Could political action coerce the NFL or the Minnesota Vikings to suspend running back Adrian Peterson? Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton condemned the allegations against Peterson and has called for the team to suspend him until the legal process plays out.
The Vikings announced yesterday that they were activating Peterson for Week 3 against the New Orleans Saints and have opted to wait for the results of his trial before making a decision on whether or not to suspend him, release him, trade him, etc. Peterson is due in court on October 8 to enter a plea, which will be his first such appearance since his indictment.
Other teams (as well as the NFL), including the San Francisco 49ers and Baltimore Ravens have done the same with players of their own. The 49ers opted to play Ray McDonald on Sunday night against the Bears as he's currently being investigated for a domestic violence incident that occurred on August 31. The Ravens did not suspend Ray Rice in the wake of his domestic violence case that occurred on February 15. Even commissioner Roger Goodell let the legal process run its course before handing down a two-game suspension to the running back.
The NFL and the Vikings are seemingly doing the same with Peterson. Neither of them are the law, and they're put in a tough situation when bearing the responsibility to discipline players involved in such incidents, but now the issue remains very questionable because of the recent occurrences with others across the league. On Sunday night, California's Lieutenant Governor and San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsome issued a statement in response to the 49ers deciding to play Ray McDonald:
"In light of the increased public awareness of this issue in the wake of the horrific Ray Rice assault and today's decision by the Carolina Panthers to deactivate Greg Hardy, we strongly urge the 49er organization we grew up revering to do the right thing - right now - and bench Ray McDonald, pending the outcome of his felony domestic violence investigation by San Jose law enforcement."
Dayton followed suit a day after the Vikings announced their decision to activate Peterson:
"It is an awful situation. Yes, Mr. Peterson is entitled to due process and should be 'innocent until proven guilty.' However, he is a public figure; and his actions, as described, are a public embarrassment to the Vikings organization and the state of Minnesota. Whipping a child to the extent of visible wounds, as has been alleged, should not be tolerated in our state. Therefore, I believe the team should suspend Mr. Peterson, until the accusations of child abuse have been resolved by the criminal justice system."
Perhaps the 49ers and now the Vikings should mirror the actions of the Carolina Panthers, who decided to deactivate defensive end Greg Hardy for their Week 2 game against the Detroit Lions and may continue to keep things that way moving forward. Hardy was convicted in July for assaulting his ex-girlfriend and threatening to kill her, but he's appealing the ruling.
However, the NFL might have to step in and act on the Peterson situation because one of their biggest sponsors, Anheuser-Busch, expressed their disappointment with the league's handling of the numerous abuse cases in recent months.
"We are disappointed and increasingly concerned by the recent incidents that have overshadowed this NFL season. We are not yet satisfied with the league's handling of behaviors that so clearly go against our own company culture and moral code. We have shared our concerns and expectations with the league," Anheuser-Busch said in a statement on Tuesday.
If they withdraw or suspend their sponsorship like Radisson Hotels did with the Vikings, the NFL could be in jeopardy of losing a lot of money. And we know they aren't willing to risk that.
