Vikings promote Family Day with photo of Adrian Peterson and son

Adrian Peterson is back in a Minnesota Vikings uniform and getting paid $13 million guaranteed this year. All appears right in Peterson's world after he was forced to sit out all but one game during the 2014 season by the NFL for the child abuse charge he faced in Texas for beating his young son with a switch.

Over the weekend, the Vikings celebrated Family Day and photographers captured the star running back having a nicer moment with his adorable boy.

And on Monday, the Vikings promoted the occasion by tweeting a picture of father and son sharing a loving kiss.

Welp pic.twitter.com/K5dhk0932K

— Dan Carson (@DrCarson73) August 3, 2015

Promoting Family Day on social media is a good thing, but one has to wonder if the Vikings exploited the young boy in doing so?

Hope Solo still playing despite domestic violence charges

In case you haven't noticed over the past few weeks, the NFL and its commissioner Roger Goodell have come under fire for their lax punishment of no less than five players being charged with various domestic violence and child abuse incidents.

While the media seems to find numerous angles in crucifying Goodell and team owners over their less than sparkling record for disciplining these players, these same crusading, self-righteous reporters seem to have ignored one domestic violence case where the charged person is still playing and have even celebrated the person charged with the offense.

Hope Solo.

While fans burn their Ray Rice jerseys and media-types rake the NFL over the coals, where are the do-gooders' outrage at Solo continuing to play while Adrian Peterson, who has been accused of child abuse, is suspended (rightfully so) from playing for the Minnesota Vikings.

The 33-year-old Solo, one of the biggest and most marketable stars in women’s sports, is accused of the same criminal charges as the NFL players, but continues to play for her pro team as she waits for the national team trials in November.  Solo was even cheered for extending her shutout record to 73 games as the U.S. women’s national team beat Mexico 4-0 in a friendly Thursday night in Rochester, N.Y.

Would Peterson get this type of reaction for gaining 200 yards?

As Cindy Boren of The Washington Post wrote:

Unlike some of the biggest NFL stars, Solo, who is their counterpart in women’s soccer and someone touted as a role model, quietly goes about her business of keeping soccer balls from going into the net. NFL stars like Ray Rice, Greg Hardy, Jonathan Dwyer and Adrian Peterson were banished after massive sponsor, political and fan pressure, but Nike, for instance, has remained silent on Solo.

At least some social media has noticed the double standard:

If we're going to criticize #NFL teams for their handling of domestic violence, how do we feel about #USWMNT letting Hope Solo play?
— Robert Flores (@RoFloESPN) September 18, 2014

Hope Solo is playing in a US soccer game tonight despite 2 domestic assault charges. No outrage here though, right? pic.twitter.com/edJNBeFWcH
— Phillip Mena (@phillipmenaKPRC) September 18, 2014

Comparing hulking NFL player Rice punching and knocking out his fiancee to a female soccer player accused of assaulting her half-sister and 17-year-old nephew is arguable — but it is still domestic violence. And if this behavior shouldn't happen in the NFL, it shouldn’t happen in women’s sports, either.

Solo's team, the Reign, rationalized their decision to keep her on the field by saying they were still collecting evidence on the case. The U.S. Soccer national team is apparently following suit.

If she wasn't one of the most high-profile players, in a low-profile league, Solo probably wouldn't be playing.

Solo has apologized on Facebook for what she characterized as “a highly unfortunate incident.”

But, if abuse is abuse, then fair is fair.

Radisson pulls Vikings sponsorship deal in wake of Adrian Peterson charges: Report

The fallout from the Adrian Peterson arrest is beginning to hit the Minnesota Vikings where it hurts most — and it's not on the playing field.

Radisson pulled out of its corporate sponsorship deal with the Minnesota Vikings on Monday, as a second child abuse accusation against the team’s running back was made public.

The huge hotel chain announced it was “suspending its limited sponsorship of the Minnesota Vikings while we evaluate the facts and circumstances,” in a statement by the company — whose logo prominently appeared behind general manager Rick Spielman and coach Mike Zimmer as they spoke about Peterson's case earlier.

Other sponsors, according to the Vikings website, include New Era hats and GTM Sportswear. No word on if they will jump ship as well.

Adrian Peterson smiles in mugshot after being charged in abuse of 4-year-old son (PHOTO)

In a photo that's sure to be floating around the Internet forever and come back to haunt him, NFL star Adrian Peterson appears to be smiling in his mugshot after being charged with severely abusing his 4-year-old son.

The Minnesota Vikings running back was arrested for allegedly beating the young boy on the back, buttocks, legs and scrotum with a "switch" back in May, according to KHOU.

The disturbing details are heartbreaking and come out the same week as the video of Ray Rice punching his future wife was released.

Peterson reportedly beat the child repeatedly and later texted the boy’s mother, said law enforcement officials.

You will be “mad at me about his leg,” he texted, adding that he “felt bad after the fact.”

Peterson turned himself in to Montgomery County Sheriff's Office Saturday at around 1:06 a.m. CT, KRPC reported. He was let in through a side entrance after landing in Houston.

Peterson was released at 1:35 a.m. after posting the $15,000 bond, ESPN reported.

The running back was indicted Friday for reckless or negligent injury to a child in Montgomery County, Tex. He lives in The Woodlands, a suburb north of Houston.

The Minnesota Vikings didn't waste any time deactivating Peterson for Sunday’s home game against the Patriots.

Adrian Peterson didn't realize how close he was to breaking record

It might have been the excitement of making the playoffs after a must-win game but  — after falling just nine yards shy of Eric Dickerson's single season rushing record of 2,105 yards — Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson seemed genuinely flabbergasted that he had come so close to breaking the 28-year-old record.

While being interviewed post-game by Fox's Pam Oliver — after the Vikings' 37-34 win over the Packers — she commented to Peterson about the near record, "You played you heart out.  Nine yards ... nine yards.  Boy, that's got to hurt."

The jubilant Peterson looked at the reporter. "Nine yards, what?" he said incredulously.  "Nine yards what ... from breaking it?"

If A.P. was showing some false modesty, he was good.  If he was resentful at not getting another shot at running for the extra nine yards — he was not as convincing.

The Vikings MVP candidate finished the game with 199 yards with a touchdown and racked up 2,097 yards for the season.  He joined the exclusive club of 2,000 with a run of 20-yards that pushed his tally to 2,009 yards but it was his 26-yard scamper late in the fourth quarter that set up Blair Walsh's game-winning field goal and sent his team to the playoffs for the first time in three years.

More amazing is the fact that Peterson joins Dickerson, O.J. Simpson, Terrell Davis, Barry Sanders, Jamal Lewis and Chris Johnson in the 2K club after having reconstructive knee surgery only about a year ago.

Peterson has shown he has that rare combination of speed and power, but his reaction at coming so close to breaking a treasured Hall-of-Famer's NFL record shows he has humility and a team-first attitude to boot.

Fake Adrian Peterson stars in fantasy draft 'Call Me Maybe' video parody

As if the world needed another parody of Carly Rae Jepson's "Call Me, Maybe," here comes another video version of the pop tune titled "Draft Me, Maybe."  This version of Canada's most annoying musical export since that Celine Dion "Titanic" song centers on what is hopefully the last area of sports that can be parodied — the NFL Fantasy Draft and where Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson should be picked.

The theme of the 3-minute video is focused around where the star NFL running back and top fantasy league prospect should be drafted after coming off major knee surgery and limited action in the preseason.

A chubby Peterson imitator, wearing the running back's Vikings jersey, sings his praises while running through a mall and outside the Metrodome to prove his knee is fine.  Sample verse:

"Well I have the 10th pick
Last year I took Michael Vick
All the backs left are ick
And I can't win, no way."

There's even a "Tim Tebow" cameo.  A buzz-cutted dude, wearing a #15 jersey, makes a bad throw to the Peterson impersonator.  Yup, that's Tebow.



It's all in good fun, if you can withstand some bad vocals and an peppy chorus like:

"My knee is better
And this is crazy
And draft me, maybe
I know it's risky
And kind scaaaary
But I am ready
So draft me maybe."

If this doesn't get you stoked for your fantasy league draft, nothing will.  But what's next — couch potatoes watching a game while singing "Brew Me, Maybe?"