Peterson suspended the rest of the season.

[Zaphod]

Yes they will and FWIW if they don't they should be disbanded,NOT that I'm in any way defending Peterson, but the union is his paid advocate and they have to represent their members .
They aren't a PR firm ,what any of us think of them is irrelevant

So they'll do their jobs regardless of what others may think, I can see that.

But man, I've seen unions throw their employees under the bus without blinking, although it probably had more to do with evidence that wasn't available to hearsay of other employees.

 

[shovelpass]

While I understand that his son will probably at least have a college education regardless of what happens to the rest of Peterson's career, I just don't see how continuing to punish the man's employment situation will help his son in any way. That is maximizing an opportunity to make an example out of a public figure as ... an agenda for prevention? Or is it just revenge?

I'm sorry, but putting the kid first and destroying the father's career are actually quite contradictory. The child will be watched like a hawk from this point on and protected.

The very real, and personal issue of whether or not Peterson can repair whatever relationship he has with his son is exactly on him, and it will be something he has to work for, should he choose to do so now that he has a different perspective.

And I do think that the NFL has to distance themselves from this instance as cleanly as possible for the reputation of their product.

Had the verdict been not guilty/innocent I would have issue with him being allowed to play, but the fact that it was a plea deal adds some doubt about whether or not he thought it was wrong. I get that, that was probably the way he was raised, but it's 2014. He should realize by now with the way society has evolved into this protective society that leaving bruises on a child is going to get you in trouble. If his NFL career is destroyed because of it, it rests solely on him, no one else. If you were tried in a child abuse case and copped a plea, your employer would most likely "distance" themselves from you. I don't think the guy is straight up beating his kids, but this allegedly isn't the first instance of this happening. The fist case was never filed so it might not be true, it's in the news. It's just a little bothersome that the big story in this is his chance at redemption, another shot in the NFL. It's a little sickening that there was even a question to him playing in this season. I guess for the rest of his career is harsh, but this season is too soon for a plea deal.

 

[Thordaddy]

I just wonder if the "court of high opinion" (the voice full public) holds themselves to the same standards, my god what a blood thirsty, self-righteous nation we've become...this was a first offense, what he did was big time wrong, but if he was disciplined that way as a child I can sorta understand his miss-guidance. (not that I condone it)

It was the first "reported " offense , and AP has repeatedly voiced his belief that what he did wasn't out of the ordinary.

Jim Rome had a panel on his show last week that included Ricky Williams who said to my surprise that the "cultural" aspect of Petersons behavior in his opinion needed to be taken into account and that he shouldn't be disciplined terribly.

BTW when he was referring to "cultural" he later explained it was "black culture" and that society at large needed to to some degree accept that cultural aspect .The other two panel members were black as well and were not in consort with Williams POV.

I have ZERO sympathy for AP, my parents believed in corporal punishment, and I can't say that I never utilized it but I ceased to use it because I came to lose faith in it's effectiveness and in the ability to justify it . The injuries inflicted on that kid were pretty severe and remember that was a FOUR YEAR OLD with limited ability to understand possibly even why he was being beaten
IF there is a cultural propensity (and I in many ways doubt it is) then hiding behind ethnicity is pretty lame

 

[dieterbrock]

Good for the NFL.
If Peterson would have shown an ounce of remorse, then we'd be looking at different deal IMO.
I dont care why Goodell and the NFL have have changed their tune, whether the media outcry added aditional motivation. It is the right thing to do, and should be the precedent.

 

[OkieRamFan]

I have been following Peterson since his freshman year at OU. I like him and always have and will continue to do so. I agree with this punishment. I think this is a life lesson that Adrian needs to learn and by extension than many more younger people will learn. When I was much younger I disciplined my young kids severely, never with a switch, but with a belt. Looking back on it now I know that it was wrong back then, but I have aged and mellowed. I would never spank my grandkids, or great grandkids that way today. Times have changed. I suspect that Adrian's time in Minnesota is done, I would hope that he can take this time off to do his community service and receive the appropriate counseling. Next year he will be reinstated and he can hopefully return to football with a new team. If it had not been for the Ray Rice situation this would probably never have gained the traction that it has. Like I said this is a life lesson that needed to be learned.

 

[LACHAMP46]

So...not sure where this lies on the punishment scale....Josh Brent gets how many games? Seems as if he could better serve the league by going out, speaking about his new understanding of corporal punishment...May have been able to help others while still going to work...But, I don't know....

 

[Thordaddy]

So...not sure where this lies on the punishment scale....Josh Brent gets how many games? Seems as if he could better serve the league by going out, speaking about his new understanding of corporal punishment...May have been able to help others while still going to work...But, I don't know....

If he actually believed it , but from everything he's had to say since ,I don't think he does.
Goodells letter to him declared that his apparent lack of remorse was part of why he was being suspended , further IMO AP has some pretty crappy legal counsel if he hasn't been advised to show some remorse and recognition that he was wrong and never intended to do it again .You never get absolution from what you don't admit is wrong .
I'm certain AP was raised that way and since he survived he thinks it's OK , but it's a new world he has to deal with ,he needs to realize that and his advisers need to get him in step with it or he's toast.

 

[Warner4Prez]

So...not sure where this lies on the punishment scale....Josh Brent gets how many games? Seems as if he could better serve the league by going out, speaking about his new understanding of corporal punishment...May have been able to help others while still going to work...But, I don't know....

Really it's not much of a punishment at all. His suspension is essentially a 6 game suspension, which falls in line with the new domestic violence standards Goodel put in place.
Vikings voluntarily put him on the exempt list and he collected pay the entire time. Really it's been convenient for Minnesota because they don't want to pay 15.7 million dollars for a RB next season and McKinnon/Asiata has worked out pretty well as a 1-2 punch without him. I expect he'll be gone.

 

[moklerman]

So the moral is, lie about being remorseful and everything will be forgiven.

 

[Zaphod]

Had the verdict been not guilty/innocent I would have issue with him being allowed to play, but the fact that it was a plea deal adds some doubt about whether or not he thought it was wrong. I get that, that was probably the way he was raised, but it's 2014. He should realize by now with the way society has evolved into this protective society that leaving bruises on a child is going to get you in trouble. If his NFL career is destroyed because of it, it rests solely on him, no one else. If you were tried in a child abuse case and copped a plea, your employer would most likely "distance" themselves from you. I don't think the guy is straight up beating his kids, but this allegedly isn't the first instance of this happening. The fist case was never filed so it might not be true, it's in the news. It's just a little bothersome that the big story in this is his chance at redemption, another shot in the NFL. It's a little sickening that there was even a question to him playing in this season. I guess for the rest of his career is harsh, but this season is too soon for a plea deal.

Don't mistake my opinion as sympathy. If they decide to, he may never see his son again, or at least when he does with supervision. But he'll still be obligated to financially support his children.

My point wasn't about how harsh this is or isn't towards Peterson, but rather how punishing him by destroying his career really isn't benefiting his ability to financially support his son, rather doing quite the opposite.

That is actually not putting his son first, which really has nothing to do with the NFL's ability to distance themselves from the situation.

 

[Alan]

moklerman thinking the penalty was too light:
He gets a year for a first offense? For something that isn't even a crime in the state where it happened? What a world.

I agree with you. He should have received a year in prison instead of just a year of suspension for his team.

 

[Stranger]

He gets a year for a first offense? For something that isn't even a crime in the state where it happened? What a world.

I would nvr ever hit my 4yr old son, but Goodhell's NFL is ridiculous. I hate that the sport has become a vehicle for social engineering.

 

[lasvegasrams]

my dad whooped me with a belt when i was a kid, we still watch ram games every sunday together. not sure if i'd do the same to my kid, but i don't hold anything against my dad.

 

[HometownBoy]

my dad whooped me with a belt when i was a kid, we still watch ram games every sunday together. not sure if i'd do the same to my kid, but i don't hold anything against my dad.

Yeah, but I imagine you'd probably have a little different tune if your dad beat you so bad you got lacerations and bled or left bruises on your head. At that point that's not punishment at all, that's just straight up attacking a child.

 

[lasvegasrams]

Yeah, but I imagine you'd probably have a little different tune if your dad beat you so bad you got lacerations and bled or left bruises on your head. At that point that's not punishment at all, that's just straight up attacking a child.

DAMN. I didn't know it was that bad with AP. I honestly haven't paid attention to detail with his case.

 

[HometownBoy]

DAMN. I didn't know it was that bad with AP. I honestly haven't paid attention to detail with his case.

Yeah, it's pretty messed up. They posted pictures on twitter of the lacerations on his thigh, so it's not heresy. Then a little while after we find out that Peterson was wrapped in another child abuse scandal prior. Dude has some obvious issues with controlling his anger. So it's not like he gave a child a few swats here or there. I don't think most would be up his ass for it. It's just plainly obvious he took out all his anger on the kids, and that's not something that shouldn't be punished.

 

[moklerman]

Yeah, it's pretty messed up. They posted pictures on twitter of the lacerations on his thigh, so it's not heresy. Then a little while after we find out that Peterson was wrapped in another child abuse scandal prior. Dude has some obvious issues with controlling his anger. So it's not like he gave a child a few swats here or there. I don't think most would be up his ass for it. It's just plainly obvious he took out all his anger on the kids, and that's not something that shouldn't be punished.

Isn't it presumptuous to say that he hit him in "anger"? Too forcefully? Of course. But you're painting a picture that isn't necessarily true.

 

[HometownBoy]

Isn't it presumptuous to say that he hit him in "anger"? Too forcefully? Of course. But you're painting a picture that isn't necessarily true.

I'd rather say that then he saw that his child was bleeding from hits he was inflicting and decided nah that's not too bad.

 

[moklerman]

I'd rather say that then he saw that his child was bleeding from hits he was inflicting and decided nah that's not too bad.

There's a chance that they were just welts when he was getting whipped. Peterson's being made out to be a monster and out of his mind and I don't think that's the case.

If he'd wanted to really hurt that kid he could have done so much more. If he'd intended to hurt the kid without leaving marks he could have done that too. I'm convinced this wasn't anything nefarious and it's being sensationalized.

 

[Boffo97]

I'd rather say that then he saw that his child was bleeding from hits he was inflicting and decided nah that's not too bad.

Yeah.

When I first heard of this case, I thought it was just those who are against spanking were falsely labeling spanking as child abuse, and were trying to get the government to intrude into someone's child raising.

When I learned more about it... this was way beyond just spanking, and those in favor of spanking (or in favor of letting parents decide whether to spank or not) would be very wise to distance themselves from Peterson as much as possible.