The Minnesota Vikings are laughably and pathetically exemplifying both schizophrenia and sheer cowardice. After deactivating superstar running back Adrian Peterson last Friday, prior to the game against the New England Patriots, and then getting destroyed at home on Sunday, the Vikings came back on Monday and said they are bringing Peterson back on.
However, just a day later, the vacuum of leadership for the Vikings released a team statement at 1 in the morning saying they are again deactivating Peterson and suspending him from all team activities for the foreseeable future. Not coincidentally, the Vikings radically changed their minds about bringing Peterson back after Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton and Minnesota Sen. Al Franken blasted the Vikings and major sponsors such as Radisson Hotel pulled their advertising from the team.
Here is a statement from the black hole of leadership within the Vikings ownership:
“In conversations with the NFL over the last two days, the Vikings advised the League of the team’s decision to revisit the situation regarding Adrian Peterson. In response, the League informed the team of the option to place Adrian on the Exempt/Commissioner’s Permission list, which 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.
“We are always focused on trying to make the right decision as an organization. We embrace our role – and the responsibilities that go with it – as a leader in the community, as a business partner and as an organization that can build bridges with our fans and positively impact this great region. We appreciate and value the input we have received from our fans, our partners and the community.
“While we were trying to make a balanced decision yesterday, after further reflection we have concluded that this resolution is best for the Vikings and for Adrian. We want 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. At the same time we want to express our support for Adrian and acknowledge his seven-plus years of outstanding commitment to this organization and this community. Adrian emphasized his desire to avoid further distraction to his teammates and coaches while focusing on his current situation; this resolution accomplishes these objectives as well.
“We will support Adrian during this legal and personal process, but we firmly believe and realize this is the right decision. We hope that all of our fans can respect the process that we have gone through to reach this final decision.”
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