I say yes. Rice's wife says it was blown out of proportion. He has been penalized plenty, IMO. Especially since the wife was an adult and has become an apologist for her husband.
Peterson, on the other hand, has repeatedly switched multiple places on his son. The son didn't have a choice to stay with his dad. Peterson's wife is "outraged" that the story is now public, citing privacy reasons for her son. I suspect that she may also have concerns about her breadwinner losing out on pay as well.
Here are photos from the web.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.](Taken 4 days AFTER switching)
Peterson has been kept on the Vikings team in an inactive status... with pay, and may be reinstated. Does that sound like much punishment? To me, it doesn't. Yes, I think he should be allowed to play again, but hopefully he will be punished by the court... AND monitored to make sure his son isn't abused further.
Let me ask y'all a question. Is the NFL the proper authority to punish players for their crimes? I have mixed emotions. It seems odd that the legal system is somewhat usurped by an athletic franchise, but then I agree that
business as usual shouldn't apply to lawbreakers.