Judge blocks suspension of 2 Vikings

A Minnesota judge yesterday blocked the NFL's plan to suspend Vikings linemen Kevin Williams and Pat Williams for violating the league's anti-doping policy.

Hennepin County District Judge Gary Larson granted the players' request for a temporary restraining order that keeps the NFL from suspending them until their case is decided.

The Williamses "would suffer a significant loss of playing time" without the restraining order, the judge wrote.

The defensive tackles, who are not related, tested positive last summer for a banned diuretic that can mask the presence of steroids, though they never have been accused of taking steroids. They took the weight-loss supplement StarCaps, which contained a diuretic, bumetanide, that wasn't listed on the label.

The NFL wants to enforce the players' four-game suspensions at the start of the season.

Hide-and-seek. DeMarcus Ware would hide from the Dallas coaching staff during games last season to help Greg Ellis get more playing time, Ellis told ESPN.

Ellis, who had played all of his 11 NFL seasons in Dallas, was released this off-season and signed with Oakland.

Ware, who has one season remaining on his rookie contract, earned his third straight Pro Bowl berth in 2008, when he had 20 sacks. He did not dispute Ellis' claims.

Jurisprudence. Bruce Smith was convicted of drunken driving by a judge who rejected his claim that old football injuries, not alcohol, were responsible for his poor performance on field sobriety tests in May. The former star declined to answer questions after his trial in Virginia Beach, Va.

Washington Redskins defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth pleaded no contest to a Dec. 13 reckless-driving charge in Franklin, Tenn., and will be on probation for three months.