Eyes on The Prize- AP Sets Sight on Rushing Record

Scandal or talent? Let those two words resonate with you and decide which one has a more profound mental, emotional, and moral effect.

This is the situation many NFL owners and GMs were in when considering Adrian Peterson as an option for the 2015 season after his reinstatement. Yes, he may have a less than “clean” record, but those statistics are off the charts.

So is the right choice to be morally correct or is the right choice to do what you need to do to get the most wins? While it’s controversial, I agree with the Vikings choice to let Adrian Peterson back on their team.

For those of you who don’t know, Adrian Peterson was indicted for reckless or negligent injury of a child for spanking his son with a switch (similar to a stick from a plant or tree). Being from the South, I grew up with physical parent-child punishment being somewhat societally accepted. Let’s just say eyebrows wouldn’t raise if you overheard a pissed off mother say she wasn’t afraid to bend her kid over her knee for a spanking. I, myself, have had a few handprints/welts left on my ass and not in the S&M 50 Shades of Grey kind of way. And yes, I deserved them.

Also, so cliche, but everyone deserves a second chance. Even, and especially, all-star running back AP. The NFL Player’s Association (NFLPA) try to use people in the public eye as examples of what not to do, and Peterson drew the short straw in this circumstance. Now, while I’m in no way an advocate for violence, I think that AP paid the price and should be allowed to return to the game.

I mean if Ray Rice is allowed to return after a two-game suspension after dragging his unconscious girlfriend by her hair out of an elevator after slapping her so hard her caked on makeup probably flew right off her face, why did Peterson get hit with almost a full season? And for those sports “fans” that try to get involved in this debate without having any analytic knowledge besides what they accidentally heard on SportsCenter while waiting for The Bachelorette to start, shut up.

Punishment in the NFL can be so contradictory and bias. Think of the Tom Brady and deflategate. Overall, it’s an unfair system that needs to be neutralized and corrected. But all in all, growing up as an AP fan, I’m glad to see him back in the purple and yellow! Now let’s talk about what he’s going to do for the Vikings this season.

In his 2012 season with the Vikings, he had a total of 2,097 rushing yards, which is 252 more than the leading rusher, DeMarco Murray, had in the 2014 season. Controversial or not, you can’t argue that the 6’1 running back from Texas has talent and lightning bolts for legs. He could be exactly what they doctor ordered after the Vikes struggling, pretty brutally I might add, offensively last season.

On top of that, Peterson has the opportunity to break Emmet Smith’s all-time rushing record of 18,355 yards. He is at 10,190 yards but believes he has seven or eight more seasons left in him according to NFL.com. SEVEN or EIGHT more seasons?! Damn. AP also said he thinks he has the opportunity to break Eric Dickerson’s single game rushing record of 2,105 yards every year. Keep in mind Peterson almost broke this record during 2012 AFTER he tore his ACL.

Although Minnesota’s season prognosis is looking pretty promising, Adrian Peterson still has to fight the uphill battle of getting himself back into prime condition after being out of the game for so long. But hey, let’s be real. We have no doubt  that there is nothing a fine athletic specimen such as AP and a good attitude can’t do! So while the Vikes may have had it pretty rough last season, I’d say their dark days are over. AP, time to shine some light and steal some yards, baby!

Oh and heads up to this new information: Adrian Peterson’s wife told ESPN that she is pregnant with her and AP’s 2nd child (AP’s eighth child). Wonder if it’s going to be another star running back in the making?

– Adrienne

A-Rod: Breaking Records but Not Bank?

When people think of Alex Rodriguez, some words that might come to mind include (but not limited to): liar, cheater, chump, choke artist and some other words that are certainly not appropriate. In short, they see baseball’s biggest monster, who happens to play for baseball’s Evil Empire. Long gone are the days that we looked at A-Rod as the young prospect from Miami ready to break some serious records in the big leagues. However, if any attention has been paid to the Yankees since the return of Mr. Rodriguez, he is doing exactly that: breaking records.

Since Rodriguez has returned to the league after a long investigation and a year suspension, he has been a non-stop train to a successful year in baseball. According to Baseball Reference, his OPB since becoming DH is one of the best in the league standing at .358 with 137 at bats and a batting an average of .255. Facing the Yankees’ biggest and oldest rival, the Boston Red Sox in Fenway, Rodriguez hit the 661^st home run of his career, moving him ahead of Hall of Famer, Willie Mays. Now with A-Rod on his next quest to surpass another Yankee legend, Lou Gehrig, in RBI numbers (1,993), people must begin to think, how much bank is Rodriguez making right now due to his record breaking performance of a year so far, and the answer is none really.

In 2007, Rodriguez signed a 10-year, $275 million contract that contained a marketing agreement. The agreement is separate from his player contract stating that the Yankees had the right to designate a “milestone” valued at $6 million for each occurrence. Unfortunately for the 39 year old, he has reaped none of his rewards. According to MLB.com, New York Yankees general manager, Brian Cashman, has made it very clear that the Yankees do not plan on paying Rodriguez for his “milestones” due to their obligation not to. The organization has been reluctant to pay A-Rod due to their inability to truly profit off his “milestone” achievements. Cashman said in a presser with the MLB back in early May, “We have the right but not the obligation, in quotes, and it’s as simple as that…if we choose to pursue something, we’ll choose to pursue it. If we choose not to, it’s our right not to. In both cases, we’re honoring the contract.”

The truth is, everyone seems to be loving A-Rod all over again. The #FORG1V3 t-shirts have been selling like churros at DisneyLand and fans can be seen wearing them throughout Yankee Stadium. It sounds like Rodriguez is regaining his reputation and should probably take a key from Rihanna and ask for what’s owed to him.

– Nicolette