NFL 2014 Season Thread

[Guynemer]

Gotta protect the Shield.

[Sava]

Heard an interview with Lester Munson (sports law dude for ESPN) on radio today. He spoke at length about NFL security -- how well-funded, thorough, and expert they are. Lots of ex-FBI, ex-police chiefs, ex-CIA, etc. and how they are all over the place, covering the league's ass whenever there's a legal or behavioral player issue. He basically guaranteed that the league knew about all the video shortly after the incident, and that there is basically no way that Goodell was not both informed and involved in the course of action the league chose.

Munson was pretty convincing that this is all just a standard exercise in plausible deniability for the league.

What's interesting is that, before his ascent to the big chair, Goodell was the league's discipline czar, with a major reputation as a hardass.

Remember what was said about Sean Payton and "Bounty-gate"?

"Ignorance is not an excuse."

[MRT144]

Why don't all of you read what I posted and copy and paste where I said she was to blame and what Rice did was acceptable. I patiently await the butcher job that I fully expect.

Sloww, a martyr complex is beneath you. Stop it.

[MRT144]

I never claimed you said she was to blame, Sloww. I'm asking why you wrote the things you wrote, because they were extremely presumptuous and extraordinarily dickish.

And without relevancy, most of all.

[Boris Godunov]

Jesus, Ravens. See what happens when you cut Ray Rice? You clobber the Steelers.

[Ben Kenobi]

They played great tonight. Good to see.

[Demonbinder]

And now to add to the NFL's woes there is a report (on PTI) that Adrian Peterson is being indicted for child abuse, but no further info. Vikings say they are looking into it, but NFL certainly doesn't need this on top of everything else. If you were wondering how it could get worse - this is it. About only thing was than hitting a woman is hitting a child. Unbelievable!

[Imran Siddiqui]

Here is the ESPN article:

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/11514522/adrian-peterson-minnesota-vikings-indicted-child-case

Minnesota Vikings star running back Adrian Peterson has been indicted by a Montgomery County, Texas, grand jury on charges of reckless or negligent injury to a child, according to multiple media reports.

The Montgomery County District Attorney's office told ESPN that Peterson has not been arrested.

Last October, Peterson's 2-year-old son died in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, after being allegedly assaulted by a man who was dating the boy's mother. Peterson learned only two months earlier that he was the boy's father. The man who assaulted the boy, Joseph Robert Patterson, was charged with murder and manslaughter.

As if the league needed worse PR.

[pchang]

Actually, this is because he used a switch to spank a different son. Apparently corporal punishment is now criminal.

[Guynemer]

........yes, attacking a child with a stick is criminal.

[pchang]

Then, it should be an easy conviction, followed by a jail sentence and an indefinite suspension (not necessarily in that order).

[Sava]

........yes, attacking a child with a stick is criminal.

Any form of corporal punishment should be banned (outside of a smack on the butt or something) and carry significant penalties.

If anyone supports it in any way, let me know. I'll promptly punch your fucking face in. Only cowards and psychopaths hurt children.

[Sava]

also, Adrian Petersen....

he should be banned from the league for life

if not, I'm not watching football anymore

plus, the bears are garbage, so I wouldn't miss much

[Boris Godunov]

I'm not nearly as horrified by the Peterson story as the Rice one, yet. Depends on the details.

Yes, corporal punishment is wrong and should be prohibited. But Peterson grew up in the South in a black family, and the truth is that such corporal punishment for misbehaving children is completely normal in that culture. Peterson himself undoubtedly grew up subjected to such punishments himself and considered it normal. Every single black friend of mine who hails from the South originally has told me they got the switch as punishment. Hell, the state of Texas actually still allows corporal punishment in schools. Morally speaking, it's a far cry from a man cold-cocking his fiancee.

Still bad, and yeah, he should face penalties for it. But I don't see the situation as nearly as severe. Of course, like I said, the details will make a difference. If it was so bad that Peterson drew blood from the boy, then it certainly escalates the situation

[Demonbinder]

From Yahoo Finance (Yeah, that's strange it's not from Sports Dept.):

"According to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, the charge stems from an incident in which Peterson disciplined his son with a branch.

Rapoport adds that the investigation has been going on for a while and that Peterson testified before a grand jury "weeks ago."

According to CBS Minnesota, Peterson admitted in a police report that he did "whoop" one of his children while he was visiting the football player in Texas. The 4-year-old child's mother took her son to the doctor when he returned to Minnesota. From CBS:

The doctor told investigators that the boy had a number of lacerations on his thighs, along with bruise-like marks on his lower back and buttocks and cuts on his hand.

The police report says the doctor described some of the marks as open wounds and termed it “child abuse.” Another examiner agreed, calling the cuts “extensive.”"

He has been suspended by Vikings for Sundays game.

This is not looking good for him.