Hear Audio of Troy Vincent Promising Adrian Peterson a Two-Game Suspension
By Dan Zinski
Two new developments in the Adrian Peterson case this morning.
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First…as expected, the NFLPA filed suit against the NFL in federal court this morning to challenge arbitrator Harold Henderson’s decision upholding Peterson’s six-game suspension.
Henderson ruled last week that Peterson had not sufficiently made his case that the NFL lied to him.
About that…the second development: the release to ABC news of audio of that phone conversation between Peterson and NFL exec Troy Vincent in which Vincent promised Peterson he would not be hit with a six-game suspension.
On the tape, Vincent can be heard making direct assurances to Peterson that his suspension would only be for two games.
The NFLPA is arguing that the NFL slapped the six-game suspension on Peterson as punishment for not showing up for that meeting the NFLPA said Peterson did not have to show up for.
NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith talked about the tape to ESPN radio early Monday morning (via ESPN):
"Earlier on Monday, NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith told ESPN Radio’s “Mike and Mike” program that Vincent’s conversation with Peterson is troubling and that “the audio tape is the tip of the iceberg” and that the NFL’s handling of the case is “a manifest injustice not only to this player but also to the process.”“This is a part of something that is bigger than just Adrian Peterson, Troy Vincent, Ray Rice … this is another instance in which the National Football League will say anything on one day and do anything on another day to try to support a position that at this point is completely devoid of any rationality,” Smith said."