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Title: Vikings' Adrian Peterson compares NFL to 'modern-day slavery'
Source:
TwinCities
URL Source: http://www.twincities.com/ci_17619356?nclick_check=1
Published: Mar 15, 2011
Author: Jeremy Fowler
Post Date: 2011-03-15 20:43:13 by Happy Quanzaa
Keywords: None
Views: 19461
Comments: 34
Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson compared NFL owners' treatment of players to "modern-day slavery," according to an online interview published today by Yahoo! Sports. Yahoo's Doug Farrar, who conducted the interview Friday with Peterson, removed that comment from the story later today, explaining on Twitter that he wants to give Peterson the chance to provide context. Peterson, who is known to be thoughtful when speaking with the local media in Minnesota, is in Africa with other NFL players on a goodwill trip and unavailable for immediate comment. The owners and players couldn't agree on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement last week after more than two weeks of federal mediation. Shortly before the players union decertified, Peterson spoke to Yahoo to promote a recent appearance on the online reality show "Double Take." The NFL declared a lockout when the CBA expired at 11 p.m. CST. "The players are getting robbed. They are," Peterson told Yahoo. "The owners are making so much money off of us to begin with. I don't know that I want to quote myself on that." When discussing other players feeling the same way, Peterson said: "It's modern-day slavery, you know? People kind of laugh at that, but there are people working at regular jobs who get treated the same way, too. With all the money. ... The owners are trying to get a different percentage, and bring in more money. I understand that; these are business-minded people. Of course this is what they are going to want to do. I understand that; it's how they got to where they are now. But as players, we have to stand our ground and say, 'Hey — without us, there's no football.' " Peterson is set to make $10.72 million in base salary in 2011. Green Bay Packers running back Ryan Grant took exception to Peterson's comment, writing on Twitter: "Their is unfortunately actually still slavery existing in our world. Literal modern day slavery. That was a very misinformed statement." Added Grant: "But I understand what point he was trying to make. I just feel like he should have been advised a little differently."
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Begin Trace Mode for Comment # 15.
#1. To: Happy Quanzaa (#0)
Something tells me this goober doesn't understand the reality of slavery.
Pro athletes aside, I do feel college athletes of major money making sports like basketball and football are treated like slaves or indentured servants by the colleges. If you factor in the compensation of room and board and a free education they are still way under paid while college sports system rakes in billions in profits. Also, they can't be paid for endorsements or get any gifts but some college coaches get paid million dollar salaries and have no such restrictions.
Oh yes, a more oppressed bunch of people you won't find than college athletes. Just watch the NCAA hoops tourney and you'll see abuse like you've never seen before. I'll bet the coaches even whip the players at halftime in the locker room. It's just terrible, people that think slavery ended in 1865 have never attended a college sporting event. I wish I'd been as oppressed and abused as the scholarship starters when I was in college.
Or even attended a college and watched these guys ride around in high dollar cars with blondes while rarely even bothering to attend classes,and some even have others take the tests for them. Remember the lawsuits a decade or so ago that were placed against colleges like UCLA because they were graduating basketball players and giving them 4 year degrees that couldn't even read well enough to read a menu? its best to even skip college and go right from highschool to pro, IMHO but the pro leagues resist that also - The resist it because playing high school ball is easy. It gets a little tougher when you start playing college sports because all the players are bigger,stronger,and quicker. Face it,it's one thing to be a stand out center or running back from a high school with 300 students,and it's another thing altogether to be a stand out center or running back from a top ten school. It even goes further than that. Look at what happened to "tough guy" Brian Bosworth from Oklahoma. Thought he was a badass scaring and hurting the college boys in the Big Ten,and then went public about how he was going to terrify the pros. That lasted until his first game against the old Oakland Raiders,and part way through the game he was trying to figure out how many fingers he had and what kind of truck had ran over him. And that was playing against the Raiders offense. He's damn lucky he never had to play their defense. After one year or playing the pro scouts can see how you do against the better players and can see how disciplined you are. That's why the pros mostly leave HS players alone.
It's against the rules for them to have such cars given or loaned to them.
LOL! You're funny!
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#3. To: sneakypete, Happy Quanzaa, Ferret Mike (#1)
(Edited)
#4. To: Godwinson (#3)
I do feel college athletes of major money making sports like basketball and football are treated like slaves or indentured servants by the colleges.
#11. To: Happy Quanzaa (#4)
(Edited)
people that think slavery ended in 1865 have never attended a college sporting event.
#12. To: sneakypete, Happy Quanzaa (#11)
Or even attended a college and watched these guys ride around in high dollar cars with blondes while rarely even bothering to attend classes,and some even have others take the tests for them.
#15. To: Godwinson (#12)
It's against the rules for them to have such cars given or loaned to them.
Replies to Comment # 15.
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