More bad news for Adrian Peterson.
Like they say money talks. We had a feeling that when the NFL’s advertisers decided they didn’t like the messy situation they were seeing things would change. We told you about Radisson Hotels suspending their sponsorship of the Minnesota Vikings due to the team’s and Peterson’s messy circumstances.
It also didn’t help when the Governor of Minnesota called Peterson a “public embarrassment” and insisted that he be benched.
Put 2 and 2 together and we’re sure it will come as no surprise as to why Peterson, whose playing status had been on and off has now been switched to the off position for an indefinite period.
The Vikings placed the running back on the cockeyed sounding Exempt/Commissioner’s Permission list. Simply stated, it means Peterson will not be allowed to take part in team activities during his child-abuse case. In other words, he won’t be playing for a while.
As we reported, Adrian Peterson was indicted last Thursday in Texas for injuring his 4-year-old son by beating him with a switch, or as some reports say, a tree branch. He didn’t play on Sunday (09-14-14) in the Vikings loss to the New England Patriots, but he was put back in the lineup on Monday, but now he’s out again … indefinitely.
The NFL’s premiere rusher is scheduled to be arraigned on Oct. 8. He faces up two years in prison and a $10,000 fine if found guilty.
Below is the full statement issued by Vikings owners Zygi Wilf and Mark Wilf:
“In conversations with the NFL over the last two days, the Vikings advised the League of the team’s decision to revisit the situation regarding Adrian Peterson. In response, the League informed the team of the option to place Adrian on the Exempt/Commissioner’s Permission list, which will require that Adrian remain away from all team activities while allowing him to take care of his personal situation until the legal proceedings are resolved. After giving the situation additional thought, we have decided this is the appropriate course of action for the organization and for Adrian.
We are always focused on trying to make the right decision as an organization. We embrace our role – and the responsibilities that go with it – as a leader in the community, as a business partner and as an organization that can build bridges with our fans and positively impact this great region. We appreciate and value the input we have received from our fans, our partners and the community.
While we were trying to make a balanced decision yesterday, after further reflection we have concluded that this resolution is best for the Vikings and for Adrian. We want to be clear: we have a strong stance regarding the protection and welfare of children, and we want to be sure we get this right. At the same time we want to express our support for Adrian and acknowledge his seven-plus years of outstanding commitment to this organization and this community. Adrian emphasized his desire to avoid further distraction to his teammates and coaches while focusing on his current situation; this resolution accomplishes these objectives as well.
We will support Adrian during this legal and personal process, but we firmly believe and realize this is the right decision. We hope that all of our fans can respect the process that we have gone through to reach this final decision.”
Meanwhile, the mother of Peterson’s son calling on the media and the public to remove photos that circulated online of the boy’s injuries.
USA Today is reporting that Kelly C. Dohm of the Minnesota-based firm Melchert Hubert Sjodin said her unnamed client “wishes to express her extreme outrage at the invasion of their privacy that has occurred through the publication of highly confidential and private data obtained regarding them by the press without their permission or consent.”
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(Photo Source: AP)
