Kevin and Pat Williams are proving to be as successful in court as they are in stopping opposing running backs. The Pro Bowl defensive tackles scored their latest legal victory late Thursday afternoon when they learned they will be able to stay on the field for the rest of the regular season and into the playoffs if the Vikings advance.
U.S. District Judge Paul Magnuson assured this when he extended his injunction against the NFL's suspension of five players for violating the league's steroid policy until the parties have an opportunity to conduct a full hearing on the issues. Magnuson requested the sides propose a schedule by Dec. 22 for future proceedings that would result in an eventual hearing on the merits of the case.
The Vikings finish the regular season Dec. 28 against the New York Giants. Peter Ginsberg, the New York-based lawyer for the Williamses, said he believes the process will take months rather than weeks to play out.
"I expect the ruling will allow the players to play through the playoffs,"
he said.
Ginsberg called the 20-page decision issued by Magnuson "a huge victory"
for his clients.
The Vikings, who are not part of the Williamses lawsuit, did not comment on Magnuson's decision.
The Williamses, along with three players from the New Orleans Saints, faced four-game bans that were handed down by the NFL on Dec. 2. The five took a weight-loss supplement called StarCaps. The supplement contained the NFL-banned drug bumetanide, which was not listed as an ingredient. The diuretic aids weight loss, but can also mask steroid use.
The players claim the league has known about the presence of bumetanide in StarCaps since 2006 and failed to issue a warning. The NFL, which maintains a list of approved products, has claimed it is not obligated to provide warnings about specific products that are not on that list.
