ATHLETIC ASSHOLES

[Midwest Spy]

Gotta love the Zuba's too.

That gal is put together.

[Duchess]

Adrian Peterson has been reinstated by the Vikings.

I'm laughing because the whole world is crazy except for me.

The Minnesota Vikings are standing behind Adrian Peterson.

The team announced Monday that its star halfback will fully participate in meetings and practice this week and is expected to play Sunday against the New Orleans Saints.

The Vikings had deactivated Peterson, 29, for their game against the New England Patriots yesterday, one day after the 2012 NFL MVP answered a warrant in Texas for his arrest on a charge of causing injury to his son by disciplining him with a tree branch.

"Today's decision was made after significant thought, discussion and consideration," owners Zygi Wilf and Mark Wilf said in a joint statement issued by the team.

"As evidenced by our decision to deactivate Adrian from yesterday's game, this is clearly a very important issue. On Friday, we felt it was in the best interests of the organization to step back, evaluate the situation, and not rush to judgment given the seriousness of this matter. At that time, we made the decision that we felt was best for the Vikings and all parties involved.

Story

[Duchess]

The NFL has added three domestic violence experts to advise them. I don't understand why that would be necessary and why anyone with a grain of common sense would need to be advised in regards to violence in any way, shape or form but whatever...

Three experts in domestic violence will serve as senior advisers to the NFL.

Commissioner Roger Goodell sent a memo to teams Monday announcing that Lisa Friel, Jane Randel and Rita Smith will "help lead and shape the NFL's policies and programs relating to domestic violence and sexual assault."

Friel was the head of the Sex Crimes Prosecution Unit in the New York County District Attorney's Office for more than a decade. Randel is the co-founder of No More, a campaign against domestic violence and sexual assault. Smith is the former executive director of the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence.

Story

[Midwest Spy]

Zygi Wilf- "Now that we clearly suck without Adrian, we're going to let the legal system run its course before making any decisions."

LOL

[Duchess]

Why do they always have to be a day late & a dollar short. Players having been abusing their women for years. They dug their heels in on head injuries. I don't believe they care about the abuse, whether it be towards women or children and I don't believe they care about head injuries or a players health in general after they have stopped playing.

[HairOfTheDog]

I don't understand why the NFL is so muddled up on the issue. Yeah, professional football is entertainment, but the NFL is an entertainment business organization/employer.

I think the NFL should have a cross-team policy similar to mine and other employers of all sizes:

1. You gotta felony conviction on your record, then you don't qualify to be hired.
2. You gotta felony or misdemeanor conviction for a violent crime, then you don't qualify to be hired.
3. You get a felony conviction or a misdemeanor conviction for a violent crime during your employment, your employment is terminated -- no ifs, ands, or buts.

I don't think that professional athletes should be hailed as role models by default, simply based on the jobs they perform (for which they're typically very well-paid). The fact that a lot of people apparently hold them to an unrealistic expectation is part of the problem, IMO.

Just like in every profession, some pro athletes are effin' assholes that happen to excel at their jobs. But, they're far from role model material. And, some pro athletes are incredibly admirable human beings who would be worthy role models no matter what they did for a living, Shouldn't matter if they're role model material or not when it comes right down to it, IMO.

If they're the best qualified candidates to do the job and they don't have any felony or violent offense convictions, then they should take the field and do it like they need the money; play like badass mofos -- period. Otherwise, they don't qualify to play. Cut and dry.

When it comes to criminal allegations, the NFL should let LE handle it. If a conviction or guilty plea is secured against an NFL player, then the NFL unwaveringly bounces the player, per policy (if they choose to bounce him for cause before a conviction/guilty plea is secured, that's fine -- so long as the player's actions clearly violated the league's employment "code of conduct" clause).

I don't think the NFL needs criminal consultants. I think it needs clearer and more consistent employment policies and enforcement practices -- across all of its teams. And, I think that some of the public needs a reality check.

[Duchess]

I don't understand why the NFL is so muddled up on the issue.

Exactly. You have someone managing a billion dollar organization who has to be guided on issues of abuse? Bitch please. (Roger, the bitch, not you)

[HairOfTheDog]

Hey, I hear this abuse expert is looking for work.





I agree with you, Duchess. Abuse experts are not the solution to the NFL's current problems.

But, it's not specifically about abuse for me. It's about focus and business management.

The NFL is neither a law enforcement agency nor a social services agency. What puzzles me is why they seem to be attempting to step in and then retract from those roles (as a league, or on a team-specific basis). I think they look minor league right now in terms of human resources management.

Best I can figure (and I'm just guessing), the NFL leadership is so focused on image that they're scurrying all over the map whenever one of their players' (alleged or uncontested) shit hits the fan. I think that ultimately hurts their image more than the players' (alleged or uncontested) shit itself.

The league needs to let LE do its job and the league needs to have clear and consistent employment policies which extend to all NFL teams, in regards to criminal convictions and player conduct of all types...abuse/violence, drugs, DUIs, etc... That's my opinion -- better for the the league's image and a better criminal/misconduct deterrent for the league's employees.

Forget about the abuse experts -- they need the best effin' franchise/employment attorneys that money can buy. That, and a top notch HR guru (if username was available, she'd probably be just what the doctor ordered...........or, she'd get them into even more hot water, just for kicks!! Hard to say).

[username]

Both my kids have Peterson jerseys and wore them to a football party last weekend.

Now, I have to reconsider doing that. I'm not telling them what Peterson did, but I have a real problem with how he disciplined that 4 year old.

Damn, you're passing up an opportunity to make yourself look like a star, MS. Next time they start acting up say "if I were Adrian Peterson, I'd whip you till you bled...aren't you glad I'M your daddy?!?"







I think parent-child abuse laws are a necessity but damn, I'm afraid they're moving towards even a swat on the butt being considered abuse by some. My daughter learned the name "CPS" in like 6^th grade. WTF??? One time I literally looked at the regulations to make sure I wasn't breaking some damn law. I wasn't because there were no marks or something but it made me feel so gross I vowed to use a stupid swat on the butt only as a last, last resort. Having to look it up made me feel like an abuser. Sucked.

[Maggot]

Once I hid all the spoons before breakfast, they had to eat cereal with forks.

[Cutz]

Three experts in domestic violence will serve as senior advisers to the NFL.
Commissioner Roger Goodell sent a memo to teams Monday announcing that Lisa Friel, Jane Randel and Rita Smith will "help lead and shape the NFL's policies and programs relating to domestic violence and sexual assault."

Typical. All women. The domestic violence expert profession is so gender biased.

[HairOfTheDog]

Tony Stewart update:

Snip:
A grand jury will decide whether NASCAR star Tony Stewart will face charges in fellow driver Kevin Ward Jr.'s death, officials announced today.

Last week, the Ontario County (N.Y) Sheriff's Department, which has jurisdiction over the track where the crash that killed Ward took place, said it had finished its investigation into the incident.

The "thorough" investigation included a "forensic video enhancement recently received from the New York State Police laboratory in Albany," according to a statement. The department also reportedly sought motorsports experts to corroborate the images and sounds from the video clip of the crash.

Full story: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/nascar-star-...rand-jury/

[Duchess]

The Vikings have once again deactivated Adrian Peterson.

[Cutz]

Well, there was a trending story that a vikings message board (Literally, VikingsMessageBoard.com) that had been around since 2005 apparently shut down over the reactivation of Peterson. And there was something about the governor saying they should suspend him, yada yada... so there was a lot of public backlash.

[HairOfTheDog]

Anheuser-Busch, Radisson, and other major NFL sponsors also criticized the deactivation reversal yesterday -- that probably carried some weight too.

[HairOfTheDog]

Just read that Nike removed Peterson jerseys from its store in Minneapolis as well.

[Midwest Spy]

I hope some good comes out of this, not only for Adrian, but for all others who believe beating and 'whooping' your kids is okay.

[Duchess]

Another player has been arrested for domestic violence. this time a Cardinal. His team has deactivated him.

[username]

Three experts in domestic violence will serve as senior advisers to the NFL.
Commissioner Roger Goodell sent a memo to teams Monday announcing that Lisa Friel, Jane Randel and Rita Smith will "help lead and shape the NFL's policies and programs relating to domestic violence and sexual assault."

Typical. All women. The domestic violence expert profession is so gender biased.

Chip on your shoulder? Some chick kicked your chubby butt...am I right?

[username]

This is what the police and laws are for. God damn, it's completely reasonable to go through the justice system. I'm not sure I agree with employers meting out their own punishments unless the crime relates to work. Firing an accountant for theft, disbarring an unethical lawyer (aren't they all anyway?). I don't know but it just seems to further our nanny state mentality. In the old days, if you went in day after day and performed your job well, that was it. If you went to jail, bye bye job. Now employers are all in our lives...checkin' out your Facebook, firing you for things that may have nothing to do with your ability to do your job well. Meh. As much as I abhor some of the crimes, I think the justice system should be meting out the punishments and any employer actions should largely be subsequent to that.

I think Ray Rice ought to be able to play again. Not to mention (again) that by cutting him, his wife has now been soundly punished for the whole event monetarily. It's fucked up.