Aug 29th 2008 7:44PM by Michael David Smith (author feed)
Filed under: VikingsThe Minnesota Vikings won’t have an easy go of it in the first month of the season, as their mammoth left tackle, Bryant McKinnie, has been suspended for four games.

The suspension was first reported early this month, a report the league said was premature. But today the NFL announced that the four-game suspension will, in fact, begin tomorrow and run through the Vikings’ September 28 game at Tennessee.

McKinnie’s suspension stems from repeated violations of the league’s personal conduct policy. The most recent violation involved a fight with a nightclub bouncer; he was previously involved in the Vikings’ infamous “love boat.”

Having McKinnie out will make things particularly difficult for quarterback Tarvaris Jackson, an at times skittish passer who relies on McKinnie to protect his blind side. The Vikings want Jackson to learn to look to pass first and run only as a last resort, but that will be hard to do when he’s got defensive ends bearing down on him for the first four games.