Minnesota Vikings officials are backing receiver Michael Floyd’s fight against a house arrest violation that could land him in jail, one he said was caused by tea that contains alcohol.
Floyd said in a sworn affidavit, according to the St Paul Pioneer Press newspaper, that the Vikings encourage players to drink kombucha tea as a health drink, adding that it is served “on tap” at the team’s headquarters.
Floyd is fighting a ruling that he violated terms of his house arrest by accidentally ingesting alcohol contained in the tea.
Vikings chief operating officer Kevin Warren wrote a letter to Floyd’s lawyer backing his claim that he did not know kombucha tea contains alcohol.
Floyd drank several bottles while watching movies in the early morning of June 11.
Floyd, 27, later failed three self-administered Breathalyzer tests.
Arizona Judge Statia Hendrix ordered Floyd to appear in court today and prove he did not violate probation from his extreme drunk driving conviction in February, a violation that could lead to jail time.
Floyd, his attorney and the Vikings hoped the judge would cancel the hearing and reinstate electronic monitoring for the final five days of Floyd’s 96-day home confinement.
“I am writing to request Mr Floyd not have his court mandated requirements negatively impacted, since he did not know the kombucha he ingested contained alcohol,” Warren wrote.
Warren said the fermented tea is “utilized by many professional athletes as a probiotic and is available at our facility on a daily basis.”
Floyd was arrested in December last year for drunk driving, prompting the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals to release him.
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