Suspended suspensions held valid then suspended again

The Starcaps case advances. A Minnesota trial court has held that the NFL violated state law by failing to notify affected Vikings' players Kevin and Pat Williams of their test results within the required three day period. Nevertheless the court upheld the NFL's suspensions of the players, finding the notice violations had not harmed the players. This news report seems to have garbled some of the courts reasoning. It seems also the state court judge will suspend his ruling pending the players' appeal. Our previous post on the Eighth Circuit's opinion is here.

Congress sets hearings on NFL drug case

Remember the NFL Starcaps suspension case blogged here? A federal appeals court found the NFL's collectively bargained drug policy did not preempt enforcement of Minnesota's state law regulation of drug testing, or prohibition against disciplining employees for consuming a substance not illegal. The NFL then suspended the suspensions of the involved players. According to the Twin Cities Pioneer Press the NFL is asking Congress to pass a uniform federal law to govern drug testing in professional sports. In so doing the NFL is rallying political support from the political branch to correct a judicial outcome. Congress should be receptive since its previous hearings involving major league baseball exposed the depths of steroid use by many star athletes. The political branch should be particularly receptive to supporting zero tolerance drug policies.

The NFL is seeking Supreme Court review of the case. The House Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection has set hearings for November 3rd.
The NFL's action may signal its concern that the current Supreme Court looks more favorably towards states rights than any previous Supreme Court since the election of Franklin Roosevelt as president, or perhaps the NFL sees the current court less sweeping in its application of labor preemption.