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."