Vikings Allow Adrian Peterson Back Without Suspension
NPR
Tuesday, September 16, 2014
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Melissa Block talks with Minneapolis Star Tribune sports columnist Chip Scoggins about how Minnesota is reacting to the Vikings decision to allow running back Adrian Peterson to play after admitting to hitting his 4 year old with a switch.
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Melissa Block talks with Minneapolis Star Tribune sports columnist Chip Scoggins about how fans in Minnesota are reacting to the Vikings decision to allow running back Adrian Peterson to play.
Transcript
MELISSA BLOCK, HOST:
The governor of Minnesota has weighed in on the case of Adrian Peterson, the star running back with the Minnesota Vikings. Peterson was arrested on charges of child abuse. He has admitted whipping his four-year-old son with a wooden switch. But, he says, I am without a doubt not a child abuser. The boy's injuries allegedly include cuts and bruises on his back, buttocks, legs and scrotum.
Today, Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton called Peterson's actions a public embarrassment. And, he said, the Vikings should suspend Peterson until the accusations have been resolved. But that's not what the Vikings are doing. Last night, general manager Rick Spielman went before reporters to explain why Peterson was being reinstated after he was deactivated for one game.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
RICK SPIELMAN: We feel strongly as an organization that this is disciplining in a child. And whether it's an abusive situation or not or whether he went too far disciplining, we feel very strongly that that is the court's decision to make.
BLOCK: I asked Chip Scoggins, sports columnist with The Minneapolis Star Tribune, for his reaction.
CHIP SCOGGINS: Honestly, I was surprised. I thought that the team would suspend him anywhere from four to eight games. It's such a serious issue, and for them to basically welcome him back without any kind of discipline really surprised me. And I think it surprised a lot of people here. Adrian admitted to hitting his son. He admitted to causing those injuries, so I'm not sure what more they have to learn.
BLOCK: Four to eight games, you say? That would have been what you feel would be appropriate?
SCOGGINS: That was just a guess. I thought there would be some suspension. They suspended a former player, Chris Cook, here a couple of years ago who was arrested and charged with domestic assault. They told him to stay away from the team for basically two months. He ultimately was exonerated, and he was allowed back to the team. You know, the precedent was there. I thought that they would hand Adrian some sort of suspension. I thought six games probably was going to be the number. The fact that they did nothing is really quite surprising.
BLOCK: It's interesting that yesterday with this announcement, it was not the team's owners who came forward. It was the general manager and the coach.
SCOGGINS: Yeah, and that bothered me, and it bothered a lot of people here. This is a crisis for the organization. They're under a national microscope. And to send a general manager out there and not the owners who - ultimately, this is their decision. And just to issue a statement and not make themselves accountable in front of reporters - they should've been there. They should've had to answer those questions.
BLOCK: Adrian Peterson is one of the best running backs in the league. There are a lot of people who say the message coming out of the team is this a team that will do anything to win, at all costs. If he were a lesser player, things would have been different. Do you agree with that?
SCOGGINS: Yeah, and - I absolutely agree with that. And you just look at the other cases. In the past couple years, there have been three players who were arrested for some sort of domestic assault. One player, they released a couple of hours afterwards. Chris Cook - like I said, he was told to stay away from the team. Adrian had no punishment.
BLOCK: We did see one of the Viking's sponsors, Radisson Hotels, suspend its sponsorship after they decided to reinstate him. Do you think other sponsors are going to do the same?
SCOGGINS: I wouldn't be surprised at all. And that's a clear message to the team that hey, the people that are invested in you don't believe in the decision that you made. And so it'll be interesting to see here in the next few days whether other companies and corporations step forward and do the same thing.
Adrian before this was a beloved athlete. The team uses him in marketing. He's a great player - the face of the franchise. This situation has hurt the fan base.
BLOCK: Well, the Vikings are going to be playing Sunday in New Orleans. What do you think happens from here, especially once they come back home?
SCOGGINS: My guess is it'll be a mixture. There'll be people that boo him. And I think there'll be people that cheer him. But I would be hard-pressed to think he's not going to hear boos when he steps on the home field again in two weeks.
BLOCK: Chip Scoggins is a sports columnist with The Minneapolis Star Tribune. Chip, thanks so much.
SCOGGINS: Yeah, thanks for having me. I appreciate it. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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