Quotables: Keenan Allen calls out Richard Sherman, Adrian Peterson says he’s ‘not a child abuser’
Also, Vikings GM Rick Spielman defends his team’s decision to reinstate its star running back.
Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports
- Keenan Allen, on Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman
Over the course of the offseason, defensive backs Patrick Peterson and Joe Haden called out Richard Sherman on his "best cornerback in the NFL" claim. It made for plenty of fun on social media, with Sherman comparing his ring count to Peterson's paycheck. Regardless, it was mostly a non-topic when the regular season rolled around. Now instead of another corner taking on the boisterous Sherman, it's wide receiver Keenan Allen:
“He’s just a normal guy,” Allen said of Sherman. “We can go at him. We took some shots at him. We are not going to shy away from him. He’s not really a shutdown corner. We definitely wanted to come out and show we could go any way we wanted to and that we were in control of the game.”
Allen's comments come as the result of his San Diego Chargers upsetting the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday by the score of 30-21. While his stat line from the game -- five catches for 55 yards -- won't jump off the page, it's a stark departure from the goose egg the Green Bay Packers receivers produced against Sherman the week before. Still, Sherman's response through his Twitter account is understandable considering how high the bar is for judging the defending champion.
“I am not a child abuser.”
- Adrian Peterson, on the charges against him in Texas for child abuse
One of the marquee matchups of the NFL's Week 2 schedule was to be the Patriots trip to Minnesota to take on the suddenly resurgent Vikings. However, just days before the game, news surfaced that star running back Adrian Peterson had been indicted by a grand jury in Texas on charges of child abuse. In the days since, we've learned that the alleged victim is Peterson's own 4-year old son whom he beat with "a switch." The Vikings made the swift move to deactivate Peterson for their Week 2 game to avoid the PR nightmare that faced the Baltimore Ravens, Carolina Panthers and San Francisco 49ers with Ray Rice, Greg Hardy and Ray McDonald respectively. Now that Peterson has returned to Minnesota, he has released a statement acknowledging mistakes but denying that he is guilty of child abuse:
“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. I accept the fact that people feel very strongly about this issue and what they think about my conduct. 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 has been reinstated by the Vikings and will suit up for the team's Week 3 tilt against the 0-2 New Orleans Saints. Given the attention paid to his charges, there will likely be more developments between now and when that game is played.
“We feel strongly as an organization that this is disciplining a child.”
- Rick Spielman, on his team’s decision to reactivate Adrian Peterson amid charges for child abuse
Naturally, when a professional athlete falls into the quagmire of criminal charges for abuse of a minor, there is little his employer can do beyond figuring out how to put out the closest fire. That's exactly what Rick Spielman and the Vikings did this past week with Adrian Peterson's aforementioned issues related to his treatment of his 4-year old son. While some expected Peterson to remain sidelined while the legal process played out, the Vikings instead decided to bring him back after a one-week absence. Spielman outlined the team's thought process in a press conference Monday:
“Adrian will be active for this weekend’s game. This is a difficult path to navigate regarding the judgment of how a parent disciplines his child ... we must defer to the legal system to determine whether he went too far. But we cannot make that judgment.”
As Keith Olbermann pointed out in his video response to the news that Peterson would be reactivated, the move represents a change of policy for the Vikings. In 2011, when cornerback Chris Cook was arrested for allegedly strangling his girlfriend, Minnesota suspended him indefinitely without pay. When the courts acquitted Cook of the charges, the Vikings reinstated him. Here, the team has decided to gamble and allow Peterson to play while his legal situation hangs in the balance. If the running back is found guilty in Texas, it could have long-term implications for the Vikings and the executives responsible for the decision.
See More:
