Adrian Peterson is “back” with the Minnesota Vikings.

The Vikings played this situation perfectly from the start and now are going to reap the benefits. All signs point to them starting the 2015 season with the best running back in the league in their backfield. Despite Peterson’s numerous bluffs and blunders, the Vikings held their ground knowing that Peterson really only had one option.

From a football standpoint this is the best case scenario.

What about for the fans?

While it seems that the answer is complicated. It is really rather simple.

The decision that needs to be made is whether or not his personal life matters to you.

For me, it does not.

While I did write about the topic of spanking as punishment when the story broke. Ultimately, I do not care what athletes do off of the field.

They are entertainers, that is why we watch. We want to see the best product on the field, court, ice, etc. It is silly to expect that these athletes be outstanding citizens as well. I am not saying that we should turn a blind eye to crimes that they commit. However, when they make their way through the criminal justice system like Peterson did, why should anyone care?

The real answer is that we don’t. We care about what the media tells us to care about. There are double standards all over the board.

Tiger Woods had multiple affairs. In my opinion that is nobody’s business but his. I didn’t become a Tiger Woods fan because he was a good husband. I became a Tiger Woods fan because of his golfing ability. In contrast, it is a punch line for numerous other athletes. Wilt Chamberlin and Shawn Kemp both have notoriety for there many sexual partners. But, because golf is a “gentleman’s game” and major news networks decided that they wanted to make Tiger a villain, people got outraged.

A billion dollar athlete is able to have sex with whomever he wants and actually does it? Get real. Don’t pretend to care.

Adrian Peterson has done everything that the courts and the NFL have requested of him. Why should we expect anything different?

Come September we will all be Peterson fans again when he cruises into the end zone after a 40 yard run. He is not the first, nor the last to physically discipline his children. Hate him all you want off the field, but don’t forget that the reason you liked him in the first place was because of his athletic prowess. When the Vikings drafted him you didn’t think, “Yes, I have a feeling he is going to be an amazing father!”

Just remember that these are people who are thrust into making millions of dollars for playing games. The reason that they make the money that they do is because we pay to see them. And, the reason why they tend to behave like morons away from their respective sport is because their entire life they have been treated like they are better than everyone else. Why? Because someday they might make millions of dollars playing a game, because we want to watch.

We are all a part of the cycle. If you don’t like it, don’t watch.

At the same time, don’t feel guilty for watching and being entertained.

Cheers.