Stringer suit: Tice taunted 'big baby'
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MINNEAPOLIS — The Minnesota Vikings forced lineman Korey Stringer to practice the day after he fell ill at training camp and didn't attend to him fast enough when he was stricken a second time, his family says in a $100 million lawsuit announced yesterday.
Stringer, a 335-pound offensive tackle, died Aug. 1 of complications from heatstroke. His body temperature was 108.8 degrees when he arrived at a Mankato, Minn., hospital 15 hours before his death.
In their lawsuit, the Stringer family contends that on July 30, the first day of training camp, then-offensive line coach Mike Tice — who became the team's head coach last week — called the 27-year-old player a "big baby" for struggling in the summer heat. It also says that on July 31, Tice taunted Stringer by showing him a newspaper photo of Stringer doubling over and gasping for breath, and that the Vikings waited 40 minutes after the player's collapse before calling an ambulance.
"The biggest issue here is, why is Korey dead? Not why (owner) Red (McCombs) won't treat me nice," Kelci Stringer, Stringer's wife, said at a news conference, wearing a gold football-shaped pin with her husband's number, 77.
"Korey Stringer's heatstroke and his death were utterly and entirely preventable," the complaint said. "Had those responsible for his safety and care, including defendants, exercised even a slight amount of care in carrying out their personal duties to Korey, his illnesses and his death could and would have been avoided."
Tice said in a statement he was "hurt and disappointed."
"Everybody who knows me knows how much I loved Korey Stringer," he said. "The facts in the complaint about me are simply untrue, and the rest of the allegations unjustly criticize other members of our team who cared for Korey very much."
In November, state occupational safety officials said the Vikings violated no health or safety guidelines and had provided satisfactory training about heat-stress hazards.
The suit in Hennepin County District Court names as defendants the Vikings; then-coach Dennis Green; Tice; trainer Fred Zamberletti; head trainer Chuck Barta; Dr. W. David Knowles of the Mankato Clinic, who was in charge of medical care on the field at the time; and the Mankato Clinic.
Kelci Stringer, their son Kodie Stringer and the player's parents are the plaintiffs.
Spurrier makes a splash
Steve Spurrier's impact on the Washington Redskins was immediate. On the same day the ex-Florida coach was introduced at team headquarters, 38-year-old defensive end Bruce Smith, who had been pondering retirement, announced he would play another season.
Some snippets from Spurrier, who signed a five-year, $25 million contract to succeed the fired Marty Schottenheimer:
• "I need to learn a lot. I need to learn who all the players are, and the organizational part of it. The playbook? I've got a playbook. We've got plays we can run up the middle all day or we can scatter out and throw it. We got plenty of plays. That won't be a problem."
• On the team owner: "If there's a disagreement, Mr. Snyder will make the call. Someone asked if I could survive Dan Snyder. I said I survived Duke twice."
• On his contract: "The size of my contract's been too big for about the last 10 years anyway."
• On his offense: "Everybody thinks all he does is throw the ball all over the ballpark. We do throw it all over the ballpark. We also run the ball. Stephen Davis, we're going to run the ball."
Spurrier said he'll probably bring five or six assistants from his Florida staff and retain two or three from Schottenheimer's staff. He said he wants a defensive coordinator with NFL experience.
Notes
• The Tampa Bay Buccaneers acknowledged for the first time that they are pursuing Bill Parcells to replace the fired Tony Dungy as head coach.
• Miami Dolphins tackle Harry Swayne retired after 15 NFL seasons, which included two Super Bowl titles with Denver and one with Baltimore.
• The expansion Houston Texans signed receiver Dwaune Jones (released by the Seahawks in preseason), punter Aron Langley and guard Chad Overhauser, bringing their roster to 19.
• Minnesota hired Iowa State's Steve Loney as offensive line coach, filling the spot Tice vacated.
• Chicago Bears running back Anthony Thomas was named NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in voting compiled by The Associated Press.
Bloomberg contributed to this report.