Mothman wrote:
Many thought that he might get "time served" for the missed games and then a fine, which would have been a very fair and reasonable solution. The idea behind an unpaid suspension is to punish a player by causing him to miss both playing time with his team and the compensation he would receive for those games, correct? Peterson already missed more than 6 games of playing time. Goodell could have easily said Peterson's punishment was 6 games missed, plus an additional 2 games for "aggravated circumstances" and then fined Peterson a total of 8 game checks and let him come back for the remainder of the season. Instead, for obviously image and money-driven reasons, he's going to make Peterson miss nearly an entire season.
Doesn't Goodell have to take into account the possibility that the Vikings are free to release Peterson at any time? How do you collect a fine from game checks when no such checks are being issued? Is the fine based on his current contract? What happens if that contact is terminated before the end of the season?
I don't think the public at large would consider paid leave as a form of punishment (I get the rationale you laid out but I don't think it's practical for the reasons stated above). Paid administrative leave followed by disciplinary action; they're usually not combined with one another.
One other thing ... I (and others) have mischaracterized this as a six game suspension. It's not. The league said Peterson was "suspended without pay for at least the remainder of the 2014 NFL season, and will not be considered for reinstatement before April 15." He will still be paid until his appeal has been concluded. I'm assuming that's at least another two weeks so in reality he'll probably only forfeit four game checks (if the Vikings do not release him).
at this point what is the logic in releasing him? we can't get compensation for him and he may have another 1 or 2 decent years left in him. our team is so awful it doesn't make sense just to cut him loose. i look for another massacre coming this weekend. 34-13.
mosscarter wrote:at this point what is the logic in releasing him? we can't get compensation for him and he may have another 1 or 2 decent years left in him. our team is so awful it doesn't make sense just to cut him loose. i look for another massacre coming this weekend. 34-13.
His salary could pay for basically any elite player in the league, or at least 2 quality starters.
Pseudo Everything wrote:Doesn't Goodell have to take into account the possibility that the Vikings are free to release Peterson at any time? How do you collect a fine from game checks when no such checks are being issued?
By fining him the equivalent of those game checks. They wouldn't necessarily just have to be turned over to the league as they're issued. Either that or they could have just determined a fine they felt was appropriate.
As for what the Vikings might have done had Peterson been given the opportunity to return to the field with "time served' and a fine: Goodell could have simply asked them what they would do. Maybe he did and that influenced the decision he made. That's a possibility.
One other thing ... I (and others) have mischaracterized this as a six game suspension. It's not. The league said Peterson was "suspended without pay for at least the remainder of the 2014 NFL season, and will not be considered for reinstatement before April 15." He will still be paid until his appeal has been concluded. I'm assuming that's at least another two weeks so in reality he'll probably only forfeit four game checks (if the Vikings do not release him).
Let's face it, the NFL is protecting it's image here so the dollar amount likely isn't as important as creating the impression they are being stern and intolerant of Peterson's behavior and "sending a message" with their punishment. They've accomplished that goal whether it costs him 4 game checks or more.
TSonn wrote:
I'm glad I bought my Bridgewater jersey from a Chinese website and I don't plan on purchasing any other official NFL item for a long time. (I'd say I will stop watching the NFL but I know that'd be an empty threat).
I'm there. For me the one silver lining in all this is that I can stop spending time watching NFL football, which honestly irritates me more than it provides a meaningful escape at this point. Its been such a big part of my life and something I had been so passionate about that its hard to move on from. There are a lot of factors that weigh in, but this was just kind of the last straw for me, and I'm personally kind of grateful for it. Also, the way the Vikings have handled this makes it impossible for me to remain a supporter of this team even if I wanted to continue watching NFL football. Honestly, I don't think any other team would likely have done anything different or less craven, but I find the whole endeavor so bankrupt and cowardly that I just can't enjoy it any longer.
I think its absurd that peoples decisions/loyalties hinge on how an admitted child abuser is disciplined. AP PUT the NFL/Vikes in a horrible position. They are a business. As THE premier athlete in the NFL (he was the FACE of the league) AP had an obvious obligation to avoid being seen as a monster....ie, selling drugs, murdering, raping, oh and yeah, "try not to tear up the body of any little children"......SO, due to despicable behavior that was entirely APs choice, the league/Vikes find themselves entirely at the mercy of the corporate sponsors and NATIONAL fans. No One in that group wants any association with a child abuser. Only in Minnesota will you find anyone remotely concerned about how "fairly" AP is treated. Even in MN there are a lot of fans who no longer care about how gently AP is handled. If AP was Packer or Raider, I doubt any of use would give a rats #### about how well this was handled because really, compared to what happened to the helpless victim, the plight of another stupid mega-millionaire who thought he was above the law and public opinion is really moot.
chicagopurple wrote:I think its absurd that peoples decisions/loyalties hinge on how an admitted child abuser is disciplined. AP PUT the NFL/Vikes in a horrible position. They are a business. As THE premier athlete in the NFL (he was the FACE of the league) AP had an obvious obligation to avoid being seen as a monster....ie, selling drugs, murdering, raping, oh and yeah, "try not to tear up the body of any little children"......SO, due to despicable behavior that was entirely APs choice, the league/Vikes find themselves entirely at the mercy of the corporate sponsors and NATIONAL fans. No One in that group wants any association with a child abuser. Only in Minnesota will you find anyone remotely concerned about how "fairly" AP is treated. Even in MN there are a lot of fans who no longer care about how gently AP is handled. If AP was Packer or Raider, I doubt any of use would give a rats #### about how well this was handled because really, compared to what happened to the helpless victim, the plight of another stupid mega-millionaire who thought he was above the law and public opinion is really moot.
Can you please dial it back a bit? You could have made the same basic points above without all the hyperbole. It's starting to wear on people.
legally no matter how you slice it its a misdemeanor. millions of people have them. he never denied it and he went through the legal process. the article above about the visuals is exactly what is wrong with this country. those pictures were meant for a judge and jury ONLY and not for the entire world to see. there is no privacy anymore.
