The NFL has seen its usual cavalcade of off-field incidents during the slow period between minicamps and training camps, leading some to wonder anew if there should really be a five-week summer vacation for a large group of people with unlimited resources and varying levels of maturity. However, one arrest that took everybody by surprise was that of Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson, who was arrested on Saturday morning on a Houston nightclub for resisting arrest. He was released on $1,000 bond a few hours later.
The facts of the case are still incomplete, but it's pretty clear that as Houston police were clearing out a nighclub early Saturday morning, Peterson wanted to get a drink of water before leaving the club. The off-duty officer on the scene disagreed (he was working security), a physical incident of some sort ensued, and Peterson was taken into custody. We want to wait before all the facts are out before rushing to judgment on either side, and that's especially true when we're talking about a player who's never been involved in anything like this before.
Aside from a few traffic stops in his career (including one for failing to wear his seat belt!), Peterson is about as squeaky-clean as any high-profile athlete can be. He is universally acknowledged as a team leader, and many players cite his impressive recovery from injuries to be an inspiration.
"He's one of our biggest leaders," Vikings second-year quarterback Christian Ponder told the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. "Adrian is a great guy. Maybe it was one bad decision he made. Who knows? He won't be a distraction at all."
Additionally, there are those who speculate that Houston engages in some level of profiling in certain cases. We are not accusing the Houston Police Department of doing so, but it's important to get all sides out there so that people can come to their own conclusions.
