The Vikings announced around 2:00am ET this morning that they have placed RB Adrian Peterson on the "exempt/commissioner’s permission list, which will keep him away from the team while the legal process involving his child abuse case plays out," according to Matt Vensel of the Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE. The decision was "rendered after a flurry of statements ... from sponsors of Peterson, the Vikings and the NFL expressing disappointment that the Vikings had reinstated the running back Monday morning." Vikings co-Owners Zygi and Mark Wilf in a statement said the move "will require that Adrian remain away from all team activities while allowing him to take care of his personal situation until the legal proceedings are resolved. After giving the situation additional thought, we have decided this is the appropriate course of action for the organization and for Adrian" (STARTRIBUNE.com, 9/17). The AP's Jon Krawczynski notes Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton, who "spearheaded an effort" to secure $477M in public money for the Vikings' new stadium, and U.S. Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) were "among the many who called for the Vikings to reconsider their position" of reinstating Peterson (AP, 9/17). NFL Network's Jeff Darlington reported it is "very clear the change did come as a result of public pressure, given what ownership said just two days ago about this situation to let due process play out." It was an "outcry from within this community" that started with Dayton "calling it an ‘awful situation and a public embarrassment.’" Also, Radisson on Monday suspended its sponsorship of the team, while some local Nike stores began "pulling all of Peterson’s apparel from their store floors." Darlington: "We are talking about a situation that really took on heavy steam yesterday" (“NFL AM,” NFL Network, 9/17).
"WE MADE A MISTAKE": Vikings co-Owner Zygi Wilf today issued a brief public statement on the Peterson issue and said, "We have decided that the appropriate course of action for the organization and for Adrian is to put him on the exempt list until the legal proceedings are complete. We made a mistake and we needed to get this right. We embrace our role in the community and the responsibilities that go with it. It is important to always listen to our fans, the community and our sponsors." He added, "To be clear, we have a strong stance regarding the protection and welfare of children and we want to be sure we get this right." Wilf did not take any questions, though team co-Owner Mark Wilf, GM Rick Spielman and Exec VP/Legal Affairs and Chief Administration Officer Kevin Warren did. Mark Wilf said the reaction of sponsors "absolutely" had nothing to do with their decision to suspend Peterson. Mark Wilf: "We value our partners, our sponsors, the community and especially our fans, and in the end it really is about getting it right and that's what we wanted to do here. We made a mistake, and the main thing is we're getting it right and that's how we came to this decision." He added, "We appreciate our fans, men and women alike, and our sponsors and the community, and we hear their input. But in the end we as ownership, we as a franchise had to make sure that our reputation and the team was moving in the right direction. We felt in the end that this was the right decision, so we made a mistake and we are doing the right thing" (ESPN, 9/17). SI's Richard Deitsch wrote, "Wilf Bros sticking to same talking points, zero specifics. This ain't leadership IMO." The Toronto Star's Bruce Arthur: "Some great questions being asked by reporters in Minnesota. Credit to them" (TWITTER.com, 9/17).
WORKING LOCKSTEP WITH THE LEAGUE: NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported the NFL was "heavily involved in this situation." When the Vikings found out last Friday about the impending charges against Peterson the team "contacted the league (and) worked very closely with them as the league reviewed Adrian Peterson under their personal conduct policy." Rapoport: "Every step along the way, the league has been involved, informed and advised about this situation" ("NFL AM," NFL Network, 9/17). The AP's Krawczynski reports the Vikings have had "deliberations with the NFL over the previous two days and informed the league they were revisiting the situation." Vikings execs were at the team's Winter Park HQ "late into the night on Tuesday, discussing how to respond to the avalanche of criticism" (AP, 9/17).
BOWING TO PUBLIC PRESSURE: Krawczynski said the "public pressure was just too great" for the Vikings to ignore. He said, "As soon as you see companies like Nike, Papa John's, Radisson Hotels all kind of either severing ties or at least thinking about it -- those are big names, big money to be throwing around. A lot of times the money talks here" ("Mike & Mike," ESPN Radio, 9/17). FS1’s Mike Garafolo prior to the announcement said, “The Radisson Hotel sponsorship is local revenue and the team gets a higher percentage of that than for other sponsors. That's really big for the team. They could maybe feel the pressure of that sponsorship and take him off the field” (“America’s Pregame,” FS1, 9/16). ESPN's Adam Schefter notes there was "all kinds of political and financial pressure" on the Vikings to act. Schefter: "At least, as they are trying to please their sponsors and secure naming rights to their new stadium, they have addressed the situation” (“SportsCenter,” ESPN, 9/17). NFL Network's Judy Battista notes it is "hard to imagine that (Peterson) gets on the field at any point this season because of the legal process." She said of the impact of the Vikings' decision, “It became clear that the ground is shifting very rapidly beneath the NFL and the teams right now. They are trying to adjust to a new landscape and feel their way" ("NFL AM," NFL Network, 9/17).
IS IT TOO LATE OR TOO EARLY? The AP's Krawczynski noted the announcement from the Vikings about Peterson came out at such an odd hour because the team "wanted to get the news out as soon as the decision was made so it came right from them, so there were no sources involved." Krawczynski: "They wanted to be out front as they possibly could be in this position, and so that's why they put it out at this late hour because that's when the decision ultimately finally did come down” (“Mike & Mike,” ESPN Radio, 9/17). Mark Wilf said, "There were a lot of people discussing this, working through it, and ... a lot of interested parties in this. So we felt once we got it right to get it out when we got it right, and that's when we got it right" (ESPN, 9/17).
