Peterson Indicted for Child Abuse

[schmitty3]

Sounds like he's coming back.

http://www.myfoxtwincities.com/story/272...s-a-misdemeanor

[BartmanMN]

Assuming AP has been working out for 8 weeks, I would not want to be on the other side of one of his runs when he comes back. If you think he ran violent before, I bet he will be an animal.

[Moonshine]

Sure would be nice to see Peterson and Rudolph back in the line up for the Bear's game after the bye. Zimmer's defense with a ball control offense might be even better.

[TR21HP]

No guarantee when he will be back. The commissioners office still will have to review all the court documents and make their decision after that. Expect Peterson to have to pay a hefty fine since he was been getting paid this whole time and they are no assurances the Commissioner will not suspend him.

Don't get your hopes up too high.

[aanderud]

What I've read is that he'll likely pay back the salary for the 8 weeks he was on the exempt list. This would essentially equate the exemption list stint to an 8 week suspension, which is twice as long as the 4 weeks he would likely have been suspended for in the first place if he wasn't placed on the exempt list.

He will be playing first week after bye, as he should be. A first time offense and a misdemeanor charge shouldn't typically warrant more than a 1/2 year suspension without pay (5.6 million dollars). He'll pay 5 times that in lost reputation and jersey sales, I'm guessing On the topic of what he's paying .... I wonder how much his child support and alimony payments have gone up to keep other girlfriends/mistresses/children from piling on with their stories of his chitty fatherhood throughout this whole deal.

[amateurfishing]

This is why it was done along with Erics court cost diagnosis.

If this would have gone to trial AP found guilty, it would have been a felony even with a first time conviction and would be jail wth fine and red flagged with regards to contact with minors, the plea he is accepting amounts to petty misdemeanor with minimal fine, no jail, and nothing on file regarding kids because a first time offender. This is exactly what should have been happening all along and is the norm within the justice system for the given scenario.

The vikings will have no choice but to play him if allowed by NFL.

[aanderud]

The vikings will have no choice but to play him if allowed by NFL.

Uhh....yeah the team always has a choice. They can sit him on the bench if they want, just like they do with backup quarterbacks. They could even cut him. There's no such thing as "no choice but to play him".

[schmitty3]

Of course they have a choice, but wouldn't you think they'd take more heat for not playing him than they would for playing him?

[aanderud]

Of course they have a choice, but wouldn't you think they'd take more heat for not playing him than they would for playing him?

There are kids involved. I have a feeling there's a lot of fans (and potentially sponsors) who won't look at it very objectively. So they're going to say he really needs to pay for what he's done.

Folks won't necessarily consider the fact that he's already paid 1/2 year of his salary (running backs average less than 10 years on the job, so that's like 5% of his career earnings) for a crime that most similar non-NFL-ers probably would have almost no fine at all. Maybe I'm wrong. We'll see.

He had the absolute worst timing, being right after the Rice situation. Last year or the year before he would have plea bargained immediately and probably been playing 4 weeks later after a short suspension. IMHO, after 8 weeks out (assuming he pays that salary back), he's done the crime, and paid the time, and I'd guess he'll be playing in 12 days, but you just never know.

[amateurfishing]

Cmon guys,you know what I meant, a PR nightmare if they dont.

[DrJuice1980]

Im pretty sick of seeing Asiata back there. AP is ok in my book. But Im not one of these self righteous fools that pray on others wrong doings.

[Huskie]

I believe AP has been paid during this entire time, probably saved a few bumps and bruises too with our O-line!!!

[aanderud]

Cmon guys,you know what I meant, a PR nightmare if they dont.

Of course, and my response is above. I said I am not sure whether the majority of fans or sponsors are going to agree that he's paid for his crime. Remember just 8 weeks ago there were calls for him to be released by many folks. Nothing like skipping due process. Many of those same folks are likely to say he hasn't been punished hard enough for what he's done. If the vikings feel like there's going to be more backlash from letting him play than not, they'll leave him on the bench.

I believe he has paid for his crime, and I think he'll be playing -- but hey I'm just one fan. We'll just have to see what the NFL says first of course (I don't think they'll drag it out past the bye week, but you never know), and even then the public opinion in the following few days will dictate which way the Vikes go.

[aanderud]

I believe AP has been paid during this entire time, probably saved a few bumps and bruises too with our O-line!!!

Yes, he has collected a salary. That's been widely reported. Roughly 700k per week. But the league is not going to let him get back on the field without a 'suspension' of some kind (without pay).

Some sources say that one potential offer on the table is that Peterson would forfeit the 8 weeeks' salary he has collected while on the exemption list, essentially turning those 8 weeks into a 'suspension' without pay, rather than starting a 4-game suspension next week.

Of course the NFL commissioner would have to agree to such terms -- but considering the normal suspension would be 4 to 6 weeks max for such an incident, it seems likely that sides could come to some agreement.

[aanderud]

Already reading reports that it's a "joke" because he's only paying a $4000 fine on twitter and other outlets. Uhh....yeah, $4000 plus the millions in salary he's likely going to have to forfeit (either retroactively or in a forthcoming suspension or fine from the league).

Apparently folks figure since he's a millionaire he should be fined more heavily than average-joes who do the same thing to their kids in Texas.

I see things like "any regular guy would get much worse" on twitter. But, reports that were written way back when this started (before there was any talk of plea bargains) said he would be fined much less than the $10k maximum, and likely get no jail time, assuming it went the way most first-time offenses like this go. So, not sure what these people think is appropriate.

I think it's just hard for folks to think objectively sometimes and compare apples to apples when there are celebrities involved.

[amateurfishing]

A "regular" guy wod not get any more or less.

I stated from beginning probation and fine is the norm for first time offender and it stands true here....and the fines I. Our justice system are not on % of income like our taxes are.

[Getanet]

This one is certainly going to be a mess. Goddell is still reeling from the backlash he got for the Ray Rice fiasco and to a lesser extent AP. The Vikings likely have no idea which way the wind is blowing when it comes to public opinion on the matter. My guess is it's about a 50/50 split among fans (both nationally and locally) who feel he has served a reasonable punishment and those who don't think he should be able to play at all this year.

So Goddell probably doesn't want to make a decision, nor do the Vikings, on how soon AP sees the field again. If I had to guess, I would say the league makes him sit a few more games, just to show how tough they are - but I wouldn't put money on it.

Personally, I think if they take some of his pay away he has served his punishment. The money pales in comparison to what really matters to AP - the all time NFL rushing record and his reputation - which are both down the toilet now.

[aanderud]

This one is certainly going to be a mess. Goddell is still reeling from the backlash he got for the Ray Rice fiasco and to a lesser extent AP. The Vikings likely have no idea which way the wind is blowing when it comes to public opinion on the matter. My guess is it's about a 50/50 split among fans (both nationally and locally) who feel he has served a reasonable punishment and those who don't think he should be able to play at all this year.

So Goddell probably doesn't want to make a decision, nor do the Vikings, on how soon AP sees the field again. If I had to guess, I would say the league makes him sit a few more games, just to show how tough they are - but I wouldn't put money on it.

Personally, I think if they take some of his pay away he has served his punishment. The money pales in comparison to what really matters to AP - the all time NFL rushing record and his reputation - which are both down the toilet now.

I'd guess your 50/50 split on fans who think he needs a harsher punishment is as good a guess as any. And you're right about the reputation and the record both being what he cares about -- the single season rushing record is unattainable at this point, and he's aging...so probably never has a realistic shot at it again. His reputation is never going to be back to what it was.

I'm still thinking in the back of my mind that the timing of all this is very convenient, and probably not by coincidence. He didn't have to do the plea bargain this week because his court date wasn't set until Dec 1. The bye week made it a very convenient time to do it if the league and team want to allow him back on the field. I suspect that the league and the team have already decided they're most likely going to let him play immediately. They will definitely feel out the public opinion before announcing it, and probably put together some well-worded press releases to cover the fact that it's 'just' a misdemeanor and he's already missed half a season, blah blah.

The NFL players association has already mentioned that they expect him to be treated like any other player convicted of a misdemeanor -- which considering he's already missed 8 games, would basically just include a fine at this point. I think the league would have a tough time keeping him out any longer without a lawsuit on their hands.

That being said, still no guarantee that he's playing soon. I think the team could leave him benched, and they would if public opinion is bad enough that they deem it detrimental to the team's reputation to play him. I'd give it 80% probability that he's playing in 12 days. We'll see.

[amateurfishing]

I think u r right on aanderud

[CaptainMusky]

This is a lose lose proposition I think. In the court of public opinion of those NOT football fans and not from the south they think he should be burned at the stake. To others they may see this as someone not knowing better. I say the number of those against him outweigh those supporting. The league is going to tiptoe around this one and may let the vikings make the first move.

[Getanet]

Yeah, the Vikes and the league are hoping the other one blinks first. If the Vikings didn't take so much heat from sponsors prior to suspending AP, I think it would be an easy decision for them to take him back.

[Eric Wettschreck]

I dunno fellas. I don't see AP on the field in the next couple weeks.

The commish will be in court early next week testifying on the ray rice deal. Then he has to make a decision aboot AP. Then the vokes have decisions to make and I'm sure they've been chatting with the league office.

This will be conidered a domestic violence issue and that's a big deal in the NFL lately.

I see the commish and vikings taking some time to make sure they get it right. Even the NFLPA is saying it may take time.

[aanderud]

I dunno fellas. I don't see AP on the field in the next couple weeks.

The commish will be in court early next week testifying on the ray rice deal. Then he has to make a decision aboot AP. Then the vokes have decisions to make and I'm sure they've been chatting with the league office.

This will be conidered a domestic violence issue and that's a big deal in the NFL lately.

I see the commish and vikings taking some time to make sure they get it right. Even the NFLPA is saying it may take time.

[creepworm]

A "regular" guy wod not get any more or less.

A "regular" guy would get less. Hitting a kid with a switch is normal behavior for "regular" guys in the south and it happens constantly. The only reason Peterson is being charged is because of who he is.

[BuckSutherland]

Domestic violence under the NEW policy is a 6 game suspension. It's not clear that he'd be punished under the new poicy, since this happened before that policy was instated. Even if he is, he's already been out 8 games. I've read reports that indicate that a case COULD be made that if he pays a 6-game suspension worth of fine, that the fine along with his 8 missed games would constitute the requisite sentence.

I dont know man. We are talking about a 4 year old kid here and PLENTY of pictures to prove the actions. I personally dont have a problem with the whipping, but when it draws blood, and he is stuffing leaves in the mouth that is an image that doesnt sit well with lots of people including me. I tink you might be underestimating how badly Goddell needs to get this right or there is gonna be huge pressure for him to be gone. I see him making an example out of Peterson and then deal with the fallout from the NFLPA, etc later.

I think if there were no pictures he would be playing next Sunday, but just like with the RR knockout the visual evidence just enrages people and the media too much to let them off easy. If I were betting I would say NFL suspends him starting now. Then they say all the other games he missed before were voluntary by the Vikes. Personally, the shame alone not to mention the money have been punishment enough.