MINNEAPOLIS -- A Minnesota judge plans to rule Thursday in a lawsuit by Vikings defensive tackles Kevin Williams and Pat Williams, challenging their four-game suspensions for violating the NFL's anti-doping policy.
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After more than a year and a half of legal wrangling, Hennepin County District Judge Gary Larson is expected to issue his decision at 10 a.m. CT.
The NFL tried to suspend the defensive tackles in 2008 after they tested positive for a diuretic that's banned because it can mask the presence of steroids. They say they didn't know it was an unlisted ingredient in a weight-loss supplement they took.
The players succeeded in blocking enforcement while their case played out through numerous twists and turns in federal and state court. They played for the entire 2009 season, which ended in an NFC Championship Game loss to the New Orleans Saints.
Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press