The Minnesota Vikings Organization is Classless

[Schmidty]

http://myespn.go.com/s/conversations/show/story/3100835

Way to scare off anyone from ever wanting to play for your team again.

Vikes dock Williamson's pay for missing game for grandmother's funeral
By Len Pasquarelli
ESPN.com

Updated: November 8, 2007, 6:30 PM ET


The Minnesota Vikings have docked wide receiver Troy Williamson one game check for missing last Sunday's game against the San Diego Chargers to attend the Monday funeral of his maternal grandmother.

Based on his 2007 salary of $435,000, the action by the Vikings will cost the three-year veteran $25,588. Williamson has 45 days to appeal Minnesota's decision to withhold his pay, and NFL Players Association sources said he will do so.

Coach Brad Childress told Twin Cities-area media following Thursday's practice that the decision was on a "business principle" of the Vikings organization.

"He had a family obligation that he had to see to," Childress said. "We sat down and talked on it before he left. ... He had to do what he had to do. Everybody handles that differently. [Williamson] had to do what his family situation called for."

Childress cited the cases of two players, Minnesota defensive tackle Pat Williams and Indianapolis wide receiver Reggie Wayne, who appeared in games shortly after the deaths of family members.

Williamson's maternal grandmother, who helped to raise him and with whom he was very close, died last week and he returned to South Carolina, where he played a large role in arranging her funeral. He also had to make travel arrangements for several of his siblings, some of whom are in the armed services. He returned to the team on Wednesday as the Vikings began practicing for this Sunday's game against Green Bay.

The team apparently apprised Williamson on Wednesday that he would not receive a paycheck for the game that he missed.

"I don't care if they would have [taken] my pay for the rest of the year, I was going home," Williamson told the St. Paul Pioneer Press. "It wouldn't have mattered to me."

The team's first-round choice in the 2005 draft and regarded as Minnesota's best deep threat despite continuing inconsistencies that have marked his career, Williams has nine receptions for 159 yards and one touchdown while starting in six of seven games.

Williamson's agent, David Canter, revealed last week that his client's older brother was injured in an automobile accident in September and that he has been hospitalized in Georgia, where he has been in and out of a coma. He said Williamson, who has been able to spend only a little time visiting his brother, has been battling through the ordeal of "a grieving and healing" process and that his family is his first priority.

"What we have is both of the situations and circumstances coming to a head," Canter said. "His brother is in the hospital, and who knows what his health status will be? And then his grandma passing. He needs to be with his family. The Vikings are his extended family, and hopefully he can come back and continue to work to be the most successful he can be."

Canter declined comment Thursday evening on the decision by Minnesota officials to withhold Williamson's paycheck for last week.

[MikeVic]

Get out of there Adrian Peterson.

[Schmidty]

By the way, I'm sure someone will play Devil's Advocate, so I'm calling you heartess dick in advance.

[Flasch186]

Welp, thats a way to lose him when his contracts up.

"Yeah, remember that time you docked my pay for going to my Grandmother's funeral? Well, Ill be on the same field as you guys twice a year....good day."

[SFL Cat]

Not saying I agree with the policy, but as long as it is consistent for everyone in the organization....

My company didn't pay me when I took time off after my mother died.

[Flasch186]

then the organization is consistently fucked up

[Surtt]

I really hope this is only Childress's doing.
(Who cut receiver Marcus Robinson on Christmas Eve out of spite)

I hate to think anyone else in the organization would be so cold blooded or stupid.
Another huge black eye for the Vikings.

God I hope they fire Childress after the season.
The franchise is going to be in trouble if they don't (even with Purple Jesus)

[Ryche]

Originally Posted by Flasch186

Welp, thats a way to lose him when his contracts up.

Not a threat considering how big a bust he has been so far. But it does seem a rather classless move.

[mauchow]

Not that I support the decision, BUT...

Williamson sat down with the team and discussed things, I wonder if they discussed that if he were to miss the game that he would get docked that week's pay. If that was the case and he just went ahead and missed the game anyways, I understand... but if all this was done after the game where the team decided to dock him his pay AFTER the game.

I would imagine it was discussed prior to the game, but I'm not a part of the Vikings Front Office, so I have no clue how things go.

[highfiveoh]

Originally Posted by Flasch186

Welp, thats a way to lose him when his contracts up.

"Yeah, remember that time you docked my pay for going to my Grandmother's funeral? Well, Ill be on the same field as you guys twice a year....good day."

Just to clarify for anyone that doesn't already know: Troy Williamson sucks

[Schmidty]

I just think that even if it was a "business decision", it's crappy one. Yeahm you might save $25k, but how much more are you going to lose because of the horrible PR this is going to cause? A hell of a lot more than 25k.......

[Surtt]

Originally Posted by highfiveoh

Just to clarify for anyone that doesn't already know: Troy Williamson sucks

It is more about how a team treats it's players and trying to attract free agents.

[highfiveoh]

Originally Posted by Surtt

It is more about how a team treats it's players and trying to attract free agents.

Um.. okay?

[larrymcg421]

Uh, I certainly don't have the best job in the world but I get paid bereavement time. NFL players don't?

Even if I didn't have bereavement time, I have a certain amount of paid time off, which goes unquestioned unless it is abused.

[TroyF]

Originally Posted by highfiveoh

Um.. okay?

FA in the NFL is just as much about recruiting as it is cash. Yes, there are guys that will go anywhere to play. Usually guys have choices between multiple lucrative offers.

It doesn't matter how much money you make, 25k a year or 2 million a year, you are impacted by your working conditions. Were I to have a choice of two jobs in teh private sector and one said it was ok to fly back for a family member's funeral and the other said I needed to make my presentation or get docked, I would choose the first of the two.

I don't really think you can slice this any other way. The Vikings are POS for doing this. It makes them look like heartless scumbags. What is the point? They save 25k? And instead of good PR that they need badly, they get this?

This is a BS thing to do and I don't know how anyone can defend it. My two cents.

[Joe]

Vikings need another boat party to help get some better PR

[M GO BLUE!!!]

Originally Posted by Schmidty

By the way, I'm sure someone will play Devil's Advocate, so I'm calling you heartess dick in advance.

Thank you.

I support the Vikings.

It may seem like it is a heartless move, but in the real world many things are heartless. This guy is a professional football player making over $25,000/week. He could have made sure his grandmother would be buried during the week, where he would miss practice and a few meetings. Instead, he missed the game. It happens to be that the team won without him, but what if Adrian Peterson took the weekend off to attend a funeral? If they lose the game and end up one game out of the playoffs it would have a huge impact on the team. Would someone miss the Super Bowl because of a funeral? I doubt it. If the President of the United States had a funeral to attend, does he take the day off?

Troy Williamson may suck. The Vikings may have lost if he played. Who knows... But if Calvin doesn't show at McDonalds so he can attend his grandmother's funeral I am sure he doesn't expect to collect $5.50/hour while he's there.

[JonInMiddleGA]

I'll split the difference I guess, defending the Vikings right to make such a move but criticizing them for shortsightedness by doing so. This will go over like a lead balloon with FA's (their own and other people's) and could be costly if someone's decision was close.

[larrymcg421]

Originally Posted by M GO BLUE!!!

Troy Williamson may suck. The Vikings may have lost if he played. Who knows... But if Calvin doesn't show at McDonalds so he can attend his grandmother's funeral I am sure he doesn't expect to collect $5.50/hour while he's there.

Calvin at McDonald's might not, but let's hope that NFL players get better treatment than McDonald's employees.

As I stated above, my company would have paid me for this time off.

[Groundhog]

Originally Posted by M GO BLUE!!!

If the President of the United States had a funeral to attend, does he take the day off?

Probably.

[highfiveoh]

Originally Posted by TroyF

FA in the NFL is just as much about recruiting as it is cash. Yes, there are guys that will go anywhere to play. Usually guys have choices between multiple lucrative offers.

It doesn't matter how much money you make, 25k a year or 2 million a year, you are impacted by your working conditions. Were I to have a choice of two jobs in teh private sector and one said it was ok to fly back for a family member's funeral and the other said I needed to make my presentation or get docked, I would choose the first of the two.

I don't really think you can slice this any other way. The Vikings are POS for doing this. It makes them look like heartless scumbags. What is the point? They save 25k? And instead of good PR that they need badly, they get this?

This is a BS thing to do and I don't know how anyone can defend it. My two cents.

All I said was he sucks.

[Surtt]

Originally Posted by highfiveoh

All I said was he sucks.

Sorry... (I probably should have quoted tho comment you quoted.)

Yes Troy Williamson does suck.
But I was trying to make the point it isn't just about him in the big picture.

[cartman]

This move is akin to the Bengals a few years back flying in FA targets and putting them in coach, not first class. Penny wise but pound foolish.

[molson]

I don't have a huge problem with the move as a whole - I mean, they only play 16 games a year, so it's a little silly to compare this to someone's regular, corporate full-time employment.

But what a retarded thing for the Vikings to do - they had to know it would make news. Is that worth the $25k?

[Honolulu_Blue]

Originally Posted by Schmidty

By the way, I'm sure someone will play Devil's Advocate, so I'm calling you heartess dick in advance.

Ping: Drew Sharp!

[WSUCougar]

I know that MLB has a bereavement list; perhaps this is just another thing that's needed for the NFL. They are behind the times with regard to player benefits in a lot of ways.

[molson]

Originally Posted by WSUCougar

I know that MLB has a bereavement list; perhaps this is just another thing that's needed for the NFL. They are behind the times with regard to player benefits in a lot of ways.

Could be, but again I think it goes back to the short schedule. Would an MLB player miss 10 games for a funeral? That's the approximate ratio of games an NFL player misses by skipping one Sunday.

[Chief Rum]

Sorry, this isn't a situation you govern with common sense thinking. You have an employee who lost the most important person he had growing up. I don't care if he wants to have the funeral in the owner's box and not play, the team has no heart at all for this. Fuck 'em.

[Young Drachma]

If the funeral was on Monday, I can see why they wanted him to play. He's not that good and so, he can't expect that they're going to treat him the same way that they treat a star. And more than likely, the star would want to play anyway.

I feel bad for him and it's a ridiculous move.

But...given that he's not having a great season, it's probably important for him to buckle down and get his game together if he wants to have a career in the NFL. And it'd be no different in real life if you have a regular job, the guy whose always taking off because he's sick, or has emotional issues and then isn't producing when he is at work..probably isn't going to get the benefit of the doubt forever and it might cost him his job eventually.

So...that real world parallel is the one I'm thinking of.

[Mustang]

They let him go, they just docked his pay. If they have a black/white policy where if anyone misses a game due to personal reasons other than injury and they are consistent with it then it eliminates any conflicts or judgement calls. But, if that is their policy they should really rethink it...

[Vinatieri for Prez]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

I'll split the difference I guess, defending the Vikings right to make such a move but criticizing them for shortsightedness by doing so. This will go over like a lead balloon with FA's (their own and other people's) and could be costly if someone's decision was close.

Yep.

[EagleFan]

Before we jump all over the Vikings, what do other teams do when this happens? Is this how teams handle it league wide? If so this is a non-issue.


Of course, if they were playing the Patriots that week I think we would have to investigate if coach hoodie had anything to do with the death.

[larrymcg421]

Originally Posted by EagleFan

Before we jump all over the Vikings, what do other teams do when this happens? Is this how teams handle it league wide? If so this is a non-issue.

That doesn't make it a non-issue, it just makes the league classless.

[PackerFanatic]

Originally Posted by Groundhog

Probably.

...does he have "days on"?

[astrosfan64]

Originally Posted by M GO BLUE!!!

Thank you.

I support the Vikings.

It may seem like it is a heartless move, but in the real world many things are heartless. This guy is a professional football player making over $25,000/week. He could have made sure his grandmother would be buried during the week, where he would miss practice and a few meetings. Instead, he missed the game. It happens to be that the team won without him, but what if Adrian Peterson took the weekend off to attend a funeral? If they lose the game and end up one game out of the playoffs it would have a huge impact on the team. Would someone miss the Super Bowl because of a funeral? I doubt it. If the President of the United States had a funeral to attend, does he take the day off?

Troy Williamson may suck. The Vikings may have lost if he played. Who knows... But if Calvin doesn't show at McDonalds so he can attend his grandmother's funeral I am sure he doesn't expect to collect $5.50/hour while he's there.

I agree, the Vikings had every right to dock his pay. I doubt a free agent would give a shit about this when making their decision.

Now, a Free Agent WR might care that Tavris Jackson (spelling) is the worst QB in the history of football. But, this is so minor in the grand scheme of things. It is about money, facilities, money, chance to win, money....

No reason the dude couldn't play in the game. He just choose not to.

[Moss84]

I like how the article doesn't state that Troy Williamson was allowed to leave the Vikings for this funeral from Tuesday, October 30th, 2007 until Wednesday, November 7th, 2007.

That's 7 working days for most people and 9 working days for Troy.

How many companies out there compensate an employee full pay for 7 days for funeral leave?

Could the Vikings have saved some embarrassment for $25,000? Sure.

[Abe Sargent]

I'm union, well, back when I had a job, and even I didn;t get that much bereavement time paid. For an immediate familiy member, I'd get three days, one for distant.

I don;t think it is unreasonable to say to a player that in order for you rto make your hundreds of thousands of dollars this year, you have to be at work on these 16 days, no matter what else is going on in your life. We will work with you on week practices and off season and presaon games and camp and so forth, but 16 days out of the year, you absolutely have to play.

Have the funereal on a day of the week that's not a Sunday, take a few days off during the week, prepare, come back and play, then go to the funeral on Monday or Tuesday. THat'd bne fine. But you make these 16 days.

BTW, I think the writer tossed the "armed forceS" thing in there specifically to make the story bigger.

[Schmidty]

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[Schmidty]

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[Schmidty]

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[Philliesfan980]

Originally Posted by astrosfan64

I agree, the Vikings had every right to dock his pay. I doubt a free agent would give a shit about this when making their decision.

Now, a Free Agent WR might care that Tavris Jackson (spelling) is the worst QB in the history of football. But, this is so minor in the grand scheme of things. It is about money, facilities, money, chance to win, money....

No reason the dude couldn't play in the game. He just choose not to.

Please don't insult Kelly Stouffer like that.

[Raiders Army]

We need this option in FOF.

[Logan]

Originally Posted by Schmidty

Defending this stuff is pseudo-intellectual crap.

Life is more important than policy, and anyone who doesn't realize that is a LOSER who doesn't deserve the blessing of life.

Rigid logic and pride is the ruin of mankind.

Did you miss the part where they allowed him to attend the funeral, and be gone for 9 days? This has nothing to do with "life being more important than policy."

[Butter]

I get bereavement leave here, but have worked at places where they don't have it. *shrug*

I think there is probably more to this story that we just don't know. Maybe the team has been unhappy with this particular player for quite some time and thought this was a way to send a message. Maybe they're just pricks. Hard to say how we're really going to get to the bottom of things.

I wonder what capsicum thinks about all this?

[Honolulu_Blue]

Originally Posted by Butter_of_69

I wonder what capsicum thinks about all this?

Do you? Do you really?

[rkmsuf]

This Brad Childress has a screw loose I think. I always picture him coming out of a mobile home wearing a wife beater t-shirt with stains on it.

[TroyF]

Just for clarification, I think the Vikings had every right to do it. I just think it makes them scumbags. That's all.

This is an organization that needs good publicity in the worst way. Instead of getting it, they continue to shoot themselves in the foot. Idiots.

[Subby]

Schmidty's horrible rhetorical skills are making me at least see it a bit from the Vikings' perspective.

[molson]

Originally Posted by EagleFan

Before we jump all over the Vikings, what do other teams do when this happens? Is this how teams handle it league wide? If so this is a non-issue.

It's a good question, but I'd imagine the reason we don't know this and that it doesn't come up very often is that most family funerals are planned accordingly (i.e. not on Sunday), when there's an NFL football player in the family.

[cartman]

Originally Posted by Subby

Schmidty's horrible rhetorical skills are making me at least see it a bit from the Vikings' perspective.

PUT ON A FEZ AND RE-READ THE MESSAGE WHILE USING A FLESHLIGHT AND TELL ME YOU STILL FEEL THE SAME WAY!