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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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!!!]

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]

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]

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


Probably.

[highfiveoh]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

Probably.

...does he have "days on"?

[astrosfan64]

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]

.....

[Schmidty]

.....

[Schmidty]

......

[Philliesfan980]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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!

[Logan]

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.

Kinda like how this one was planned on a Monday?

[Passacaglia]

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.

The Vikings don't take a day off on Monday or Tuesday?

[rkmsuf]

The Vikings don't take a day off on Monday or Tuesday?

you ever see this team play? surely you jest.

[molson]

Kinda like how this one was planned on a Monday?

So why doesn't he fly out after the game? If he wants more time with his family, fine, but it's reasonable that he's not paid for his extra time away.

Still a silly move from the Vikings though.

[Logan]

Agree on both counts. I was just pointing out that this funeral didn't take place on Sunday.

[Schmidty]

Man, I don't even remember posting the last few messages from last night. That's kind of scary.

[Galaxy]

What's the union contract state on this issue?

[Galaxy]

Man, I don't even remember posting the last few messages from last night. That's kind of scary.

You didn't wake up next to Shorty, did you?

[Cringer]

I can't even get home for unpaid time off on halloween when I ask for it, I'm not getting too worked up over this one.

[Schmidty]

There's a bit of difference between Halloween and the death of perhaps the most important person in your life......

[Logan]

There's a bit of difference between Halloween and the death of perhaps the most important person in your life......

HE ATTENDED THE FUNERAL AND GOT DOCKED PAY FOR THE TIME HE MISSED.

Good lord.

[Chief Rum]

What's the union contract state on this issue?

Here you go, verbatim. I'll read it in Gene Upshaw's voice:

"If someone important to you dies, you will bend over and take it in the ass from the commissioner. If you don't like that, you will be released and black balled from the league. I have lots of money. I'm an awful player rep. Wasn't I great when I played ball?"

[Cringer]

There's a bit of difference between Halloween and the death of perhaps the most important person in your life......

Yes there is, so let me put it this way...

I want to go to a funeral, I don't get paid and chances are I don't get the time off without getting shit from my bosses for it first.

The NFL is a job, ok folks? I don't get paid for picking up a load, driving half the way and then saying I am going to a funeral for a couple of days and will deliver the load a later. So why should an NFL player miss the most important part of his job, the whole reason he is being paid, without losing a little money? They get paid to play the games, you miss a game you may miss some money. I am guessing that not too many players around the league are as upset as you guys are.

[BYU 14]

Yes there is, so let me put it this way...

I want to go to a funeral, I don't get paid and chances are I don't get the time off without getting shit from my bosses for it first.

The NFL is a job, ok folks? I don't get paid for picking up a load, driving half the way and then saying I am going to a funeral for a couple of days and will deliver the load a later. So why should an NFL player miss the most important part of his job, the whole reason he is being paid, without losing a little money? They get paid to play the games, you miss a game you may miss some money. I am guessing that not too many players around the league are as upset as you guys are.

The Vikings had every right to do it, even though it makes them seem like jerks. The NFL obviously is much different than a company that offers PTO, wher you can take days off to greave in addition to funeral leave, or even a stint on STD.

Cringers example is a good one, since like Williams, Cringer he is essentially a "contractor" and you get paid based on completing a specific task. In this case though, with all the bad publicity this has brought them, saving 25K ranks up there with hiring Les Steckle to replace Bud Grant.

[Crapshoot]

http://vikingsnow.blogspot.com/

They decided to reverse it. Good job - the net effect is that they look like jackasses with no benefit. Childess appears to be one of those people who wants to look like a hard-ass (he cut Marcus Robinson on Christmas Eve last year) - but is just an ass.

[Surtt]

FWIW

From Troy Williamson:


"In light of today’s events, my wife Charity and I have decided to donate that game check to a charitable foundation to be determined at a later date in the memory of my grandmother Celestine. I will not be speaking about this issue any further."

[clintl]

There's a big difference between having the right to do something, and doing the right thing. The Vikings didn't do the right thing.

[Logan]

It was smart for him to go with "charitable foundation" instead of just charity.

[Cringer]

flip floppers!

[molson]

I didn't catch this originally, but the funeral was on a Monday, and then he stayed away the entire week and missed the next Sunday's game.

Isn't that a little much when you have professional responsibilities? If that's now acceptable, we're going to see a lot more players missing time. What if the next guy wants two weeks off, is that gonna fly?

[Cringer]

I didn't catch this originally, but the funeral was on a Monday, and then he stayed away the entire week and missed the next Sunday's game.

Isn't that a little much when you have professional responsibilities? If that's now acceptable, we're going to see a lot more players missing time. What if the next guy wants two weeks off, is that gonna fly?

If that's the case, then I support the Vikings original decision even more. I had understood it that the funeral was the Monday after the game he missed.

[TargetPractice6]

I didn't catch this originally, but the funeral was on a Monday, and then he stayed away the entire week and missed the next Sunday's game.

Isn't that a little much when you have professional responsibilities? If that's now acceptable, we're going to see a lot more players missing time. What if the next guy wants two weeks off, is that gonna fly?If that's the way it went down I don't see how ANYONE can call the Vikings scumbags for this. Throughout this whole thread I was thinking he missed the game the day before the funeral instead of a game SIX DAYS after. My grandmother was one of the most important people in my life too. When she passed I was extremely torn up but only missed two days of high school. Even in times of grief you still have responsibilities.

[molson]

I think I might be mistaken about the funeral, though he was actually gone longer than I thought.

He was gone from Monday until Wednesday the week after, so 9 days. And the funeral was on a Monday, a week after he left.

[Joe]

the announcers on this weeks game said he was away for 10 days and he didn't contact the team to let them know when he'd be back. absolutely nothing with docking his pay for THAT

[ISiddiqui]

Yep.. it appears everyone jumped to conclusions on this one.

[molson]

It would have interesting to see what the reaction would be if this was a better player.

What if Adrian Peterson took off for 9 days and never contacted his team about where he was, or whether he was coming back for the game? Would people still be calling the team classless if he was docked pay?

[larrymcg421]

I'll plead ignorance due to an article that was very unclear on what happened. The initial article in this thread makes it sound muich different than what was later reported. In retrospect, I don't fault the Vikings one bit.

[BYU 14]

As usual things come out before all the facts are in and we react accordingly :)

He definitely had accountability to let the Team know what was going on, and if he had called and said "Hey, I am really having a hard time dealing with things, I need some more time off" I doubt he would have even been fined.

[Raiders Army]

You don't work, you don't get paid. Nuff siad.

[larrymcg421]

You don't work, you don't get paid. Nuff siad.

Or not. I just missed three days off work and got paid for each of them.

[Jas_lov]

The Vikings are classless for treating an employee this way. They are paying for it today by getting shredded by the Packers 27-0. Also, Adrian Peterson left the game with a knee injury.

[molson]

You don't work, you don't get paid. Nuff siad.

Everybody has a different deal with their employer. I'm getting paid Thanksgiving week and will be 3,000 miles away from my job.

But no NFL player's employment contract allows him to take off for 9 days without telling anyone, missing a game and about 5 practices in the process.

[Joe]

The Vikings are classless for treating an employee this way. They are paying for it today by getting shredded by the Packers 27-0. Also, Adrian Peterson left the game with a knee injury.

LOLz

[Vinatieri for Prez]

Hmmm, for all those who sided with the Vikings, what does it say that the Vikings ended up paying the guy anyways?

I don't think anyone's contesting the team's right to do this, but the PR hit was bad, both internally to other players on the team and externally to the public.

Apparently, Childress slipped it to Jay Glazer that he called Tony Dungy for advice on what to do after the fact. It's bad enough that as a HC you aren't sure what to do here, even worse when you tell the public (through the media) that you are so inept on such a simple issue that you had to get advice from another HC.

As to those who say it's simple, you don't work, you don't get paid, must have missed the class on salaried employees. Salaried employees are paid a straight salary, meaning if you work OT, you don't get anything more. In other words, it's a "you work, you don't get paid" situation. However, the benefit of that is if you miss work, you still get paid. Moreover, many unions who have hourly employees have negotiated paid leave for bereavement. Now, it might not be 10 days, but it may be 2-3 days.

[Logan]

Hmmm, for all those who sided with the Vikings, what does it say that the Vikings ended up paying the guy anyways?

I don't think anyone's contesting the team's right to do this, but the PR hit was bad, both internally to other players on the team and externally to the public.

Apparently, Childress slipped it to Jay Glazer that he called Tony Dungy for advice on what to do after the fact. It's bad enough that as a HC you aren't sure what to do here, even worse when you tell the public (through the media) that you are so inept on such a simple issue that you had to get advice from another HC.

As to those who say it's simple, you don't work, you don't get paid, must have missed the class on salaried employees. Salaried employees are paid a straight salary, meaning if you work OT, you don't get anything more. In other words, it's a "you work, you don't get paid" situation. However, the benefit of that is if you miss work, you still get paid. Moreover, many unions who have hourly employees have negotiated paid leave for bereavement. Now, it might not be 10 days, but it may be 2-3 days.

The bolded part is what's key. No one said he shouldn't have been able to go. His excessive absence is what caused the fine, and that I agreed with.

[ISiddiqui]

Apparently, Childress slipped it to Jay Glazer that he called Tony Dungy for advice on what to do after the fact. It's bad enough that as a HC you aren't sure what to do here, even worse when you tell the public (through the media) that you are so inept on such a simple issue that you had to get advice from another HC.

I think that's a bit unfair. Childress is a first year HC and isn't experienced on how to deal with this stuff (nor should he necessarily be expected to). So he goes to one of the most respected HCs in the business to ask advice. Nothing wrong with that.

[larrymcg421]

The bolded part is what's key. No one said he shouldn't have been able to go. His excessive absence is what caused the fine, and that I agreed with.

Not sure what thread you're reading, but the excessive absence thing didn't come out until later in the thread. Before that, several people were ascting like bereavement time was some imaginary thing that has never even existed.

[mckerney]

The Vikings are classless for treating an employee this way. They are paying for it today by getting shredded by the Packers 27-0. Also, Adrian Peterson left the game with a knee injury.

What they're actually paying for is thinking Brad Childress could be a head coach.

[Logan]

Not sure what thread you're reading, but the excessive absence thing didn't come out until later in the thread. Before that, several people were ascting like bereavement time was some imaginary thing that has never even existed.

I wasn't talking about the people in this thread. The Vikings fined him because his time off, which involved him missing a game, was excessive. Personally, I thought they were right to fine him as soon as I read that the funeral was on a Monday.

[Surtt]

I think that's a bit unfair. Childress is a first year HC and isn't experienced on how to deal with this stuff (nor should he necessarily be expected to). So he goes to one of the most respected HCs in the business to ask advice. Nothing wrong with that.

Was last year a mulligan?

As a side note the vikings, who signed Koy Detmer on Tuesday and turned around and released him on Saturday, paid him $42,353.

[Vinatieri for Prez]

I think that's a bit unfair. Childress is a first year HC and isn't experienced on how to deal with this stuff (nor should he necessarily be expected to). So he goes to one of the most respected HCs in the business to ask advice. Nothing wrong with that.

I think it says a lot that his performance has been so atrocious that it makes you think he's a rookie HC when in fact this is his second year.

[Vinatieri for Prez]

I wasn't talking about the people in this thread. The Vikings fined him because his time off, which involved him missing a game, was excessive. Personally, I thought they were right to fine him as soon as I read that the funeral was on a Monday.

I don't think too many are against that. The point of my post was more of whether they should have exercised that right in light of the expected PR hit. The fact they reversed their decision says all you need to know on that point.