ATHLETIC ASSHOLES

[HairOfTheDog]

Yesterday the Texas judge in the Adrian Peterson case called each lead attorney in this case a media whore.

I think his media-hungry legal representatives actually advised him wisely.

Peterson's in court today and will plead guilty to the lesser general charge of reckless assault. There was no denying that he beat his soon bloody (he didn't try to deny it), so negotiating a misdemeanor plea deal rather than fighting the felony child abuse charge and possibly being found guilty was smart, IMO.

Snip:
If Judge Kelly Case accepts the plea, Peterson will be placed on probation, pay a $2,000 fine and perform 80 hours of community service, according to ProFootballTalk.com.

The NFL and the Vikings have not yet decided on whether they will suspend Peterson, who already has missed eight games with pay this season under the terms of the commissioner's exempt list.

The NFL Players Association expects that the league will punish Peterson as it would any other player determined to be guilty of a misdemeanor; the union will likely argue that Peterson, who has been paid his full salary of nearly $5.3 million in his absence, should be reinstated and perhaps forced to pay a substantial fine -- surrendering part of the income he's been receiving.

Only commissioner Roger Goodell can reinstate Peterson from the exempt list, meaning the two could be required to meet.

Once Goodell reinstates Peterson, presuming the commissioner eventually does so, the Vikings would either have to allow the running back to return to the team or be required to release him.

Vikings general manager Rick Spielman declined to comment on Peterson during his midseason news conference today.

The Vikings' position on all of this remains a mystery. They have been silent since Peterson was put on the exempt list, so there is uncertainty as to whether the Vikings are willing to reinsert Peterson into their lineup.

Vikings coach Mike Zimmer was asked about Peterson on Monday as the team began its bye week, and he made it clear he judges Peterson based on his own personal interactions and considers him to be "top-notch, first-class."

A prolific player at his position, Peterson set an NFL record with 296 rushing yards against San Diego on this date in 2007.

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/118196...avoid-jail
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I don't know much about the Vikings' organization, but based on the coach's comments yesterday and back when the story first broke, I get the sense Zimmer wants Peterson back on the field -- assuming Goodell removes Peterson from the exempt list.

How much has his absence affected your team's performance, MS, in your opinion?