StarCaps suspends sales

The makers of a weight-loss pill that has been linked to the potential suspensions of several players, including two Vikings, suspended sales of the product. Vikings coach Brad Childress offered his reaction, but stayed away from “conjecture.”

The makers of the weight-loss supplement StarCaps, which has come under fire for being responsible for several players testing positive for a banned substance by the NFL and facing suspension, announced Thursday that it is halting sales of the product pending a review.

Approximately eight players have been linked to the product, which league officials have said is a diuretic water pill that has been linked to masking the use of steroids through a substance. Among the players currently under investigation and potential suspension include Kevin Williams and Pat Williams of the Vikings, according to a Fox Sports report on Sunday.

Two members of the New Orleans Saints, RB Deuce McAllister and guard Jamar Nesbit, have filed suit against the company, whose product doesn’t list the banned substance Bumetanide on its packaging but allegedly contains the banned substance.

The league has a no-tolerance policy concerning banned substances, but this may be the exception to the rule, since the product didn’t state that it contained Bumetanide, which it is required to do by law.

When Viking Update informed Brad Childress that StarCaps suspended sales and asked for his reaction, he said, “Probably is just a mirror of the stock market right now,” Childress said. “Suspended sales, who knows? Maybe it had something to do with Wall Street.”

When asked if he thought it had something to do with the negative NFL publicity the company had been receiving, Childress said, “I wouldn’t conjecture on that. That’s your guys’ job.”

FRIDAY NOTES

As expected, WCCO-TV, the Twin Cities CBS affiliate, agreed to purchase whatever tickets remain for Sunday’s game against the Houston Texans so it won’t be blacked out. The station is said to be donating the tickets to local military personnel and their families to watch the game.

The Vikings will observe a moment of silence and a video tribute to former Vikings safety Karl Kassulke, who died of a heart attack Monday at the age of 67. Kassulke’s playing career came to an abrupt end when he was paralyzed in a motorcycle accident prior to training camp in 1973.

The Vikings return coverage teams have received a lot of heat for allowing five touchdowns through seven games. They won’t get any breaks against Houston, whose punt returner, Jacoby Jones, is second in the league with a 14.7-yard punt return average – behind only Reggie Bush – along with two touchdowns.

Ben Leber is going to continue to wear the communications helmet despite Napoleon Harris starting at middle linebacker. Leber has worn the helmet that allows defensive coaches to signal in plays from the sideline since E.J. Henderson went down with his dislocated toes.

Linebacker David Herron (hip) missed a second straight practice Thursday. The same four players that were limited Wednesday in practice – Ray Edwards (knee), Garrett Mills (ankle), Sidney Rice (knee) and Madieu Williams (neck) – were all limited in practice, but all four are expected to be available for Sunday’s game.

There were some who made comparisons to Mike Tice when hearing about Mike Singletary’s tirade about Vernon Davis – acting more like a player than a head coach with his emotional rant. However, even Tice would shudder at the news that, during his halftime speech last Sunday, Singletary dropped his pants to prove a point. Yikes!

The woes of former NFL running back Travis Henry continues. Henry, who reportedly has nine children by nine different women, was able to avoid a suspension for testing positive for marijuana last year through a technicality, but was released by the Broncos anyway following the season. On Thursday, Henry was in court again – this time charged with cocaine trafficking.