When the Vikings extended the contract of Bryant McKinnie notwithstanding his 2005 public dalliance with Ms. Constance Lingis of the Lake Minnetonka Lingises, we assumed that the team was willing to overlook McKinnie’s indiscretion because, as a practical matter, solid left tackles typically are available only at the top of the draft.

But McKinnie’s more recent incident, involving allegations of a night club bouncer and a metal pole with which McKinnie supposedly whacked him, have prompted from coach Brad Childress some ominous words regarding McKinnie’s future with the team.

“[W]e could face some difficult decisions down the road,” Childress said Tuesday regarding McKinnie’s current ordeal.  Though McKinnie has pleaded not guilty to charges stemming from the February incident, there reportedly were plenty of witnesses, and McKinnie’s size and physique might make it difficult for him to use the “it wasn’t me” defense.

Childress said that he plans to wait for the court system to dispense justice, if any, and for the NFL to impose discipline, if any, before the Vikings will take action, if any, against the 2002 first-rounder from Miami.  While it previously was believed that the league office had exclusive jurisdiction regarding the imposition of discipline arising from off-field misconduct, the standard player contract contains language that seems to permit a team like the Vikings to terminate a guy like McKinnie if McKinnie is convicted on charges like aggravated battery, a felony in the state of Florida.