Deuce McAllister, Will Smith and Charles Grant Suspended for 4 games
Well, we knew this was coming. Now we can all move on with our lives. Feel free to pay your respects to Deuce, who may or may not have played his last game as a New Orleans Saint.
about 3 years ago
Dave Cariello
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Comments
nola.com comments section
Posted by kamar on 12/02/08 at 4:19PM
Too bad the coach didn’t take starcaps.
Could do without his play calling for 4 games.
What’s that?.. uh…PLAYoffs? Don’t talk about…Playoffs? You kiddin’ me? Playoffs? I just hope we can win a GAME.
Goodbye and good luck Deuce
Yeah, this seemed inevitable. I expect Sunday will have been the last time Deuce plays for the Saints. I can accept most of this, but this is the part that really pisses me off:
With respect to the question of whether a specific warning should have been given regarding Star Caps, the policy does not set forth an obligation to issue specific warnings about specific products and no testimony suggests that the NFL and NFLPA have ever contemplated imposing such a requirement on Dr. Lombardo, who oversees the development of education materials on steroids. In keeping with that responsibility, the NFL, NFLPA, and Dr. Lombardo have emphasized the need for extreme caution in the use of any supplement, including weight reduction products, have established a Hotline for players to call for information regarding supplements, have established a Supplement Certification program with EAS to provide players with supplements that are free of banned substances, and have, in conjunction with reinforcing the strict liability rule, repeatedly warned players about the dangers of unregulated and inaccurately labeled dietary supplements. In the past, players have been suspended for using dietary supplements that contained a banned substance.
FUCK Lombardo! FUCK Goodel! AND FUCK the NFL! Pardon my French, but they do bear some responsibility if they knew a product contained a banned substance not listed on the label and didn’t bother to let players know. This is really going to hurt the Vikings. Unlike the Saints, they are still very much in the playoff hunt and will very much miss the Williams guys on their D-line. I bet Vikings fans are even more pissed.
Go Saints!!!!
by David "Satch" Kelly on Dec 2, 2008 4:36 PM CST reply actions 1 recs
from the NFL's release
two notifications specifically mentioning Star Caps were sent on December 19, 2006. One was sent to the presidents, general managers, and head athletic trainers of all NFL clubs. The second was sent to Stacy Robinson, the NFLPA executive who oversees the Steroid Policy on behalf of the union. The letter to Robinson states that “Balanced Health Products, which distributes Star Caps, has been added to the list of prohibited dietary supplement companies. Please distribute this information to the agents and players through your normal channels.” In response, Robinson had Balanced Health Products added to the list of banned companies that is maintained on the NFLPA’s website.
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
This is fishy
Why is this the first time we are hearing about this notification? This seems to run contrary to their lawyer’s (David Cornwell) main argument:
David Cornwell, the attorney representing the three Saints in the current NFL appeals case, has said in reports since the Tuesday hearing that the doctor in charge of administering the NFL’s steroids policy testified Tuesday that he knew that StarCaps contained bumetanide but did not specifically warn players about that supplement. According to Cornwell, that doctor, John Lombardo, did not reveal what he knew about StarCaps because he did not want players who tested positive for Bumetanide to explain it away simply by saying they were taking StarCaps.
I guess we can debate his use of the word “specifically” or the alleged warning that the product’s maker, Balanced Health Products, was on the the banned list until we’re all blue in the face. Nevertheless, this all has a very unsavory smell to it.
Go Saints!!!!
by David "Satch" Kelly on Dec 2, 2008 4:59 PM CST up reply actions
Godspeed Deuce
Just got off the phone with my brother who lives in Jackson, MS. Deuce spent last night (his day off) handing out toys and gifts to underpriviledged kids at the WalMart by his house. There are countless, countless, stories of his generosity and benevolence. All of which happen with the cameras off. With the spotlight on he always came to play and gave his heart and soul for the Saints and the whole gulf south region.
What a sad day it is for the NFL when Deuce is suspended for taking something the league said was OK, then didn’t disclose to its players when deemed harmful. Pacman Jones is good enough to represent the NFL, but Deuce isn’t?
Truly, truly, a sad day. If my gut is correct, I just don’t see Deuce retiring, not this way. He is a warrior, who just wants to go out with his boots on…..hopefully those boots are black and gold!!!!
Agreed...
Who would want their career to end in a 4 game suspension? No way. He’ll be back. What is the status of his contract though? I think, if anything, it will be contract, not injuries or age, that will prevent Deuce from returning next year.
7-9, Here We Come...
FUBAR
I didn’t think it could get any worse than ’07…This is the most frustrating year I could ever remember.
7-9, Here We Come...
Unlike the Saints season..
this may not be over yet:
Sources close to both sides told FOXSports.com’s Jay Glazer over the weekend that if the players’ suspensions were upheld, they would look to file an immediate temporary restraining order in a favorable jurisdiction such as New Orleans. They would then try to get a temporary stay, followed by a permanent stay to prevent the players from being suspended. Their argument stemmed from testimony that two high-ranking league officials knew about the illegal ingredient in StarCaps, yet never warned the players, the players association, nor the FDA.
It remains to be seen whether this route will be effective. Officials from all three teams involved anonymously complained that the league needs to reform its “strict liability” approach to supplement policy. These latest suspensions will surely cause more controversy.
I doubt this will actually work at keeping the players active. It doesn’t really matter for the Saints anymore anyway as they are pretty much out of the playoffs. Still, I’m squarely on the players side in this. Ditka’s Ghost makes a good point:
Pacman Jones is good enough to represent the NFL, but Deuce isn’t?
Because of this, the poor officiating this year, and the ridiculous fines for players who didn’t even get flagged by the officials during the game, I’ve lost respect for the NFL brass. They should seriously revisit many polices during the offseason or else many fans may get turned off, stop buying tickets and the other crap, and thereby reduce the owner’s revenues. It’s all about further enriching the 32 team owners anyway.
Go Saints!!!!
by David "Satch" Kelly on Dec 2, 2008 5:21 PM CST reply actions
Roger Goodell is like a combination of stomach flu, the IRS, and Hitler
I bet even his dog despises him now. And I hope the players get everything they want through the courts, including suing the NFL for enough money to make the owners bleed from the ears.
0-17
restructure?
Deuce is still my favorite player of all-time. Anybody think there’s any chance that he may restructure to try and come back next year? Even if he does, you think the Saints would do it? He hasn’t been playing much as is…
Deuce's quote
“I don’t feel like I’m through playing. I don’t feel like I’ve played my last game in the Dome,” said McAllister, who turns 30 this month. “I mean, whatever happens happens, but there’s no reason to try and speculate at this point.”
He’ll either be a saint or go to an NFC south opponent (so he can play twice in the dome) just for the irony.
http://blog.nola.com/saintsbeat/2008/12/new_orleans_saints_deuce_mcall_1.html



















