Peterson and the "modern" slave trade

 Some times football players say stupid things. Not that I don't-my stupid words could fill a book. Its just that my "book" isn't nearly as public or as heavily trafficked. Here are some words that might go beyond stupid: Minnesota running back Adrian Peterson compares the NFL to modern day slavery. Check it out below or read the whole thing here.

“It’s modern-day slavery, you know?” Peterson said. “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.”

Really. I know that the owners are really greedy. I know the players are as well. But slavery? Hmmm.....International Justice Mission, international sex slave trade, Islamic fundamentalism, cults which enslave little girls, and the NFL? Not sure that last one fits.

Of course Steelers running back Rashard Mendenhall agrees and tweets:

@AdrianPeterson is correct in his anology of this game. It is a lot deeper than most people understand.  Anyone with knowledge of the slave trade and the NFL could say that these two parallel eachother.”

 

Finally the voice of reason comes with injured Green Bay's Ryan Grant, realizing the ludicrosity of such comments.

“I have to totally disagree with Adrian Peterson’s comparison to this situation being Modern day slavery. . . false,” Packers running back Ryan Grant wrote on Twitter.  “Their is unfortunately actually still slavery existing in our world.. Literal modern day slavery.. That was a very misinformed statement.  I understand what point he was trying to make.. I just feel like he should have been advised a little differently.”

The very interesting thing to me is that Adrian Peterson is actually going to Africa where slavery and much worse things still exist. "Modern day" slavery of the NFL might not look as civilized as NFL slavery.

He and some other former Oklahoma Sooners like Bucs DT Gerald McCoy are going to Uganda and Rwanda this summer. I doubt real slavery impacted, genocidally depleted families and rape victims will feel too sorry for their "slavery." I just hope the Rwandans don't follow Peterson on Twitter.