CORNWELL SAYS NFL FAILED TO WARN PLAYERS THAT STARCAPS CONTAINS BUMETANIDE

A source with knowledge of the situation tells us that the appeal hearing arising from the four-game suspensions of Saints running back Deuce McAllister and defensive ends Charles Grant and Will Smith lasted until midnight on Tuesday. And, based on a statement released by lawyer David Cornwell, the marathon session apparently contained some fireworks. The case comes down to the question of whether the Saints players will be suspended for taking StarCaps, a weight-loss supplement that was spiked with Bumetanide, a potent diuretic and a substance that the NFL has banned. StarCaps doesn’t disclose Bumetanide as an ingredient, and the company that distributes StarCaps has “temporarily” suspended shipments due to lawsuits filed by Saints guard Jamar Nesbit and Falcons defensive tackle Grady Jackson. Cornwell contends that Dr. John Lombardo, the administrator of the NFL’s policy regarding anabolic steroids and related substances, testified during the hearing that he learned in late 2006 of the presence of Bumetanide in StarCaps. Lombardo, per Cornwell, did not share this information with NFL players, because Lombardo feared that other players testing positive for Bumetanide would claim that they were taking StarCaps, even if they weren’t. Says Cornwell: “Dr. Lombardo’s failure to disclose what he knew about StarCaps may have exposed NFL players to the significant health risks associated with the unintentional ingestion of diuretics.If Dr. Lombardo had notified NFL players that StarCaps contained bumetanide, Will, Deuce and Charles would have never used the product to lose weight.” Assuming that Cornwell’s characterization of the testimony is accurate, the Saints players apparently have turned the tables on Lombardo, making it very difficult for the league to suspend these players, or any other players who are facing suspensions for taking StarCaps, including Vikings defensive tackles Pat and Kevin Williams.