it felt weak and unstable. At that point, I kinda thought maybe it was a little more serious than I originally imagined.”

And that’s the worst feeling for an NFL player — the reality of an injury that prevents you from doing your job. Which, for some players, could lead to not having one. But Ronnie had surgery right away and after a period of rest, he’s been improving rapidly. “I’m four months out of surgery and everything seems to be going really well,” Ronnie said. “I’m actually running and doing some things on the field that I’m excited about after being cooped-up for so long. But I’m just excited about the upcoming season and I’m trying to get back and hopefully pick up where I left off last season.”

Where he left off was among the best in the NFL at his position. In six and a half games, Ronnie had piled up 602 yards on 119 carries. Yeah, that’s 5.1 yards per carry. It was sickening to see his promising season end so early, but always the consummate professional, he kept a positive attitude and was ready to deal with the challenge. “At that point, I felt pretty good about my conditioning and health,” Ronnie admitted. “I think EAS supplements have been a big advantage for me. I have a great opportunity working with EAS to hopefully help myself come back faster than I might normally if I wasn’t using the products.”

Ronnie’s regimen includes his favorite Phosphagen Elite™ (a flavored creatine powder that acts as a buffer against the lactic acid that limits exercise power); Athlete’s Defense™ multi-vitamins (designed to support an athlete’s immune system by increasing antioxidant defenses); and Myoplex® shakes for workout recovery. “I think they all play a big part in my being able to come back,” he said.

When he does come back, he’ll see what appears to be a brand new team. The Dolphins have been extremely active so far in free agency, adding OL Justin Smiley (49ers), DT Randy Starks (Titans), LB Reggie Torbor (Giants), WR Ernest Wilford (Jags), TE Sean Ryan (Jets) and former Cowboys DT Jason Ferguson via a trade. Plus they’ve hired a new head coach in Tony Sparano. And NFL living legend Bill Parcells was hired as the Director of Football Ops. “I was excited about Bill Parcells for the simple fact that everyone knows the things he’s done with other programs,” Ronnie said. “As far as him coming into Miami, I think it’s something we needed as an organization and I’m looking forward to it. I’m looking forward to a change and looking forward to us turning things around.”

As far as seeing so many new faces in the locker room, Ronnie admitted to feeling a little uncertain. “It’s a little weird,” he said. “In college, everything pretty much stays the same. I’m working on my fourth year in the NFL now and it’s a little different here, but everyone knows it’s part of the game and changes do happen. It’s one of the things you just have to work with and overcome and hopefully we can add some key guys and everything can come together as an organization and get this headed in the direction it’s supposed to go.”

In this current NFL, a team can completely turn their misfortunes into fortunes. Sometimes in just one season. And Ronnie feels the Dolphins are a prime candidate to do just that despite their previous one-win season. “We have a great opportunity here with the pieces we already have and the people that have been brought into the organization,” he said. “If we can continue to do the things we’ve done to improve over the past few months, I think we’ve got a good chance to be a pretty good team this year.”

This was the second consecutive year I interviewed Ronnie from the “EAS Experience” at the Arnold Sports Festival Expo and the fourth time overall. Visit Ronnie online at RonnieBrown23.com or his Team EAS page.

Post from: Every Morning Quarterback

EMQB Interview: Ronnie Brown

Blogcasting the National Football League, Blogcasting the NFL

Vernon Davis is covered with tattoos and muscle. He looks like a professional bodybuilder. So he fit right in at the site of our interview, the 2008 Arnold Sports Festival Expo. With his shirt off at 6′3″ and 252 pounds, it’s pretty obvious he’s carrying single digit bodyfat. That’s why Under Armour has him wrapped in chains dragging heavy tires around in their commercials. He looks like some kind of sculpture.

Vernon also plays football for the San Francisco 49ers, owners of a colossally disappointing 5-11 record last season after being hyped as a team to watch in ‘07. I even predicted they would make the playoffs. Nevertheless, they finished at or close to the bottom of the NFL in nearly every offensive and defensive statistical category. Amidst the turmoil that was a forgettable 2007 campaign, tight end Vernon Davis emerged as the star the Niners thought he could be when they drafted him with the sixth overall pick out of the University of Maryland in 2006. Vernon more than doubled his rookie season totals catching 52 passes for 509 yards and four touchdowns. “I’m a lot more comfortable with the NFL now,” Vernon revealed. “I feel like I’m a veteran now. I know the game. I know what to expect. I know what I should do. And I know that I’ve gotta be accountable and step up and make plays when my number’s called.”

Yet somehow I feel Vernon has only scratched the surface of what he’s capable of. The future is his and the future is exactly where his focus is. Vernon and the 49ers have forgotten last season. “We’ve already put 2007 behind us,” he said confidently. “We’ve already made some nice moves picking up Isaac Bruce and DeShaun Foster. Now we’re just trying to get things rolling. We’re trying to get things together, get to the playoffs and make it to the Super Bowl.”

So much for short-term goals, but such is life in the NFL. Every season begins with hope and every team has a shot at being the best, including the Niners. San Francisco already boasts a talented core with two quality QBs (Alex Smith and Shaun Hill), a Pro Bowl-caliber RB (Frank Gore) and a bunch of good defensive players led by Patrick Willis and Nate Clements. Incoming are a slew of free agent acquisitions (namely the aforementioned DeShaun Foster and Isaac Bruce, as well as Allen Rossum and Justin Smith) that are primed to turn things around. Plus, new O-coordinator Mike Martz brings his wide-open offensive philosophy to the Bay area. “In this system, you have so much flexibility within the numbers that you can be creative with a guy like Vernon Davis,” Coach Martz told the San Francisco Bee in January.

Vernon is entirely ready for the changes and is hoping to contribute even more in 2008. “I’m excited about the new guys,” he said, “but I’m also excited to get more involved in the passing game as I think I should be. I’m ready to help this team win as much as I can. Coach Martz called me when he first got the job and said how he was also excited to get things moving.”

That process begins now and for Vernon, it begins in the weight room. While it might appear that Vernon’s physical prowess is simply good genetics, the truth is he works his tail off all year to stay in the best shape he can. But Vernon’s workout program changes from in-season to off-season. “When I’m not playing football, I lift harder but I don’t run as much as I do during the season,” he explained. “Then I’ll take two days out of the week to focus on my skills — catching the football and things like that.”

Fueling his physique as a member of Team EAS, there are certain products Vernon’s got to have in his nutritional arsenal. “I don’t think I can live without the Myoplex® shakes or Muscle Armor™ because both of them are vital to my health,” he said. “I feel I need those to not only get ahead on the football field but also to get ahead in life.”

Visit Vernon online at his official MySpace site or his Team EAS page.

Post from: Every Morning Quarterback

EMQB Interview: Vernon Davis

The Arnold Sports Festival is the world’s largest multi-sport fitness weekend — a three-day fitness free-for-all with 37 events and 12 Olympic sports. This weekend, more than 150,000 sports fans witnessed 17,000 athletes competing in a wide range of sports — from the 20th anniversary of the Arnold Classic professional bodybuilding competition to archery, boxing, cycling, fencing, gymnastics, judo, running, table tennis, tae kwon do, weightlifting, wrestling, and wu shu. That’s a lot of sports. I don’t even know what wu shu is.

As usual, a mega-popular three-day Fitness EXPO anchored the fest with 650 fitness-related booths and ongoing stage entertainment. Among that entertainment and appearing at the “EAS Experience” were NFL players Vernon Davis (TE, San Francisco 49ers); Ronnie Brown (RB, Miami Dolphins); Larry Fitzgerald (WR, Arizona Cardinals); and Matt Hasselbeck (QB, Seattle Seahawks). I had a chance to speak with Vernon, Ronnie and Larry before their public appearances yesterday. Matt was ready to interview with me when host Arnold Schwarzenegger happened by the booth and that’s when I lost Matt. So, I’m blaming Arnold for messing up my interview with Matt Hasselbeck.

Post from: Every Morning Quarterback

NFL Players Appear at Arnold Sports Festival

Brady Quinn’s crossover appeal has already started. Not only is he appearing in football preview mags, he’s also gracing the cover of the latest issue of Men’s Health. In the article, he talks about his fitness regimen and future in the NFL. MH writer Scott Quill calls him “the world’s fittest quarterback.” I don’t know about that, but his deal with EAS doesn’t do anything to refute it. I’m seeing a lot of Brady on the newsstands, but I’m wondering if I’ll see much of him on the field this season. It seems QB Derek Anderson has a leg-up on the competition heading into training camp. He’s got the strongest arm on the team and showed some promise in the four games he played last season, completing 63% of his passes with five TDs and eight INTs (his final start was a disaster against the Bucs). Browns OC Rob Chudzinski has installed a new offense and minicamp indications are that all three QBs (Brady, Derek and Charlie Frye) are struggling with it. The quarterback spot is wide open, but if the season started today, Derek Anderson would be the starter.

Post from: Every Morning Quarterback

Brady Quinn on Cover of ‘Men’s Health’

Ronnie Brown signs autographs at the EAS Experience
(photo David Kindervater)

I spent the day at the Arnold Fitness Expo in Columbus, OH. For those of you who aren’t familiar with this event, it’s the largest multi-sports festival in the world. In addition to the 650 exhibit booths that feature the leading fitness equipment, sports apparel and nutrition suppliers in the world, there are 17,000 athletes competing in 39 different events, including contests in 14 Olympic sports.

One of the largest exhibit booths belongs to EAS (Energy, Athletics, Strength) who sponsors NFL players Larry Fitzgerald (Cards), Carlos Rogers (Redskins), Matt Hasselback (Seahawks), Vernon Davis (49ers) and Ronnie Brown (Dolphins), whom I interviewed for the podcast. It was announced that Brady Quinn would be joining Team EAS, although he was not able to attend because of prep for his Pro Day Monday. Larry, Vernon and Ronnie were the only players attending this year.

EAS’ partnership with the National Football League Players Association affords NFL players the opportunity to take top-quality supplements without worry of the ingredients. EAS is currently the only sports nutritional brand with products certified by a third party testing organization as part of NFL and NFLPA supplement label certification program.

I arrived around 9:30 a.m., checked into the Media Room, and then perused the Expo until my scheduled interview with Ronnie at 11:30. The place was an absolute zoo. Ronnie was a little late arriving because Arnold Schwarzenegger was making an Expo appearance and stopped by the “EAS Experience” for a short interview. Once Ronnie was able to get through, we did the interview in the “green room” or lounge area. He was scheduled to sign autographs for an hour right after that, so I had to cut it a little shorter than I wanted to, but I think it was a pretty good interview as we discussed the Dolphins busy off-season so far and Ronnie’s training regimen. Out on the main floor, EAS supplied glossy color photos for him to sign, but fans brought jerseys and footballs as well.

The “EAS Experience” is one of the more “normal” exhibitors at this event. You’ve got strong, healthy athletes here — the NFL players, the Body-for-Life champions, etc. I even saw one of the original Body-for-Life champs, Porter Freeman, walking around. But, some of the exhibitors are pretty off-the-wall. If you’re not familiar to the world of bodybuilding, attending an event like this can be more like visiting a circus freak show. It’s a bit overwhelming.

Post from: Every Morning Quarterback

NFL Players at Arnold Fitness Expo