Most of us are aware of the fact that two NFL players, the Baltimore Ravens\’ ray rice and the Minnesota Vikings\’ adrian peterson, are in trouble this year.
rice was caught on camera clocking his then-girlfriend (now wife – which, under the circumstances, is pretty pathetic) and knocking her unconscious in an Atlantic City casino elevator, then dragging her prostrate body out into the hallway.
peterson was charged with child abuse for beating his four year old son bloody with a switch to the point that he had to be rushed to a hospital.
But now, in what amounts to a pretty courageous article (at least some Minnesota Viking fans are going to hate its timing) we find out that the rest of peterson\’s off-the-field behavior makes ray rice look like a choir boy (unless we learn more about ray rice, that is).
Here, from Mike Kaszuba, Rochelle Olson and Paul McEnroe\’s article, are a few “highlights”:
Records examined by the Star Tribune show that Peterson, who was married earlier this year, has fathered at least six children out of wedlock. Two of them, a boy and a girl, were born to different mothers a month apart in May and June 2010, according to birth records.
Peterson also has had several scrapes with the law in Minnesota and Texas, two involving nighttime carousing. In 2011 he was the subject of a six-month police investigation of alleged criminal sexual misconduct during a night of partying at a Twin Cities hotel; no charges were ever filed. And while Peterson is well-known for his generosity to local charities, his own charitable foundation has filed contradictory financial records.
Yet any contradictions between Peterson\’s public image and private life didn’t seem to matter – until the photos of bloody welts on his 4-year-old son surfaced last month, and the public began to ask how well they actually knew the genial young athlete.
Peterson\’s indictment has also thrown a spotlight on his charity, Adrian Peterson\’s All Day Foundation, which focuses on at-risk children, particularly girls. The charity shut down its website following the September indictment.
The charity\’s 2011 financial report showed $247,064 in total revenue, and listed just three organizations that received money. A fourth outlay, entitled simply “clothing for needy families,” listed “unknown” for the number of recipients.
And why should we not wonder how many more ray rice and Adrian peterson types there are in the NFL…..and other sports?
The bottom line? Maybe it\’s time for us – especially our children – to look elsewhere for heroes.
Not every sports figure is Derek Jeter.
