AP suspended for the rest of 2014....minimum

[breeze]

I have zero shares of AP. Honestly I don't want him to play since a top competitor of mine has him. What he did was wrong. But this "make up rules as you go that has no rhyme, reason or consistency" crap that Goodell is pulling is just beyond ridiculous. How does that guy still have a job?

[evorzan]

Hammer drops, fun times.

He has a job because he's making the owner's lots of money and they're the only ones who can hold him accountable for his job.

[snitchinsider]

Maybe I'm missing something here, but how is this not an appropriate suspension? The team decided to part ways from him temporarily and put him on the NFL's exempt list with pay. That's not an NFL suspension. That's a team/player decision. As soon as the court issues were cleared up, he was promptly suspended by the NFL. Why is anyone complaining?

I never understood why any of the reports were talking up how it could go any other way. Why would he not be suspended?

[breeze]

Maybe I'm missing something here, but how is this not an appropriate suspension? The team decided to part ways from him temporarily and put him on the NFL's exempt list. That's not an NFL suspension. That's a team decision. As soon as the court issues were cleared up, he was promptly suspended by the NFL. Why is anyone complaining?

I never understood why any of the reports were talking up how it could go any other way. Why would he not be suspended?

Because Goodell doesn't even follow his own rules. After the first Ray Rice video came out he made a domestic assault policy that was 6 games for 1st offense and banishment for 2nd offense. Then the 2nd video comes out and he suspends Rice indefinitely. He is also requiring that AP takes counseling before he is reinstated.

Do I support either of these players? No. But the fact that Goodell does whatever he wants, whenever he wants is absolute bullshit. And even when he makes rules he can't even follow them.

[snitchinsider]

Maybe I'm missing something here, but how is this not an appropriate suspension? The team decided to part ways from him temporarily and put him on the NFL's exempt list. That's not an NFL suspension. That's a team decision. As soon as the court issues were cleared up, he was promptly suspended by the NFL. Why is anyone complaining?

I never understood why any of the reports were talking up how it could go any other way. Why would he not be suspended?

Because Goodell doesn't even follow his own rules. After the first Ray Rice video came out he made a domestic assault policy that was 6 games for 1st offense and banishment for 2nd offense. Then the 2nd video comes out and he suspends Rice indefinitely. He is also requiring that AP takes counseling before he is reinstated.

Do I support either of these players? No. But the fact that Goodell does whatever he wants, whenever he wants is absolute bullshit. And even when he makes rules he can't even follow them.

How is AP getting suspended an example of Goodell not following his own rules? It sounds like he is following his own rules. Not suspending AP would be doing the opposite of what they just put in place for abuse cases. The only way to be consistent here is to suspend Peterson. Frankly, once again I ask, why wouldn't he be suspended? Like what is everyone's logic for it?

[breeze]

He didn't enforce a 6 game suspension to either Rice or AP. He just made both suspensions indefinite. That's not following the policy that Goodell literally passed a few months ago. He just does whatever he wants whenever he wants.

[Telperion]

Disclaimer #1: I think the severity and extent of the injuries to his son fully warranted the legal proceedings and outcome.

That said, since when does the CBA say that meaningful remorse is a condition of reinstatement? Also, Goodell seems to be trying to tackle the broader topic of corporal punishment which is a societal topic, not something for the Commissioner of the NFL to rule on.

This and his whole statement feels more like a Goodell "kiss my shoes" power trip than a professional discipline.

Edit #2: This is a highly nuanced topic, so please don't read into what I'm saying; "don't hear what I'm not saying", as the phrase goes.

[ajb3313]

It's a shame that most of the outrage is directed at Goodell for his handling of the situation rather than the actual offenders. And I do not mean that in any way as a defense of Goodell.

[REPTAR]

He didn't enforce a 6 game suspension to either Rice or AP. He just made both suspensions indefinite. That's not following the policy that Goodell literally passed a few months ago. He just does whatever he wants whenever he wants.

While I don't necessarily disagree that Goodell is doing as he pleases, 1) He is enforcing the suspension against AP. He's doing it right now, the exempt list wasn't a suspension. It could very well be 6 games and then AP is back (effectively next year). It could also be LONGER, like Ray Rice, because... 2) The 6 games is a starting point. It is not a set-in-stone 6 games. According to the policy, a 6 game suspension is given for the offense... "with consideration given to mitigating factors, as well as a longer suspension when circumstances warrant. Among the circumstances that would merit a more severe penalty would be a prior incident before joining the NFL, or violence involving a weapon, choking, repeated striking, or when the act is committed against a pregnant woman or in the presence of a child." I would think child abuse and beating your son would warrant consideration for a longer punishment.

So I don't have a problem with it from a human perspective.

[REPTAR]

Same could be said for Ray Rice. That video was pretty brutal, all closed-fist slugging her in the face and whatnot.

[steelman]

It's a shame that most of the outrage is directed at Goodell for his handling of the situation rather than the actual offenders. And I do not mean that in any way as a defense of Goodell.

This.

99% of us on this site would be immediately fired if we did what Rice or AP did and the media got wind of it. The fact that some think Goodell shouldn't be able to protect the NFL's image by banishing these two clowns is ridiculous. The NFL has an image to protect, and AP and Rice hurt that image. If any of you ever publicly tarnish the image of your company, you'll be immediately fired. An NFL player should be no different

[thebeast]

I'm actually shocked that the Vikings would even consider taking him back. I was pretty confident his career was over, it'll be interesting to see what happens in the off season.

I just don't get it - the reaction of many to the Rice video was 'what did they think Rice knocking his fiancee unconscious would look like'. Yet no one stops to ask what would a video of AP beating, spanking, whatever you want to call it, his son to the point cuts were inflicted look like? I can guarantee you it would be more disturbing to many than the Rice video.

[Telperion]

If we're using the logic of "things that would get you fired in the private sector", half the NFL wouldn't still be playing.

Again, this is too nuanced a situation to reduce like that. If your line of reasoning breaks down when taken to it's logical conclusion, then it's a fundamentally flawed premise.

[breeze]

I'm all up for throwing the hammer down on these guys. My point is don't make a policy you have no intention of following it. Goodell is just making things up as he goes. Too much power for one man.

[WashingtonFever]

Won't miss him or anyone else that breaks the law that includes harming an animal or human (among other crimes that I won't go into listing). I don't care if everyone on my "fantasy" teams gets suspended and booted out of the league. I want my children and our society to look up to these players because even though they should be looking up to us parents and family, which they do, they don't go to school and talk about Dad making an awesome supper last night. They talk about how awesome so and so is in a professional sport. I want that person that they are talking about to be a role model for the community and to his own family. It's ultimately my job to teach my children, but it makes things much easier when you don't have to explain why so and so can do something when they shouldn't. Goodell is showing that there are consequences and frankly those consequences in the rulebook are not harsh enough. Kuddos to him for being the bigger man and not allowing such garbage into their business.

I can only hope that the next child that is misbehaving with an NFL player or employee doesn't get beat up because the parent realizes that A) it is completely wrong and B) his job could also be affected by it to where he may not ever have a job again. If Peterson and Rice are the posters for this, so be it. They shouldn't have done it in the first place.