Peterson saw his son for the first time a day before he died.

I am not naive enough to think that new words can be spoken like magical incantations to suddenly change the culture and mentality that has long defined the NFL. However, old words will certainly guarantee the status quo.

The reign of rookie running backs, the hype of two rookie quarterbacks.

With the NFL's intention to appeal, it appears this story is not over. Opposing fans will use Deflategate as an opportunity to heckle Brady and the Patriots whenever they play their teams.

The league announced the player has been reinstated.

As it stands now, Judge Doty's opinion jeopardizes the NFL Commissioner's power to bring some order back to the business after a difficult year. It lends support to the Players Association's plea that personal misconduct cases should be heard in arbitration.

I did not know what to do and was paralyzed by helplessness. I had planned a nice outing, but now, not only was my child was having a temper in a public place, but I was being tested.

All three current topics that have placed the National Football League at the center stage of social debate in the United States -- violence against women (Ray Rice incident); abuse of children (Adrian Peterson incident); and concussions -- furnish yet further manifestation of the growing presence of what I have termed the "discourse of compassion" that has altered what is morally acceptable behavior in the United States.

The avalanche of stories related to the misdeeds of athletes tend to focus on one actor: the player.

In response to the National Football League's (NFL) recently released revamped Personal Conduct Policy for players and other

The next group of prospective NFL Draft prospects and veteran free agents will be the most heavily scrutinized athletes ever. Character and personal issues will take on a foremost role in making draft decisions.

In a statement issued shortly after Peterson's appeal was denied, the NFLPA indicated that the fight over Peterson's suspension

Peterson, the 2012 NFL MVP, was suspended for at least the remainder of the 2014 season by the NFL without pay on Nov. 18