At some point, the five NFL players who used Star Caps are going to have to pay the piper. The NFL is going to have to enforce their anti-doping policy, as flawed as it may seem. In this day and age of ‘act before react,’ the league is going to have to make an example out of someone.

By having a Minnesota judge extend the injunction on the mandatory four game suspensions, the five players (Kevin and Pat Williams of Minnesota; Charles Grant, Duece McAllister and Will Smith of New Orleans) were able to participate in this past Sunday’s games and next weekend. The next court date is December 22.

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Regardless if these players used Star Caps as a steroid masking agent or not, the banned diuretic substance Bumetanide was still used. The NFL has been projecting a no-nonsense attitude with off-the-field issues, so they will at least have to give the impression of coming down hard on these players. All of this attention – even if the players themselves want to clear their names – cannot be good for a league that has kept the cleaning of their house out of the public eye, unlike Major League Baseball. Perhaps a better way of settling this would have been to cut the suspension to two games, reason being the confusion of Star Caps being on ‘the list’ or not. That way, the league would be giving in some and the players would still have felt that they received somewhat of a pass.

All of these court proceedings have made this a stand-off, and no one will be the winner in that.

It’s going to be a hard sell for big and burly professional football players to convince anyone that they only took a product that is marketed as a weight loss drug for middle-aged women. The model on the company’s home page (www.starcaps.com) brings back memories of Mae West, for Christ’s sake! (No offense, Nikki Haskell)

StarCaps even had to put a disclaimer on their website and “temporarily suspend shipping” due to the lawsuit. Now, I totally understand that these players are just covering their asses by blaming the product, but the fact remains that a diuretic such as this is also used as a masking agent for steroids, more specifically, the banned substance bumetanide.

What may be an important piece of evidence is that Dr. John Lombardo (the Steroid Policy’s Independent Administrator) was aware of StarCaps containing bumetanide back in 2006, but failed to inform NFL players because he did not want to line up their excuse for them if they were caught using a masking agent.

Three players on the New Orleans Saints (Duece McAllister, Will Smith and Charles Grant), two Minnesota Vikings (Kevin Williams, Pat Williams) and one Atlanta Falcon (Grady Jackson) all failed drug screening tests for bumetanide. All but Jackson, who has already served his suspension, can miss four games each if found guilty. They have filed appeals with the league and are awaiting hearings.

With the start of NFL training camps, MuscleSport Mag will bring you a team-by-team breakdown of all 32 clubs vying for the Lombardi Trophy on February 1, 2009 in Tampa Bay. We will start with the NFC East and work our way around the league.

The NFC North will be a very different looking division from only a year ago when the Green Bay Packers led the way with a 13-3 record. The 2007 Minnesota Vikings may have finished second at .500, but added the league’s sack leader and hope that quarterback Tarvaris Jackson will take the next step and lead the team to the playoffs, which they have missed since 200.

A strong backfield will go a long way in making that a reality, and adding wide receiver Bernard Berrian will make their offense well-rounded. On the other side of the ball, the Williamses and Jared Allen form a formidable group, which may be able to dominate the division.

Allen was acquired via trade from the Kansas City Chiefs and immediately made an impact with the community. He should be a monster pass rusher, while Kevin and Pat Williams will once again be a huge part of Minnesota’s strong rush defense, which led the NFL last season.

As far as running the ball themselves, second-year player Adrian Peterson and Chester Taylor can both take over a game. Berrian was signed away from the Vikings’ divisional rival Chicago, where he proved himself to be a quality possession receiver.

For the team to take advantage of a golden opportunity, Jackson must cut down on turnovers. The front office was actively pursuing Brett Favre before the Packers sent him to the Jets, so they may have some faith – but not totally sold on their current signal-caller. Jackson has many strong traits such as speed and a strong arm, but must hone his skills and learn the decision-making process, one which he struggled with in the past.

Up in Green Bay, the team may take a step or two back as new starter Aaron Rodgers takes his lumps. The Bears have given the job to Kyle Orton, and Detroit is Detroit. If there ever was a season in which the Vikings could earn a spot by winning a division, this is it.

PREDICTION: 10-6, 1st Place, NFC North