Those Lucky Willliams Boys

[SMACKTALKIE]

I thought they served the suspensions last year. Or am I just wrong?

I know at least one of them did. It really doesn't seem fair. It seems like the Vikings got away with another one--along with the poison pill and the Favre tampering charges. Legally, they may have been in the right, but I think common sense leads one to believe that they have been skirting the rules.

There is nothing illegal with the poison pill, and the tampering charges were simply that........ charges, made by a paranoid coach and GM. Just because you were counting the Vikings first round draft pick as your own does not mean tampering took place, and the NFL agreed.

The Packers would like their cellphone back, however. Can you ask Chilly to return it?

Chilly loves that phone. It has some really funny forewarded text messages on it.

[HarveyWallbangers]

Just looked it up and Grant and Smith did not serve the suspension yet. My bad, I thought they did.

Saints OL Jamar Nesbit served his suspension.

http://blog.nola.com/saintsbeat/2009/06/saints_guard_jamar_nesbit_stil.html

Nesbit did not appeal his suspension and sat out Games 4 through 7.

[HarveyWallbangers]

There is nothing illegal with the poison pill, and the tampering charges were simply that........ charges, made by a paranoid coach and GM. Just because you were counting the Vikings first round draft pick as your own does not mean tampering took place, and the NFL agreed.

Again. Legally, they may have done nothing wrong. The poison pill was a dick move though. I'm surprised that anybody (even a homer Vikings fan) doesn't think there was something to the Favre tampering charge--especially after what's happened this summer.

[mngolf19]

There is nothing illegal with the poison pill, and the tampering charges were simply that........ charges, made by a paranoid coach and GM. Just because you were counting the Vikings first round draft pick as your own does not mean tampering took place, and the NFL agreed.

Again. Legally, they may have done nothing wrong. The poison pill was a dick move though. I'm surprised that anybody (even a homer Vikings fan) doesn't think there was something to the Favre tampering charge--especially after what's happened this summer.

Harv, they are all buddies. The whole NFL. So guys talk and say "hey, maybe some day you can play here, we'd love to have you" Is that tampering or just normal talk that all NFL people do with one another? Anything more than that I just don't see happening, unless Favre contacted them and tried to gauge their interest. At which point I could see them mention the conv they've had in the past. You can argue whether this stuff is kosher or not but...

[swede]

You can argue whether this stuff is kosher or not but...

I thought that's what we were doing.

Some teams are very careful not to violate the spirit of the rule, because to do otherwise would reflect poorly on your team. But that wouldn't bother some teams.

[Tyrone Bigguns]

There is nothing illegal with the poison pill, and the tampering charges were simply that........ charges, made by a paranoid coach and GM. Just because you were counting the Vikings first round draft pick as your own does not mean tampering took place, and the NFL agreed.

Again. Legally, they may have done nothing wrong. The poison pill was a dick move though. I'm surprised that anybody (even a homer Vikings fan) doesn't think there was something to the Favre tampering charge--especially after what's happened this summer.

Harv, they are all buddies. The whole NFL. So guys talk and say "hey, maybe some day you can play here, we'd love to have you" Is that tampering or just normal talk that all NFL people do with one another? Anything more than that I just don't see happening, unless Favre contacted them and tried to gauge their interest. At which point I could see them mention the conv they've had in the past. You can argue whether this stuff is kosher or not but...

Actually you can't.

Until we see a rabbi blessing it...it ain't kosher.

[SMACKTALKIE]

There is nothing illegal with the poison pill, and the tampering charges were simply that........ charges, made by a paranoid coach and GM. Just because you were counting the Vikings first round draft pick as your own does not mean tampering took place, and the NFL agreed.

Again. Legally, they may have done nothing wrong. The poison pill was a dick move though. I'm surprised that anybody (even a homer Vikings fan) doesn't think there was something to the Favre tampering charge--especially after what's happened this summer.

Harv, I think the poison pill was a dick move, it was serious snub to the Seahawks and the Vikings got a pro bowler out of it. But even to a homer fan like me, the tampering charges were BS. They were the flailings of an organization whose (majority) fan base was pissed. The NFL said there was nothing there. The Vikings did not "get away" with anything, they did nothing to "get away" with. The egg is on the face of the Packers organization in this case.

[HarveyWallbangers]

http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcnorth/post/_/id/3137/minnesota-courts-buy-williams-wall-more-time

The bottom line is that both players might have already been suspended if they didn’t play in Minnesota, which has some of the most stringent labor laws in the country. That’s one of the biggest implications of Friday’s ruling. There is now a potential imbalance in discipline the league can hand out if its policy is subject to the differing laws of the individual states.

Would Kevin Williams and Pat Williams have a case if they played in Chicago, Green Bay or Detroit? That’s not immediately clear. But here is something to consider: New Orleans defensive linemen Charles Grant and Will Smith are expected to be suspended next week for what is reported to be the same offense -- ingesting bumetanide, a diuretic that can also be used as a masking agent.

Even if Kevin Williams and Pat Williams ultimately lose the case, this ruling has bought them another full year of playing time, salary and pension benefits. September 2010 is the earliest they could be punished for a transgression that occurred during the summer of 2008.

[ThunderDan]

I guess MN has jurisdiction even for away games, as the fatties are employed in the state on MN.

That's an interesting point. Obviously the Vikings have an unfair advantage over other teams in the NFL.

[SMACKTALKIE]

I guess MN has jurisdiction even for away games, as the fatties are employed in the state on MN.

That's an interesting point. Obviously the Vikings have an unfair advantage over other teams in the NFL.

I think PBMax said it best, "A lawyer at the league's Management Council or its counsel is in serious trouble, if they haven't been let go already."

This issue was not taken care of in the current CBA. This will be taken care of in the new CBA.

[HarveyWallbangers]

Harv, I think the poison pill was a dick move, it was serious snub to the Seahawks and the Vikings got a pro bowler out of it. But even to a homer fan like me, the tampering charges were BS. They were the flailings of an organization whose (majority) fan base was pissed. The NFL said there was nothing there. The Vikings did not "get away" with anything, they did nothing to "get away" with. The egg is on the face of the Packers organization in this case.

Being able to prove it is one thing. Nobody knows if it actually happened. I think common sense would suggest that it did. It appears that Favre was angling to get to Minnesota once he was out in Green Bay. I wonder how Favre would have known the Vikings were interested--unless somebody from the Vikings informed him. Nothing Childress stated publicly until midsummer of this year indicated that he wanted Favre, but we now know that Childress was trying to bring Favre in long before he publicly stated interest. It's pretty obvious now that Childress would do anything to get Favre, and my bet is that he or Bevell let Favre know that the Vikings were interested. Favre's "if you don't want me, let me go to the Vikings" comments seem to suggest he knew the Vikings wanted him.

[red]

so, can viking players now take banned substances and not have to worry about getting suspended by the nfl?

or is it this just an individual case?

[bobblehead]

Sticking it to Goodell with a technicality....anyone think the vikes might be on the short end of some bad officiating this year?

[mraynrand]

Sticking it to Goodell with a technicality....anyone think the vikes might be on the short end of some bad officiating this year?

No "the officials love me and want to protect me"

[Freak Out]

So until the CBA is renegotiated they can continue to take the thing that almost got them suspended as long as they are employed in Minnesota? DAYUM!