Comments on: NFC North Playoff Picture Tightens as Pat and Kevin Williams Suspended for Vikings

By: NFL Week 14 TV Schedule Announcer Pairings Point Spreads Over-Under Odds | Dec 7

Thu, 04 Dec 2008 14:18:24 +0000

[...] is 0-12 and this may be their best chance for a win. They are at home against a team that has dealt with a lot of distractions this week and could be ripe for an upset. The Vikings have a one game lead in the NFC North and [...]

By: Kaner

Kaner — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 04:48:13 +0000

The NFC north is still wide open. The Vikes were my pick as the best team coming out, I still think they are. Who else will make a run? The Bears dont have it in them and the Pack is sliding.

By: B. Leber

B. Leber — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 16:49:50 +0000

The Vikes are an all around good team. I’m keeping my money on the vikes to win the NFC. See ya in the playoffs.

By: JRod

JRod — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 15:11:04 +0000

And the hits keep coming for the Vikes D-Line. Bryan Robison, a key backup who regularly rotates in, is now out for a few weeks after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his knee.

I agree with you MJ…I think these players, and the Vikes, are basically up shit’s creek without a paddle.

By: M.J. Laughlin

M.J. Laughlin — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 13:54:02 +0000

I have a feeling they will not be able to find any relief from the appeals process. The timing of the situation (suspended 4 games with 4 games remaining) along with the hard line stance taken by the NFL on their steroids policy leads me to believe that, though this situation is far from over, they may have actually heard the final results with these suspensions. There are any number of arguments the attorneys for these players can make: the league is protecting itself and not its players, the players were not informed of the banned substance (that argument will fail because the league posted it as part of their collective bargaining agreement and knowledge will be imputed to them), this is not fair to the fan etc. The problem with these types of arguments is that they have little legal footing to obtain an injunction in time to make a difference because that judgment will need to be handed down almost immediately, as such much will turn on what type of judge gets assigned to this case. The arguments they are likely to make are designed to put pressure on the league to overturn their ruling, but as mentioned, they are more interested in showing their intolerance for steroids and everything associated with them, which will be bad news for all the players involved.

By: JRod

JRod — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 04:30:16 +0000

Great points MJ. The Vikings better figure out how to stop the run over the next two weeks without Pat and Kevin, because Atlanta and NY will run all over them otherwise. Not even Adrian Peterson may be able to keep them in the game against those two attacks. Would have been pretty good matchups of strength v strength if the Williamses were playing.

Also, what will happen with the appeals? I wonder if there is still a chance they will be able to play through the appeals process.