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Vikings fans, myself included, are blindsided. Impressive football statistics aside, this is the same Adrian Peterson who helps selflessly set up and tore down equipment before and after practice, produces countless charities, humbly attributed his miraculous recovery and comeback year (2012) to God and Twittered from the book of Romans. He was the face of the franchise with his athletic ability, impressive stats, and moral and charitable character. So yeah, this is a big deal.
Here are a couple of striking paragraphs from a popular Vikings fan blogger, reacting to the allegations against Adrian Peterson:
Look, I quit being the moral arbiter of what players do sometime after the Love Boat fiasco in 2005. I came to the conclusion that if a team can put up with the irresponsible actions of their players, I can cheer for them for three hours on Sunday, and not give them a second thought the other six days and 21 hours. Still, I've been a fan of this team for over 40 years, and this is the most dumbfounded I've ever been.
Think about that for a second. For ALL the gross buffoonery we've had to deal with, and that's really saying something for this franchise, this one makes me the sickest of all of them and really makes me question why I cheer for this team.
The unfortunate thing is, of course, that it's not just the Vikings. There's Ray Rice, Ben Roethlisberger, Michael Vick and the Saints' "Bountygate," just to name a few, that all seem to show the "moral vacancy" of the NFL. Add that to the plethora of permanent damage to mind and body that we see in retired players, and the Washington Post is asking NFL fans to quit.
I like football. I really do. I was never really a player, but the pep/marching band trombonist in high school. Football is one of the things I like about the fall, when you can enjoy the crisp air and colorful leaves and celebrate regional community and pride. As a sport, in my opinion, football stands out to fans as a game of fascinating strategy with the right level of watchable intensity.
But has the gold mine (or Steinbeck's pearl) of college and professional football reduced it to a game of barbarism and permanent injury? It certainly seems that way, and that's why I'm seriously questioning my fan-hood.
Thoughts?
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