Chartered boat crew members have detailed their allegations of Minnesota Vikings players engaging in a sex party during a lake cruise to authorities, the St. Paul Pioneer Press reported.
Vikings coach Mike Tice, addressing the media on Wednesday as the team prepared for Sunday's National Football League game in Chicago, declined to comment on the brewing scandal but admitted it was a distraction.
"Any time you have something like these allegations that have occurred it doesn't make things any simpler, and quite frankly I'm not happy about it," Tice said. "Other than that I need to have my comments go to the Bears."
A lawyer for crew members on the two boats involved in the cruise on Lake Minnetonka said the workers told investigators they had to walk around players and women engaged in sex acts.
"There was lap dancing with a fair amount of cash floating around the floor with the dancers, leading quickly into sexual acts in a nature so explicit imagination wasn't necessary," said attorney Stephen Doyle, adding that in the atmosphere the crew "were frightened to death."
Doyle added that not all of the Vikings players on board the boats were involved.
"A number of people were total gentleman," he said. "They apologized to crew members for what was obviously occurring."
Doyle said he did not yet know if he would file a lawsuit on behalf of the charter company against any players. A criminal investigation is expected to last another week, and it is not clear what, if any, charges will stem from it.
Vikings running back Mewelde Moore told the newspaper: "Nothing happened."
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