14 DAY TRIAL // The case of NFL player Adrian Peterson is still very much in the attention of the press after the football star was involved in no fewer than two child abuse investigations. The entire incident comes in a poor moment for the NFL, when player Ray Rice was also suspended for domestic violence.
After yesterday it emerged that Adrian Peterson was cleared of the second charge of child abuse against his 4-year-old son for an incident that occurred last year, today we find out that his team decided to overthrow their previous decision to reinstate him and announced that they were suspending him indefinitely.
The Minnesota Vikings decide to overthrow their previous decision and suspend Peterson
The management of the Minnesota Vikings has announced that Peterson is on the exempt/commissioner's permission list until he resolves the case. Owners of the team, Zygi Wilf and Mark Wilf, have been quoted as saying that “After giving the situation additional thought, we have decided this is the appropriate course of action for the organization and for Adrian.”
Aceshowbiz quotes Adrian's agent, Ben Dogra, who said that “This is the best possible outcome given the circumstances. Adrian understands the gravity of the situation and this enables him to take care of his personal situation. We fully support Adrian and he looks forward to watching his teammates and coaches being successful during his absence.”
Adrian admitted he regularly beat his child as a form of disciplining him
Just last week, Peterson was charged with felony injury to a child by a grand jury in Montgomery, Texas. The trial was sparked by an incident in which Adrian admitted to beating his 4-year-old child with a tree branch, leaving him with numerous cuts and bruises on his arms and legs.
He apologized for the incident, but claimed that he did not regret it, since it was a form of disciplining the young boy. When the team suspended the player but later chose to reinstate him, they were criticized by both fans and the media.
The team decided on a permanent suspension after sponsors started dropping out
The team is now forced to change their position after Radisson Hotel, one of the big sponsors for the football team, announced that they were suspending their sponsorship. Peterson himself lost several endorsement deals with big companies such as Castrol Motor Oil, Special Olympics Minnesota, and Mylan Inc.
Recently, the NFL has been under fire for violence and abuse cases involving players and it's been criticized for often turning a blind eye to what the players are doing off the field, in an effort to preserve them as active players for their respective teams.