Minnesota Vikings defensive tackles Pat and Kevin Williams will be available for the first four games of the 2009 regular season. Today, Hennepin County District Judge Gary Larson blocked the NFL’s plan to suspend Pat and Kevin for the first four games and granted the players’ request for a temporary restraining order, which keeps the NFL from suspending them until the case is decided. It also prohibits the league from subjecting them to extra drug testing.
So, until this case has been decided (and believe it or not, I don’t see a resolution until 2010), the Vikings will have their impressive …read more

Minnesota Vikings defensive tackle Pat Williams says he doesn’t know if he can trust the NFL anymore—this after the league failed to tell its players that the over-the-counter supplement StarCaps secretly contained a prescription diuretic banned by the NFL. Pat and Vikings teammate Kevin Williams continue to face four-game suspensions to start the 2009 season if their ongoing appeal is overturned.
Pat is willing to take his medicine, so to speak, but he feels betrayed:
“Basically now I got to hold trust issues with the NFL. I don’t know if I can trust them now. If I did something wrong, I’m going …read more

National Football League Blogcast, NFL Blogcast
Minnesota Vikings defensive tackle Pat Williams says he’ll be ready for the playoffs. That is, if the Vikes qualify. Pat broke a bone in his right shoulder and after a difficult couple of days, he’s feeling better and hopes to return to the starting lineup if the Vikings make the playoffs. Without the big run-stuffer in the middle of their defensive line, however, the Vikings will be more susceptible to the run against run-oriented teams like Atlanta and the N.Y. Giants (their final two opponents). That means they might have to rely on a Chicago …read more

National Football League Blogcast, NFL Blogcast
Here is the NFC Pro Bowl roster. Starters are listed in bold.
OFFENSE
QB: Kurt Warner, Cardinals; Drew Brees, Saints; Eli Manning, Giants
RB: Adrian Peterson, Vikings; Michael Turner, Falcons; Clinton Portis, Redskins
FB: Mike Sellers, Redskins
WR: Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals; Anquan Boldin, Cardinals; Steve Smith, Panthers; Roddy White, Falcons,
TE: Jason Witten, Cowboys; Chris Cooley, Redskins
T: Jordan Gross, Panthers; Walter Jones, Seahawks; Chris Samuels, Redskins
G: Chris Snee, Giants; Steve Hutchinson, Vikings; Leonard Davis, Cowboys
C: Andre Gurode, Cowboys; Shaun O’Hara, Giants
DEFENSE
DE: Justin Tuck, Giants; Julius Peppers, Panthers; Jared Allen, Vikings
DT: Kevin …read more

National Football League Blogcast, NFL Blogcast
He’s not serving a suspension, but Minnesota Vikings defensive tackle Pat Williams won’t be suiting up for at least a couple weeks. Pat was diagnosed with a fractured shoulder today (suffered during yesterday’s 35-14 win at Arizona) and will miss anywhere from 2-6 weeks.
Best case scenario (assuming the StarCaps case isn’t looked at again until after the Super Bowl), the Vikings win their last two games and the Carolina Panthers lose their last two games. I realize this is a long shot, but it would give the Vikes the second seed in the NFC …read more

National Football League Blogcast, NFL Blogcast
The five players who were busted for using StarCaps no longer have to keep wondering if they will be suspended. At least not for the next couple weeks and probably longer. U.S. District Court Judge Paul Magnuson extended his preliminary injunction against the NFL’s suspension of Kevin Williams (Vikings), Pat Williams (Vikings), Deuce McAllister (Saints), Will Smith (Saints) and Charles Grant (Saints) for violating the league’s anti-doping policy today. Judge Magnuson asked both sides to propose a schedule by December 22 to file pleadings in the case. That means the players are cleared to play …read more

National Football League Blogcast, NFL Blogcast
U.S. District Judge Paul Magnuson blocked the NFL from suspending five players (Kevin Williams, Pat Williams, Charles Grant, Deuce McAllister and Will Smith) for violating the league’s anti-doping policy because he needed more time to consider the case after hearing several hours of arguments from the league and the NFL Players Association today. Afterward, the NFL released the following statement:
“Judge Magnuson made clear this afternoon that he needed more time to fully and carefully consider all of the briefs, arguments, and cases put before him. We welcome that scrutiny. We are confident that, once he …read more

National Football League Blogcast, NFL Blogcast
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 …read more

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 …read more

National Football League Blogcast, NFL Blogcast
Minnesota Vikings defensive tackles Kevin and Pat Williams were back at practice today. They returned from several days of meetings and hearings without a verdict in their appeal regarding four-game suspensions for violating the league’s policy on steroids and related substances. The “Williams Wall” had nothing to say about the matter and Vikings head coach Brad Childress couldn’t offer much input, either:
“Because I wasn’t there, I don’t know. I have no idea. I just know that they had a forum and it was pretty comprehensive.”
As it turns out, Kevin and Pat did not travel alone. …read more