In sport, there is always going to be some type of deviance. Deviance is defined as any act/person that differs from the norm, especially behavior or attitudes that differ from acceptable social standards. In class on March 31 and April 2nd, we discussed deviance and sport and examples of deviance in society, including the use of illegal drugs, violent crime including murder/rape, and stealing and/or robbing a bank. Some examples in sport would include fighting, bounty hunting, and gambling. This article in particular deals with the situation regarding the Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson, who was charged with recklessly assaulting his four year old son by hitting him with a switch. Clearly this is an off the the field issue, but it greatly effects the individuals sport career. While the investigation was underway, Peterson was placed on the commissioners exempt list, which permits the player and team to communicate, but the player is not allowed to participate in any sport activities. This is a huge example of deviance in sport, but if you look closely at the supporting articles, it does not focus just on the event that took place but it focused on if the player would return to the team. How concerned are the media about Peterson's son? It looks as though they are only focused on if he will be back with the Vikings come the 2015 season or if they will see him in a different color jersey. The picture below clearly shows the marks on the arm of AP's son from the switch that was used to strike the boy. Adrian Peterson stated that he may not be the perfect parent but he is definitely not a child abuser. A federal judge vacated a six game suspension given to Adrian Peterson by the NFL and Peterson is eligible for reinstatement to the NFL on April 15th, 2015. The judge stated that the arbitrator went above his authority in punishing peterson on a personal conduct policy that was not in effect when Peterson was charged in September.
Photo provided by the Houston Police Department
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