The Old and the Heartless

The NFL needs a bereavement clause for players to prevent this type of scenario. As usual, Gene Upshaw doesn't give a crap about representing the interests of the players and most likely never even bothered negotiating such a clause in the last agreed upon CBA with the league.

MLB has a bereavement policy that permits players to take a leave of absence without lost pay. The time has come for the NFLPA to demand the same type of policy with the NFL.

The Vikings cannot win this argument in a court of public opinion. With the team finally escaping its "Love Boat Past" and increased exposure due to Adrian Peterson, I am willing to assume that the team is going to let it go. Collecting $25 grand in this manner is going to cost them a hell of a lot more in the long run with the associated bad PR.

Just my opinion.

That's so effed up, they really need to rethink some of their policies.

Just another case of the owners looking out for numero uno.

Major league baseball players left their teams for death in family all last season and I assume they were paid.

The NFL needs to create a Dumbass Clause for Management personnel. This just makes me lose respect for the Vikings organization

I hate to sound like the heartless jackass, but I gotta play devil's advocate here. Williamson was gone NINE days. There's some sort of clause that says they can miss a day or two for the funeral of extended family and the Vikings probably would've given him a couple extra days, but he left for the funeral on a MONDAY and missed SUNDAY's game. Come on, I understand he must've been greiving, but he needs to move on and do his job. And it begs the question of whether he was with his family greiving the loss, or doing something else with all that time off. Plus, the pay he was docked was worth the one game he missed, not just some number they pulled out of the air. Is it a little heartless to do this to a guy? Yeah... I probably wouldn't have done it. But you gotta look at the facts, the Vikes weren't all that out of line doing this.

What a gutless, chickenshit thing to do. The grandmother raised Williamson and his siblings, some of whom are on active duty in the military. Williamson had to make travel arrangements (and pay for) them all to get to South Carolina for the funeral.

It takes a big man to step up and take care of his family in a time like this, and to have his employer turn around and disrespect him like this is mind boggling.

Watch, the Vikings will take so much crap and bad publicity over this they will end up paying him.

It's corporate policy. They talked about it before hand and we don't know the whole story. I know the media wants to spin this, but they should let this go between him and his employer until something more comes from it. Besides, Williamson will be able to use the fine as a tax advantage since it will go to charity in his name anyway.

but they should let this go between him and his employer until something more comes from it. Then it shouldn't have been made public.

Very unfortunate for this young man's pockets. NFL should have an official bereavement policy since they seem to see themselves as model employers, show your employees the respect they deserve. Also this is off topic but this made me think that with Andy Reid and the Knicks front office there is going to be some kind of code of conduct instituted that applies to a leauge's entire workforce, from janitor at NFL Headquarters to commissioner. Some front offices are creating just as much bad press for their sports as these players are.