Judge puts Williams suspentions on hold, protects players too dumb to stick to NFL/NFLPA approved supplements/companies

The NFL and NFLPA set up a testing and certification of supplements and maintain a list of companies which are approved by the league not to have banned substances.

From the NFLPA website
"Players can easily tell that they are using certified products, because all certified products contain a seal of approval (that the products have been tested and approved) on their packaging."

Starcaps, the supplement that caused the failed drug tests by the Williams' and 4 other NFL players was removed from the NFL/NFLPA list in 2006.

11 months ago shake n bake 16 comments 0 recs |

Story-email Email Printer Print

Comments

Starcaps!?!

Has anybody checked out the company’s website? Talk about shady. What were these guys thinking buying something from such a shady outfit and why are DT’s taking weight loss pills anyway?

by jedye on Dec 3, 2008 11:45 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

weight clauses in their contracts

a lot of DTs have problems staying in game shape so teams give them an incentive to stay in shape (or really a disincentive for being a fat shit). The players have money riding on making weight.

and secondly that site looks like a late night infomercial. Shady, shady, shady shit right there.

Shonn Greene for Heisman
Big Ten's leading Rusher, Leads FBS
144 yards per game
6.2 yards per carry
08 TDs per game > 06 GPA

by shake n bake on Dec 3, 2008 11:49 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

interesting point

about the weight incentives

by jedye on Dec 3, 2008 11:52 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

As much as I side with the NFL on this one

The wrongdoing in this case is clearly perpetrated by the makers of StarCaps for not completely disclosing the ingredients of their product. I mean, when a company breaks FDA regulations and includes ingredients that aren’t disclosed on the labeling, it sort of supercedes other considerations. This could’ve easily happened with an NFL-approved supplement.

Of course, I would LOVE to see the Williams Wall suspended so we can actually run on the Vikings if we have to face them in the Super Bowl.

by slash196 on Dec 4, 2008 12:09 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

if it happened with an NFL approved supplement

I assume the league doesn’t suspend the player or else there isn’t a lot of point in having an approved list.

Shonn Greene for Heisman
Big Ten's leading Rusher, Leads FBS
144 yards per game
6.2 yards per carry
08 TDs per game > 06 GPA

by shake n bake on Dec 4, 2008 12:20 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

supplements aren't monitored by the FDA

Next time you see an ad on tv for a supplement watch the fine print and it will disclose that. Or walk into a GNC and everything in there will also have the disclaimer that the product is not regulated by the FDA.

Anyone that has ever worked out and taken supplements knows this, and it is a risk you take. Companies aren’t monitored and can get away with lying about what is in their product. The way you counter this and avoid problems like that is by buying from reputable companies which any idiot should be able to tell from quick glance StarCaps is not

by jochexum on Dec 4, 2008 10:39 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

i was initially very skeptical of the players defense

but the more i read, and the fact that a judge sees something shady enough to be worth investigating, i’m beginning to think the nfl may have botched this. it’s not exactly hard to believe the nfl would screw up, is it?

by hal41605 on Dec 4, 2008 12:51 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Williams boys

In the end, they are still going to get suspended. The issue now is, if they delay the suspension, they could miss playoff games. Before, they were suspended 4 regular season games, but were eligible for the playoffs. If this gets delayed, they will likely be suspended for playoff games.

Again, banned substance taken by players in supplement not recommended by league. The judge can stop it if he likes, but in the end, these guys ARE. GETTING. SUSPENDED. Fighting it as it is will only make it worse.

SB Nation's Indianapolis Colts blogger at Stampede Blue. Please make an account and post a diary, add some comments, and make some noise. Accounts are free, and only require an email address.

by BigBlueShoe on Dec 4, 2008 1:17 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

This is going to be a big He Says She Says SNAFU.

by eltharion_doa on Dec 4, 2008 3:46 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

The fact of the matter is

Irrelevant of where the substance came from they had it in their systems. They can claim it came from a supplement, but that is very hard to prove that is where is came from, especially if the supplement ISN’T on the NFL’s list. This is a condition of their employment that they not take these substances and this judge is out of line to make this type of ruling. I can’t imagine this standing if these are rules the NFLPA had agreed to…

An expert is someone who knows more and more about less and less until they know everything about nothing...

by bluegirl on Dec 4, 2008 5:30 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

I agree

Unless something is really shady here, I can’t understand how the judge can do this. The conditions of how the banned substance got in your system really shouldn’t matter. As long as you’ve taken it, its still cheating no matter how it got in you.

by Jay Cutler's Barber on Dec 4, 2008 11:23 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

It’s not really surprising considering it was a judge in Minnesota.

The King of Anti-Fail and Unofficial Moderator of Stupid People

by KingRichard on Dec 4, 2008 11:40 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

pure stupidity

This is just another example that goes to support the fact that many of the league’s players are not too bright. If I was a football player subject to drug tests, etc., there’s no way I would be taking anything! I’d work out, eat healthy, and wouldn’t take supplements of any kind…..just for the possibility of something like this! Again, stupid!

by Ayrshire on Dec 4, 2008 8:42 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Pretty much. That whole it didn’t say anything on the label argument is laughable.

The King of Anti-Fail and Unofficial Moderator of Stupid People

by KingRichard on Dec 4, 2008 8:48 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

It's the Barry Bonds way out

Oh, I didn’t know that cream had steroids in it!!

Pleading ignorance is the only thing you have left when you have nothing else.

by yellowsnow on Dec 4, 2008 12:03 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I’m pretty sure NFL teams have dieticians and trainers and all those kinds of people on staff. Shouldn’t the players only be taking stuff that is approved by these people? I can’t imagine being a high performance athlete that is subject to testing and not knowing exactly what’s going into my body. And if these somehow did come through the team, its obviously the teams fault.

by Jay Cutler's Barber on Dec 4, 2008 11:22 AM EST reply actions 0 recs