Officials in the management of the Minnesota Vikings have decided to show the NFL community how to be truly classless. Instead of offering support and sympathy for former South Carolina receiver, Troy Williamson, whose grandmother passed away they decided to dock his pay for attending her funeral.

“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.”

If Williamson had committed a crime or something of that nature I would be on board with this decision. The Vikings management should have their heads examined. Family comes before a job. And has the coach clearly said everyone handles death differently and situations are different. Majority of the businesses across the country have something call “funeral leave” one would think the Vikings would have as well.

“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.”

“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.”

Sure both those players did play, and both those players are pretty much nonexistent in their respective games. Maybe it’s because their heads weren’t in it. The Vikings wonder why they are circling the bottom. With Management like this, who would want to play for them?

Williamson is also battling the fact that his 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.

“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.”

With an “extended family” like that who needs enemies? The fact that Vikings penalized him for leaving to arrange a funeral is very unprofessional. Citing other players that have come back for games after deaths is ridiculous in that every family is different, every relationship is different, and how people cope is different.

In an age where branding means so much the Vikings should know better. Shame on them.

So I profess on this day 11/09/07.

TtT