Keeping up with the legal battle between NFL players and the league over a banned substance violation is like trying to keep up with an episode of Heroes with the TV on mute. It’s confusing, dizzying, and at times, makes me want to stab something.
First the league suspended Deuce McAllister, Will Smith, and Charles Grant of the Saints along with Pat Williams and Kevin Williams of the Minnesota Vikings. Then the players filed a lawsuit to fight the suspensions, claiming the banned substance in question did not appear in the ingredient list of the weight loss product the players used. Now a Federal judge is telling the NFL to slow its roll. Apparently the judge wants to take a closer look at who did (or didn’t) play by the rules and whether the rules were clear to begin with. Oy vey!
While watching NFL Live, I heard commentator Mark Schlereth make an excellent point in defense of the players. He noted that after Hurricane Katrina, the NFL had no problem making Deuce McAllister its poster boy for the league’s “kinder, gentler side.” Now, it’s on the attack against McAllister, for what I and many others consider an unfair witch hunt to root out players who may or may not have juiced up.
Look, I get it that rules are rules. But shouldn’t the NFL use the same kind of common sense it wants players to use when it comes to steroid violations? The league’s own attorney is quoted as saying that players weren’t warned that StarCaps, a diuretic, contained the steroid masking substance bumetanide, nor was the substance listed on the product’s ingredient list. I get that players should have a certain sense of responsibility when it comes to what products they can and can’t take. But in this specific case, with such ambiguous circumstances, a four game suspension at a crucial point in the season seems more than a little ridonkulous. I mean, especially considering the 2 game suspensions players get for kicking the crap out of their “loved ones.” Here’s hoping the judge can find a suitable middle ground. In the meantime, here’s hoping Sean Payton takes advantage of the fact that Deuce actually gets to suit up on Sunday.
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