Peterson plea deal...

[indianation65]

"Guess" is that no fan will be satisfied until AP continually finds the end-zone and the Vikes rack up victories...and that might not satisfy some. Bottom line, we all want to be heard, just like Halford.
Rob H. and the Priest sounded great! They walked, only, no real headbanging, but then again, they are in their 60s now. Downing is gone, but they found a replacement, Richie Faulkner, who did great!

...wisdom

[dead_poet]

Sounds like the coaching staff, players and possibly the front office is on board.

Adrian Peterson - RB - Vikings

Speaking Monday, Vikings coach Mike Zimmer confirmed the Vikings would welcome Adrian Peterson back, but said the situation is in the hands of the NFL.
"We love the kid," Zimmer said of his superstar back. "He's done everything we've asked." Zimmer said the league has not provided a timetable on its decision to activate AD from the commissioner's exempt list. The Washington Post's Mark Maske calls it a "fluid situation that could change daily." It appears unlikely that Peterson is activated for Week 11, but it can't yet be ruled out.
Source: Matt Vensel on Twitter

[Mothman]

Sounds like the coaching staff, players and possibly the front office is on board.

Adrian Peterson - RB - Vikings

Speaking Monday, Vikings coach Mike Zimmer confirmed the Vikings would welcome Adrian Peterson back, but said the situation is in the hands of the NFL.
"We love the kid," Zimmer said of his superstar back. "He's done everything we've asked." Zimmer said the league has not provided a timetable on its decision to activate AD from the commissioner's exempt list. The Washington Post's Mark Maske calls it a "fluid situation that could change daily." It appears unlikely that Peterson is activated for Week 11, but it can't yet be ruled out.
Source: Matt Vensel on Twitter

I wonder if that means there's really no division about this within the upper levels of the organization...

The way the NFL is handling this strikes me as unacceptable. I think Florio has been right to criticize them. I understand that they're firmly in CYA mode but it's been the better part of a week since the case was settled and they still can't even provide a timetable regarding a decision?

[fiestavike]

I wonder if that means there's really no division about this within the upper levels of the organization...

The way the NFL is handling this strikes me as unacceptable. I think Florio has been right to criticize them. I understand that they're firmly in CYA mode but it's been the better part of a week since the case was settled and they still can't even provide a timetable regarding a decision?

Is there any chance that the NFL is trying to shoulder the load here by handling this in what seems an unfair fashion in order to swing some more public opinion back to Peterson? It seems unlikely given the PR situation the league faces, but I'm sure its not an unheard of PR maneuver for an organization to take the short term hit on the front end to minimize the damage of reinstating someone on the other end.

Assume for a moment that Goodell has every intention of reinstating Peterson before the Chicago game. If he were to simply do that upon the resolution of his plea deal the NFL is vulnerable to the exact type of criticism they have already been facing this year, but if they appear to jerk him around, possibly violate the agreement they made with him, get the union to file a grievance, it becomes incrementally easier to reinstate him whenever the decision is made with less outrage.

I just wonder if the handling of this isn't a shrewd PR move in the guise of unfair incompetence.

[The Breeze]

I wonder if that means there's really no division about this within the upper levels of the organization...

The way the NFL is handling this strikes me as unacceptable. I think Florio has been right to criticize them. I understand that they're firmly in CYA mode but it's been the better part of a week since the case was settled and they still can't even provide a timetable regarding a decision?

I agree.... I think they are actively monitoring the public/sponsor pulse of everything, which I find disgusting in a way. They are so quick to condemn due to the fear of lost revenue but that same fearful motivation disrupts their moral compass and impinges their integrity when it comes to being a body of leadership with any legitimate earned authority. They hold the purse strings....the players do the work and are the true ambassadors of the whole entity.

the public is so shallow in so many regards and league execs know that. All the focus is on the players as far as what needs forgiving and what is acceptable while the league has gotten away with a lot of really questionable stuff.

They could fire Goodell tomorrow and I imagine tons of fans would feel appeased but it wouldn't change anything but the color of the facade IMO. The banker business energy really taints the beauty of this game for me....obviously



I think the players union really needs to step up and fight in a valid way for something other than fare shares of revenue.

weird to watch it all from a historic perspective.

[Mothman]

Is there any chance that the NFL is trying to shoulder the load here by handling this in what seems an unfair fashion in order to swing some more public opinion back to Peterson? It seems unlikely given the PR situation the league faces, but I'm sure its not an unheard of PR maneuver for an organization to take the short term hit on the front end to minimize the damage of reinstating someone on the other end.

Assume for a moment that Goodell has every intention of reinstating Peterson before the Chicago game. If he were to simply do that upon the resolution of his plea deal the NFL is vulnerable to the exact type of criticism they have already been facing this year, but if they appear to jerk him around, possibly violate the agreement they made with him, get the union to file a grievance, it becomes incrementally easier to reinstate him whenever the decision is made with less outrage.

I just wonder if the handling of this isn't a shrewd PR move in the guise of unfair incompetence.

Good post. That's an angle I hadn't considered but it's certainly a possibility.

[chicagopurple]

the whole NFL situation is all about the money ( as always). The clearest voice in all this disgusting mess has been the Corporate sponsors....they ALL want no part of AP. I am sure the NFL brass is doing everything they can to appease their corporate sponsors. The court system is responsible to mete out justice, not Goodell. He will just do what ever protects the NFL AND makes his corporate sugar daddies happy. That may mean some further time suspended.

[fiestavike]

the whole NFL situation is all about the money ( as always). The clearest voice in all this disgusting mess has been the Corporate sponsors....they ALL want no part of AP. I am sure the NFL brass is doing everything they can to appease their corporate sponsors. The court system is responsible to mete out justice, not Goodell. He will just do what ever protects the NFL AND makes his corporate sugar daddies happy. That may mean some further time suspended.

the corporate sponsors aren't all about money?

Nobody is acting out of moral imperative in this mess.

[Mothman]

A team source on Sunday denied an NFL Network report that said an “internal battle was brewing” at Winter Park over Peterson’s future with the team. The source said the Vikings are “100 percent unified” and support Peterson, but they are “respecting the process” as the league reviews Peterson under the personal conduct policy.

http://www.startribune.com/sports/vikin ... 93091.html

[frosted]

http://www.startribune.com/sports/vikin ... 93091.html

I posted an article yesterday, up thread, from PFT that refuted Rapoport's report as well. It bugs me that everyone wants to believe the Vikings are being sketchy about this situation.

There's a lot of guesswork going on, but at this point, all we can do is be patient.

[Mothman]

I posted an article yesterday, up thread, from PFT that refuted Rapoport's report as well. It bugs me that everyone wants to believe the Vikings are being sketchy about this situation.

There's a lot of guesswork going on, but at this point, all we can do is be patient.

Some folks in the media are making fools out of themselves over this. I just read the worst Tom Powers column I've ever read (I usually like his work even when I disagree with him) in which he calls for the Vikes to just cut Peterson and bases a good portion of his "reasoning' on the unsubstantiated reports of Peterson's supposed marijuana use and on a report fromJason La Canfora (a truly unreliable source of NFL insider info) that peterson's not in game shape.

There's an argument to be made for cutting Peterson but Powers does an absolutely terrible job of making it.

For what it's worth, PFT rather adamantly refutes La Canfora's claim:

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/20 ... ame-ready/

Per multiple sources with direct knowledge of the situation, the report regarding Peterson’s mental and physical state is incorrect. He has remained in shape and wants to play as soon as possible.

As one source pointed out, this is the same Adrian Peterson who returned from a torn ACL in less than eight months, and then became the NFL’s MVP.

[The Breeze]

Is there any chance that the NFL is trying to shoulder the load here by handling this in what seems an unfair fashion in order to swing some more public opinion back to Peterson? It seems unlikely given the PR situation the league faces, but I'm sure its not an unheard of PR maneuver for an organization to take the short term hit on the front end to minimize the damage of reinstating someone on the other end.

Assume for a moment that Goodell has every intention of reinstating Peterson before the Chicago game. If he were to simply do that upon the resolution of his plea deal the NFL is vulnerable to the exact type of criticism they have already been facing this year, but if they appear to jerk him around, possibly violate the agreement they made with him, get the union to file a grievance, it becomes incrementally easier to reinstate him whenever the decision is made with less outrage.

I just wonder if the handling of this isn't a shrewd PR move in the guise of unfair incompetence.

I've also considered an intent more toward that slant...which is what partly I meant by getting the pulse of the public...however I often stoop to the assumption that's it's more about dollars than any favorable desire to bring AD back into the fold as a person.

It's obviously about both and it's a really difficult situation.

[The Breeze]

Some folks in the media are making fools out of themselves over this. I just read the worst Tom Powers column I've ever read (I usually like his work even when I disagree with him) in which he calls for the Vikes to just cut Peterson and bases a good portion of his "reasoning' on the unsubstantiated reports of Peterson's supposed marijuana use and on a report fromJason La Canfora (a truly unreliable source of NFL insider info) that peterson's not in game shape.

There's an argument to be made for cutting Peterson but Powers does an absolutely terrible job of making it.

For what it's worth, PFT rather adamantly refutes La Canfora's claim:

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/20 ... ame-ready/

I would be more stunned at AD letting himself get out of shape than the actual abuse event that created this fiasco. La Canfora would be well served to be tarred and feathered.

Or maybe he should write for Mad magazine? The Onion?....wherever unintentional satire is relished.

[mondry]

LOL! Peterson's been at like what, 4% body fat his entire life but hey, because of this one incident he let himself go! Laughable.

[Purple Reign]

Some folks in the media are making fools out of themselves over this. I just read the worst Tom Powers column I've ever read (I usually like his work even when I disagree with him) in which he calls for the Vikes to just cut Peterson and bases a good portion of his "reasoning' on the unsubstantiated reports of Peterson's supposed marijuana use and on a report fromJason La Canfora (a truly unreliable source of NFL insider info) that peterson's not in game shape.

That was a pretty brutal article by Powers. But as far as your claim of 'unsubstantiated reports of Peterson's marijuana use', it has been substantiated by Peterson's attorney. This is a quote from an article in last Thursday's Pioneer Press:

Did Peterson admit to the test administrator that he “smoked a little weed?”

“He certainly said that,” Hardin said.

Hardin would not say whether his client passed or failed his drug test.