OT: Vikings flip-flop yet again, Adrian Peterson barred from team activities (with pay)

Submitted by Sopwith on

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/11541346/adrian-peterson-barred-all-minnesota-vikings-activities

From Friday's generally lauded decision to keep AP off the field to Monday's sudden change of heart and epically inept press conference by Vikes GM (after reconsideration in view of the 30-7 loss to the Pats) to today's double-reverse, the Vikings are reaching new heights of organizational rudderlessness.

Upshot is that AP still collects his $$$$, but will not see the field under the rarely-used "roster exemption" rule until his legal process resolves.  If he doesn't reach a plea deal, his trial is unlikely until after the season. 

According to the Vikings, they flip-flopped "after giving the situation additional thought."  Translation:  Sponsors pulling out (e.g., Raddison Hotels), others lecturing them and the league with critical press releases (e.g., Anheuser-Busch), even getting cracked on by Minnesota's Governor.  

When a beer company is getting on a soapbox and lecturing you about morality, you're due for some "additional thought."

MGoBusiness people: how does such a profitable PR juggernaut like the NFL look like they've never taken a class or read a book on crisis management?  How does a fantastically successful corporation botch something like this so consistently?

I'm not looking to start a thread debating the "merits" of corporal punishment (there aren't any) but I'm fascinated by the organizational meltdown and ineptness of such a slick corporation and it's franchisees.  What gives?

 

Darker Blue

September 17th, 2014 at 9:47 AM ^

The NFL ( as a whole) looks absolutely terrible with this, and the Ray Rice situation. A stand needs to be taken by the league or they're going to start losing fans, and sponsers. I don't know what you have to do to make this right for everybody, but they have lots of money to pay some smart person to figure it out. 

Dawggoblue

September 17th, 2014 at 10:11 AM ^

The NFL is not going to lose fans. People don't care. Sure they stand around and say they do. They even post on blogs saying they do. But when Sunday comes they still watch. That's a fact. They handle these things badly because they can. Football is limited. It's not like NHL NBA and MLB which is played 13 months a year. Football is king and will remain king.

Side note OP. There are a great many merits to corporal punishment. Don't say you aren't here to debate it and then toss in your opinion.

In reply to by Dawggoblue

CleverMichigan…

September 17th, 2014 at 10:20 AM ^

Myself and plenty of other people are tired of the NFL's shit. I don't watch on Thursday, Sunday, or Monday. I'm also a Giants fan, so it's basically a win-win. 

But I'm sure you're content to continue turning a blind eye and pretending no one cares. 

Dawggoblue

September 17th, 2014 at 10:48 AM ^

As soon as you can show me anything that says viewership is down, I will believe you.  But last I check the NFL draft had 32 million people watch it.  Sunday football between the Bears and 9ers still had like 20 million viewers.  Are there a view people that may stop watching?  Sure.  Enough to matter?  No.  It is a fact.  The NFL is a juggernaut that America loves and it will take a whole lot more AP or Ray Rice to bring it down.  

Sponsors can threaten all they want.  Do you really think that AB is about to stop selling beer at NFL games?  Dream on. 

 

http://onlyagame.wbur.org/2014/09/15/nfl-scandals-tv-ratings

gmoney41

September 17th, 2014 at 11:36 AM ^

I agree with you dawg.  I haven't watched  an NFl game in years, and am all the better for it.  My son is 6, so while Saturday's I get 4 hours to watch Michigan, Sunday's are for us.  I don't feel that I have missed much either.  I'm a colts fan, but I just don't care enough to watch.  I will admit that I am in the minority and that most NFL fans that are up in arms over these latest controversies will still tune in.

CleverMichigan…

September 17th, 2014 at 12:59 PM ^

>Gets called out for incorrectly assuming everyone will still tune in

>Backtracks, now demands to see proof that a significant amount of people are not tuning in

As I mentioned, there are plenty of people who are tired of the NFL's shit, between Pittsburgh, Washington, Baltimore, Minnesota, and all the other shit not sitting well in the public eye. Will enough people tune out to make a dent? Who knows, but you are still wrong about "everyone will still watch."

In reply to by Dawggoblue

CleverMichigan…

September 17th, 2014 at 3:20 PM ^

Ratings are up != no one stopped watching. Even if I were literally the only person to stop watching the NFL, your first comment is still wrong.

But what should I expect from someone who believes there is merit in beating four-year-olds? 

umumum

September 17th, 2014 at 1:56 PM ^

will the NFL notice much of a difference this year--or even for the next  few years?  Probably not.  Will hardcore fans care?  No.

But this adds to an almost certain (if you can just say things are "fact", so can I) downward arc for the NFL over the next decade.  A perception that the league is comprised of bad guys who are coddled by the league, when added to concerns over head injuries and reduced youth participation will eventually have a meaningful impact on the sport.

As best I can tell from even my most serious sport's friends, the NFL can thank fantasy football for much of its continued support.

In reply to by Dawggoblue

Lionsfan

September 17th, 2014 at 11:06 AM ^

I'll side with CMR here, I've been apathetic about the NFL for some time now, but with the way they've handled things over the last few months, I'm done with them.

 

Also this:

There are a great many merits to corporal punishment

Is the smelliest kind of horseshit, and there's loads of studies that prove that corporal punishment just does not work with kids

Dawggoblue

September 17th, 2014 at 12:31 PM ^

I can show you countless decades of kids raised with corporal punishment that turned out just fine.  While in the last 20 years we have started to turn away from corporal punishment and kids are more messed up than ever.

 

That could easily be a coincidedence.  It could also be proof that corporal punishment works.

 

And before anyone comes back with that generational crap about how old people always feel kids are messed up, you can't discount how more extreme the kids have gotten these days.

CleverMichigan…

September 17th, 2014 at 1:03 PM ^

And clearly the only factor here is how much their parents hit them, as if you can just knock the psychosis out of someone and availability of weapons doesn't matter. 

Also, in the good ol days, you'd just lobotomize your problem child and throw em in a home to rot. See, no more screwed up kids!

In reply to by Dawggoblue

JamieH

September 17th, 2014 at 11:09 AM ^

It takes a special type of coward to beat a defenseless child who loves you.  Calling the child beating "corporal punishment" or "discipline" doesn't change what it is.

the bee train

September 17th, 2014 at 11:40 AM ^

Who would downvote something like this? The man hit his 4 year old with a stick until he bled and Jamie gets downvoted for calling him out? I have heard some neanderthals defending this type of behavior, guess I thought our community was better than that.

Dawggoblue

September 17th, 2014 at 12:41 PM ^

Who exactly said that beating a child was corporal punishment?

 

The OP said there are no merits to corporal punishment.  I disagreed.  No one said anything about beating children.

In reply to by Dawggoblue

JamieH

September 17th, 2014 at 1:10 PM ^

at the pictures of AP's kids after he was done beating, I mean "punishing" them.  I guess lacerated testicles are just part of the joys of growing up. 

LSAClassOf2000

September 17th, 2014 at 10:47 AM ^

I believe I heard that McDonalds and Visa have since registered similar complaints about the handling of this situtation - and other recent situations - by teams and the NFL, and of course, Raddison suspended their sponsorship of the Vikings (understandably so) after seeing their name in the background of that oh so awkward press conference. 

The NFL (and now the Vikings, Ravens, etc...) definitely missed one of the most important lessons of managing in a crisis like theirs - try to get ahead of the story and be honest (well, as open as you can) so as to blunt the reaction as much as possible - you won't succeed entirely, but do tell your story before others can frame it for you. The NFL didn't do this, not that it could have in any way justified what some of its players have done, but now their nightmare is that much worse.

FreddieMercuryHayes

September 17th, 2014 at 9:53 AM ^

Man, I've been wondering how the NFL could mishandle stuff so bad recently.  I mean the NFL and the teams really only care about making money, and along with that, winning.  Whatever they do ultimately goes back to that, as you mention with the sponsers.  I wonder if the NFL and the Vikings were just not expecting such a backlash from the public.  I can't say I'm in tune with the NFL's history, but perhaps when such things like this have happened in the past, the public just doesn't seem to care much?  So they thought people wouldn't care this time?  Maybe NFL fans are just changing and actually caring about this stuff. 

The worse part for the Vikings is that like three years ago they basically suspended a player with pay for almost the entire season when he was accused of domestic violence (later aquited, and then rejoined the team).  But when their best player gets into trouble, now he should play until the legal system works itself out?  That was probably the biggest blunder.

FreddieMercuryHayes

September 17th, 2014 at 10:27 AM ^

I think the Vikings punishment is perfectly appropriate even before court procedings.  Peterson has not been found guilty of any crime, so it's not alright to not pay him.  but it is alright to say you're not allowed in the office until legal procedings are done, as long as he is still paid.  It seems that Peterson accepted that as well.  In today's society, I think waiting for court procedings to be finalized just isn't completely realistic.  Hell, as soon as Peterson was reinstated, his lawyer filed a motion to have the court date pushed back until after the NFL season.  In that case, waiting for the legal system means nothing probably ever happens.

Princetonwolverine

September 17th, 2014 at 12:50 PM ^

Whether or not a court of law finds him guilty he has already admitted to beating a 4 yr old defenseless child with a stick.

The Vikings/Ravens/NFL should have their own criteria for suspending players that does not require a judge or jury.

Number 7

September 17th, 2014 at 10:02 AM ^

The decent people of the gopher state won't tolerate it.  Best bet for the Vikings and for the NFL is to trade him, even at pennies on the dollar, to some place where -- right or wrong (and I'm going with 'worng') -- the fans just don't care.

 

mGrowOld

September 17th, 2014 at 10:05 AM ^

The Vikings hand got forced when the pics of the second boy surfaced the night AFTER their first reverse.  Seeing a child with a visable head wound, coupled with the texts between he and babymomma #something was pretty damning.

I'm a father of four and I can tell you without a shadow of doubt that there is absolutely no situation on this earth that would warrant giving a four year old boy a fucking head wound as punishment. None.

 Sorry Adrian....you most definitely ARE a child abuser.

turd ferguson

September 17th, 2014 at 10:24 AM ^

I'm really interested to see how this story plays out and what the public response is.  I'm personally of the mindset that it's neither okay nor smart to strike a child - and I'll never even spank a kid myself - but that's a minority opinion in the U.S. right now, some form of corporal punishment is legal in all 50 states, and there are clear cultural differences on the subject.  

What Peterson did looks like it was way over the top, but I bet that he and a lot of others are shocked by the response to this, and I suspect we're about to get a pretty interesting public discussion about where the line is between acceptable punishment and child abuse.  I wouldn't be surprised at all if the Peterson story leads to a tightening of some state corporal punishment laws.  This feels like one of those issues that no one really think about until there's a public incident, and I think we're about to see how much people's beliefs about this vary.

mGrowOld

September 17th, 2014 at 12:21 PM ^

Agreed.  But I wonder what the response would be if the question was asked "Is it ok to open head wounds on a 4 year old when disciplining them" or "Is it acceptable to split open a four year old boy's scrotum when discipline is being applied?"  Adrain Peterson DID NOT SPANK HIS KIDS.  He whipped one with a stick and opened up over ten wounds and did God know's what to split the other child's head open.

I'll bet 81% of the American public wouldnt support that. 

JamieH

September 17th, 2014 at 4:14 PM ^

In a giant shock, pretty much the entire US does not think Peterson should be playing, except for the usual suspects of forward thinking and progress, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina & Texas, who apparently think split testicles are just a standard part of growing up.   Either that or they just think football players should be able to do whatever they want.   

Update:  Texas and Arkansas have now pulled 50/50 on the vote.  Maybe there is hope for humanity after all. 





 

alanmfrench

September 17th, 2014 at 10:14 AM ^

I think the perception that they are mishandling it doesn't bother them at all. What we all perceive to be the NFL reacting to instead of getting ahead of these issues seems to be their go to strategy. Do next to nothing until the uproar gets so ugly that they have to do something. Personally I hope the NFL takes an enormous dong punch financially for all of these issues. They keep gambling that no matter how unhappy you are with them you'll still purchase tickets, purchase NFL branded clothes, branded junk and watch on TV.

Kalamazoo Blue

September 17th, 2014 at 11:11 AM ^

The NFL is a complex organization dealing with issues it's not set up to deal with (and I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt to state it this way). Add to that the media spotlight and new information emerging every few days to react to on the fly.

This is a formula for people in suits not looking very bright.

I hope they learn from these lastest incidences and get a better system in place to deal with the next ones that come along.

BlueCube

September 17th, 2014 at 11:18 AM ^

felt the loss of viewers and ticket sales would be more from sitting him than from playing him. In their arrogance they failed to consider outside factors.

Advertisers, looking at consumer backlash from people who don't care about football, started backing away causing the NFL to revisit the situation and find new concern about the 4 year old boy who was beaten. When dollars are involved, the NFL is very concerned.