MINNESOTA VIKINGS RUNNING BACK Adrian Peterson, reinstated earlier today by the NFL team, declared he was not a child abuser despite charges of injuring his four-year-old son with blows from the branch of a tree.
Peterson, who was deactivated from the playing roster for Sunday’s 30-7 home loss to new England, is able to return to practice with plans to play next Sunday at New Orleans.
The Vikings sidelined Peterson last Friday after he was charged with reckless or negligent injury to a child after using a tree branch to spank his son with blows so hard he still bore the marks days later. In a statement released by the Vikings, Peterson said:
I am not a perfect son. I am not a perfect husband. I am not a perfect parent, but I am, without a doubt, not a child abuser. I am someone that disciplined his child and did not intend to cause him any injury. No one can understand the hurt that I feel for my son and for the harm I caused him. My goal is always to teach my son right from wrong and that’s what I tried to do that day.”
Peterson surrendered himself to Texas authorities early Saturday morning and was released on bail with a trial not expected until next year, after the end of the season.
“I accept the fact that people feel very strongly about this issue and what they think about my conduct,” Peterson said. “Regardless of what others think, however, I love my son very much and I will continue to try to become a better father and person.”
Peterson was hit as a child
Peterson said he was imposing the same discipline to his son that had been used upon him as a child.
“I have learned a lot and have had to re-evaluate how I discipline my son going forward,” Peterson said. “But deep in my heart I have always believed I could have been one of those kids that was lost in the streets without the discipline instilled in me by my parents and other relatives.
“I have always believed that the way my parents disciplined me has a great deal to do with the success I have enjoyed as a man. I love my son and I will continue to become a better parent and learn from any mistakes I ever make.
Peterson said he has met with a psychologist over the matter.
“I have to live with the fact that when I disciplined my son the way I was disciplined as a child, I caused an injury that I never intended or thought would happen,” Peterson said.
“I know that many people disagree with the way I disciplined my child. I also understand after meeting with a psychologist that there are other alternative ways of disciplining a child that may be more appropriate.”
Peterson said his attorney has asked that his not discuss details of the case.
“I understand that it is not appropriate to talk about the facts in detail at this time, nevertheless, I want everyone to understand how sorry I feel about the hurt I have brought to my child,” Peterson said. “I never imagined being in a position where the world is judging my parenting skills or calling me a child abuser because of the discipline I administered to my son.”
Peterson said he told a grand jury and two different police interviews without a lawyer that it was never his intention to harm his son.
Vikings owners vow vigilance
Before Peterson’s statement, Vikings’ owners Zygi and Mark Wilf, in a statement on the team’s website, defended their decision to let legal matters play out before making any more steps to bench the star rusher.
“We will continue to monitor the situation closely and support Adrian’s fulfillment of his legal responsibilities throughout this process,” the Wilfs said in their statement.
“We take very seriously any matter that involves the welfare of a child. At this time, however, we believe this is a matter of due process and we should allow the legal system to proceed so we can come to the most effective conclusions and then determine the appropriate course of action.”
Peterson’s scandal hit the world’s richest sports league the same week the league saw an uproar over star rusher Ray Rice, who was fired by the Baltimore Ravens and banned indefinitely by the NFL after a video was released showing him brutally punching the woman who is now his wife in a hotel elevator.
ALL top players get targeted, whether you like it or not it’s part of the game. 99% of those get on with it,hold their nerve and get on with it, like it or lump that’s how it goes. Those saying he shouldn’t be subjected to it are obviously turning a blind eye to Philly and Johnny. Can’t put your hand on an official like that.
I’m a Dub and i must admit i’m sick of Connolly’s temper tantrums and spoiled child antics.He’s acting the maggot for quite a long time at this stage.
While blessed with a natural talent i don’t even believe he deserves the credit he gets at times.The talk of one of the greats is hogwash.The greats dont act the eejit like he does and let his fellow team mates down with such regularity.How many games has he dominated anyway?I dont remember him consistently performing to a high standard in many if any All Ireland semi or final?A fleeting moment of brilluance here or there is his lot.
Diarmuid go away and have a think about your crazy ways.Take your suspension on the chin and relect.You have very little between the ears my friend.As crazy as it sounds,you are a liability and we maybe better off without you.
A great football but proven tug, even take out his on the pitch antics he was lucky not to do time for beating a person up.
12 weeks ban. End off. Now stop talking about it. You would think he nearly killed him the way he is being talked about
@Shaun Gallagher: you are the perfect embodiment of what’s wrong with the GAA when it comes to referees. Swear at a referee and you should be sent off. Touch one and you should expect to have your season ended. People should be jumping up and down about this, not moving on as you call it.
Why does Jim Gavin keep picking him when Connolly let’s him and Dublin down again and again. Connolly may be arguably the best player in the country but it’s going to cost Dublin big time some day when he inevitably gets himself sent off in a big game against Mayo or Kerry. It’s not like Dublin don’t have talented players to play in his place
@Declan Clancy: maybe Connolly pointed his finger in Gavins face and threatened him as well!!!
Spillane is a gob-shiite. Always was – always will be.
@Carl Ingalls: perhaps so. Doesn’t mean he’s not correct here, though. Connolly clearly has a serious attitude problem and maybe the lengthy suspension he’ll probably face here might finally make a difference to him. Either that, or management decide he’s a liability that can’t be risked any more. One way or the other, even the most blinkered Dubs fan has to realise that Connolly can’t continue in the same way.
@Carl Ingalls: and Diarmuid Connolly is thug. Always was – always will be.
@Carl Ingalls: And Connolly is a thug. Always was – always will be.
@Jumperoo:
He’s using his position as public pundit to orchestrate a smear campaign against the Dubs with a view to smoothing the path for his beloved Kirree.
@Carl Ingalls: not at all this is aimed at Connolly not the Dubs.. and he is right you cannot touch the refs simple
@Carl Ingalls: maybe Spillane is a gob-shite but Connelly still deserves a 12 week ban same as the Tipp goalkeeper got for minimal contact.
Connolly is a problem. Management can solve it…week, poor & indecisive management team.
@Quad Quad: Weak and poor management team?? Haha I think the over flowing trophy cabinet says otherwise.
@Ciara Baines: good management isn’t all about silverware. Put any of the so called good managers in charge of the likes of Leitrim or Longford and see how good they turn out to be. Easy to be good managers when some club teams in Dublin have more senior players than whole counties.
That aside what has Dub management done to deal with persistent indiscipline from Connolly.
Tipp hurling manager had a discipline issue with top player and cut him from panel immediately.
Touch an official and it should be a minimum 6 months not three. That should be a season ender for him, he’ll likely be free for the all Ireland final which is a joke.
The GAA are a laughing stock the way they treat their referees. Players have no respect for them and never will till the suspensions get serious.
Pat Spillane and Colm o Rourke were far too enthusiastic last night in trying to make sure Connolly gets a lenthly ban I wonder why? was their selfish reasons involved? Surely not:-):-) But these two pillars of nobility would do well to remember if you prod a bear too often the bear might put better players on the field than Diarmuid Connolly and end up giving you a right hammering.
Saturday evening it looks like Johnny Cooper got Brendan Murphy the Carlow midfielder sent off by mouthing.
Connolly should change codes, players get generally better protection by match officials in Hurling harder to target and wind up quality players
@Ciarán: wow. You clearly know very little about hurling.
@Jumperoo: Played it for 18 years and counting please tell me more about my experience with the game
@Ciarán: played both codes myself, into my 40s. Played inter county in one of them. In my experience, no difference in the amount of ‘protection’ in one over the other. Maybe your experience is different.
Four months of this shite now.
@Colm Buckley: clown