The Growing List of Everyone the NFL Angered in the Last Week
While the NFL sure has upset a lot of different people, they still benefitted from crazy viewership. It seems the angrier people get, the more they tune in.
Fans (who respect women and children)
Are you a human being who enjoys football viewing or attending games? Do you enjoy tailgating but think the games are kind of boring or too long? Do you think women and children shouldn't be beaten? Well then congratulations, you are angry at the NFL.
Parents (who don't approve of spanking)
Radisson
The hotel chain became the first business to drop their sponsorship from an NFL team, (Peterson and Ray Rice have both lost individual sponsorships.) This decision came after Vikings general manager Rick Spielman said the words "We feel strongly as an organization this is disciplining a child," in regards to the Peterson incident, in front of a banner showing Radisson's logo.
The company issued this statement:
Radisson takes this matter very seriously particularly in light of our long-standing commitment to the protection of children. We are closely following the situation and effective immediately, Radisson is suspending its limited sponsorship of the Minnesota Vikings while we evaluate the facts and circumstances.
Covergirl
The cosmetics giant issued their own statement on their Facebook page, but has not yet pulled any sponsorships:
As a brand that has always supported women and stood for female empowerment, COVERGIRL believes domestic violence is completely unacceptable. We developed our NFL program to celebrate the more than 80 million female football fans. In light of recent events, we have encouraged the NFL to take swift action on their path forward to address the issue of domestic violence.
Anheuser-Busch
We are disappointed and increasingly concerned by the recent incidents that have overshadowed this NFL season. We are not yet satisfied with the league's handling of behaviors that so clearly go against our own company culture and moral code. We have shared our concerns and expectations with the league.
Governor of Minnesota
Mark Dayton is extremely displeased that his state's football team (who received a lot of taxpayer money to build a new stadium) is keeping an accused child abuser on board. The governor issued this statement:
It is an awful situation. Yes, Mr. Peterson is entitled to due process and should be 'innocent until proven guilty.' However, he is a public figure; and his actions, as described, are a public embarrassment to the Vikings organization and the State of Minnesota. Whipping a child to the extent of visible wounds, as has been alleged, should not be tolerated in our state. Therefore, I believe the team should suspend Mr. Peterson, until the accusations of child abuse have been resolved by the criminal justice system.
However, I will not turn my back on the Vikings and their fans, as some have suggested. The Vikings belong to Minnesota – and in Minnesota. This has been the team's only home; and our citizens, including myself, have been its most dedicated fans.
The White House
The NFL has messed up so much they got the attention of the highest officials in the country. Here's the statement from White House press secretary Josh Earnest:
The President is the father of two daughters. And like any American, he believes that domestic violence is contemptible and unacceptable in a civilized society. Hitting a woman is not something a real man does, and that’s true whether or not an act of violence happens in the public eye, or, far too often, behind closed doors. Stopping domestic violence is something that’s bigger than football –- and all of us have a responsibility to put a stop to it.
Senators
As if upsetting one branch of government wasn't enough, the NFL went for the hat trick and angered the United States Senate. (We can't prove it, but we would be willing to bet they probably also upset a Supreme Court justice or two)
Rutgers
The university is Ray Rice's alma mater. They removed him from a "Knights in the NFL" pregame video and took his photo down, which appeared in a number of places around the campus. They are not pleased.
Rihanna
The pregame show for the first Thursday Night Football game after the Ray Rice video surfaced was supposed to include Rihanna. Then, Rihanna got booted. Apparently, CBS attempted to reschedule her for this week and RiRi was having absolutely none of it. She sent this tweet, "CBS you pulled my song last week, now you wanna slide it back in this Thursday? NO, Fuck you! Y'all are sad for penalizing me for this."
Later she tweeted: "The audacity..." Rihanna is very, very unhappy with the NFL. And CBS.
Dick's Sporting Goods
The day Ray Rice was cut from the Ravens and suspended from the NFL, Dick's Sporting Goods pulled all #27 jerseys from shelves immediately. One store told The Wire that customers started returning their jerseys that same day. Dick's Sporting Goods is unhappy with the NFL.
Reporters
Many NFL beat reporters, including famed Sports Illustrated writer Peter King, were told by sources over the summer that the NFL had seen the complete Ray Rice tape before suspending him for just two games. The NFL has now taken to denial, denial, and more denial and journalists who are angry about being lied to, are calling them on their B.S.
Charities
The All Day Foundation, Adrian Peterson's charitable organization, disabled their website on Tuesday, because their nonprofit partners have been "harassed, judged and placed in uncomfortable positions" by angry fans. The charities cannot be happy about that.
This Sports Bar
Good Evening Folks, Running a bar in Texas is not the easiest thing in the world, especially when it comes to football, so I hope you will all take the stand with me, as of today, we will no longer show ANY NFL games until the league changes it's domestic abuse policies. It has gotten to the point where money is more important than women's and children's health and life are concerned, this is unacceptable in the world that I want to live in. Please join me in my small attempt to stop adding fuel to the fire and money to their coffers.