StarCaps Saga Continues, Kevin And Pat Williams On Trial This Week

I don’t know if this exhausting StarCaps case involving Minnesota Vikings defensive tackles Kevin and Pat Williams will ever end. I won’t rehash the whole sordid legal history here, but the labor battle between the National Football League and the Williams Wall (two of the players involved) went to trial today.

If you haven't been paying very close attention, you might be asking: “Didn’t this already go to trial?” Well, yes. That’s what makes it so irritating. And increasingly difficult to understand.

The NFL suspended Kevin and Pat Williams (plus New Orleans Saints defensive ends Will Smith and Charles Grant) for the use of a banned diuretic in the diet supplement StarCaps. Long story short, their suspensions were blocked last season while U.S. district judge Paul Magnuson heard arguments from both sides (the NFL and the NFLPA). The Williams Wall then sued the NFL, arguing that the NFL’s testing violated Minnesota labor law (they weren't informed of their positive test within three days). The case was moved to federal court. Then parts of it were sent back to state court. And the Saints players piggybacked on the non-suspension. A subsequent 44-page ruling last month found favor on both sides.

So what happened today? Well, neither player took the stand. But before all is said and done, some labor issues should be resolved—one of those being who, exactly, Pat and Kevin Williams work for: the NFL, the Vikings, of both? If the players are employed, even partially, by the NFL (and I strongly believe they are), the league would have to follow Minnesota labor law. Advantage Vikings.