The Minnesota Vikings reportedly are supporting Michael Floyd's claim that any alcohol present in drug tests he took while under house arrest came from drinking kombucha tea.
The Pioneer Press reported Saturday that Vikings chief operating officer Kevin Warren wrote a letter of support and sent it to Robert Feinberg, Floyd's attorney. Feinberg submitted the document in a motion requesting that Scottsdale (Arizona) City Judge Statia Hendrix cancel the wide receiver's hearing scheduled for Monday and restore electronic monitoring for the remaining five days of his 96-day house arrest.
Floyd was ordered to attend the show-cause hearing after a review of alcohol monitoring reports indicated the presence of alcohol in several tests. In a statement released on June 16, Floyd said he "drank several bottles of kombucha tea drinks" while watching a movie at his home and was "unaware that the drinks contain alcohol."
The Pioneer Press reported that Floyd, in his sworn affidavit, said that the Vikings advocate that their players drink the tea and claimed that the beverage is "on tap" at the team's facility.
Warren reportedly wrote in the letter, dated June 21: "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 reportedly wrote in the letter that kombucha tea is "utilized by many professional athletes as a probiotic and is available at our facility on a daily basis." He also defended Floyd's character, writing that Floyd "has displayed a strong work ethic, a compliant attitude and professionalism" since signing with the Vikings as a free agent.
Floyd, then with the Arizona Cardinals, was arrested in Scottsdale in December when he was found asleep at the wheel of his vehicle. He had a blood alcohol level of .217 when he was arrested, and on Feb. 17 he was sentenced to 24 days in jail and 96 days under house arrest.
The house arrest sentence was transferred from Arizona to Minnesota last month after he signed with the Vikings, allowing him to participate in the team's offseason program.