Mark my word the NFL will rue the day, I say RUE the day they put one of the leagues greatest and beloved stars through the ringer for disciplining his child. As I write this I am reminded of the difference of generations but find it sad that those from my generation and before are not speaking out on his behalf! I was spanked as a child. For what and with what I wont get into. I remember going to gym class with visible welts on my legs and no one, not in my class or in authority said a word. I must have done something to earn those welts. Now a days we scream we are thinking about the welfare of the child.
Michael Eric Dyson in the New York Times (Punishment or Child Abuse 9/19/14) attributes corporal punishment to some experience of blacks in slavery. I would say that is hog wash because I and my friends can say that we are better for having been disciplined in this way when we were children. We didn't like it at the time but I will tell you we think twice before we do something stupid these days.
No one was in the car to know whether the child may have done to deserve punishment but there are white people long before I was ever born who were "whooped" for something. I cannot imagine that were I in the same situation I would do what my parents and parents before mine did, but I cannot say that I would not discipline my child like Mr. Peterson. I remember as a child being in grocery stores and seeing white kids screaming and falling down because they were told they could not have something. I remember that when I was in the same situation I either knew not to ask already having been told by my parents we cannot afford it or if i did ask and was denied humbly stewing inside but no more than that.
Adrian Peterson is not only the best running back in football but he is also like every other player in any professional league a human being. What we as fans should be doing is screaming out about this treatment. Not only by the league but by his team the Vikings. Now there is talk that he will released at the end of the season. I'm sure that is as a result of threats by sponsors as originally the Vikings themselves believed in letting due process run its course. Now rather than standing by their man (believe me Bear fans would love to see him out of the division but this is bigger than sports) they are running as fast as Adrian Peterson himself from this issue. Rather than saying this should bring about discussion as to what is considered punishment (I can guarantee many black fans are having the same reaction I am) they decide to follow the money.
The Vikings as a matter of sports is not a very good team and I don't see it possible they will find another athlete the likes of Mr. Peterson. So while standing with a man who is valuable to your organization and to the greater society they'd rather cast him amongst the woman beaters and drug cheats.Mr Dyson says that 70 percent of the country believes in some form of corporal punishment I say where are they to speak up for Adrian. And has anyone spoken to the child to find out what happened? I feel the rush to judgment is like the NBA and Donald Sterling. Rather than doing an investigation into the doings of the entire league and showing everyone's skeleton they jumped on one bigoted old man to make an example of. For the sake of doing something. I say the NFL will rue the day they treated Adrian Peterson this way.
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