This is Probably Important

The NFL has decided to appeal judge Magnuson’s ruling in the StarCaps case: Last Friday, U.S. District Judge Paul Magnuson threw out most of the claims by Vikings defensive tackles Kevin Williams and Pat Williams. He also dismissed a lawsuit brought by the NFL players’ union on behalf of the Williamses and three New Orleans Saints players also facing suspension. But Magnuson remanded the Williamses’ two remaining claims to state court. In Tuesday’s filing, attorneys for the NFL said they will ask the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals to review whether Magnuson misapplied federal law when he didn’t dismiss those two claims outright. The NFL Players Association and the Williamses say NFL officials knew a weight-loss supplement called StarCaps contained the banned diuretic bumetanide back in 2006, even though it wasn’t listed on the label, and that the league should have notified players and federal regulators. The NFL bans bumetanide because it can be used as a masking agent for steroids. This may mean the NFL fears the state court will find against them, or it could just be some pro forma thing.  Why am I speculating about legal stuff when I know absolutely nothing about it? The AP story goes on to inform us that Pat and Kevin Williams are not related.  Thanks for clearing that up.