New York, NY (My Sportsbook) - The National Football League announced a list of six players on Tuesday that were each suspended four games for a violation of the league's policy on anabolic steroids and related substances. New Orleans' Charles Grant, Deuce McAllister and Will Smith, Minnesota's Pat Williams and Kevin Williams and Houston's Bryan Pittman will each sit out after violating a provision of the policy relating to the use of diuretics and water pills, which may serve as masking agents for steroids. All six players will miss the remainder of the regular season, as there are only four weeks left in the 2008 campaign. If the Saints, Vikings or Texans qualify for the playoffs, the players are eligible to return to their respective active rosters on December 29. Jeff Pash, the NFL's executive vice president of labor and league counsel, heard and decided all but one of the appeals to the suspension. He noted in his rulings that the diuretic taken by the players, Bumetanide, had long been a prohibited substance and that the league's policy contains numerous warnings about dietary supplements. |
