NFL to reinstate Peterson today

Adrian Peterson is out of football purgatory.

Seven months after being placed on the commissioner’s exempt list, the Vikings running back has been reinstated by Roger Goodell and will be free to participate in the team’s offseason activities.

The question becomes whether Peterson will actually want to participate in any activities with the Vikings. He has expressed misgivings toward the team for a perceived lack of having his back during the ordeal of his suspension, which began when he was charged with abusing his son in Texas.

Peterson’s agent has made it clear his client would like to continue his career elsewhere, but Minnesota has made it equally clear they want AD in their backfield with blossoming second-year quarterback Teddy Bridgewater poised to break out given the right supporting cast.

“The Minnesota Vikings have been informed by the NFL that Adrian Peterson has been reinstated,” the team announced in a press release. “We look forward to Adrian rejoining the Vikings.”

They can only hope the feeling is even close to being mutual.

Green Bay icon Lee Remmel dies at age 90

Many people have been to Lambeau Field over the years. But not many people are still around who can claim they actually knew Curly Lambeau. Before passing away at age 90 on Thursday, Lee Remmel was one of those.

Remmel was associated with the Packers franchise since covering his first game for the Green Bay Press-Gazette in 1945. He worked in that capacity until 1974, when he was named the team’s director of publicity and public relations. That gig lasted 30 years until he was appointed as the official team historian, a position he held until the end of the 2007 season.

“He had a tremendous love for the organization, a tremendous love,” said former Packers CEO Bob Harlan. “Everyone had great respect for his ability as a writer, and certainly if you wanted a quick point in history, there was not a better source than Lee.

“Many times he and I would sit and talk about old, old times — the Curly Lambeau era and when Vince Lombardi first came to Green Bay. I was always fascinated with the stories he had about those times.”

Remmel attended a whopping 125 Bears-Packers games in his lifetime, and was one of 12 media professionals who worked at the first 40 Super Bowls.

Jameis Winston facing civil lawsuit

The woman who accused Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston of sexual assault is now taking her case to civil court.

Erica Kinsman, who accused Winston of rape in 2012 before prosecutors decided there was not enough evidence available for them to press charges, is seeking damages in excess of $15,000.
The suit accuses Winston of sexual battery, assault, false imprisonment and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

Kinsman’s attorneys have requested a jury trial. Civil suits have a lower burden of proof than criminal cases, with the jury needing only a “preponderance of evidence” to find the defendant guilty rather than “beyond a reasonable doubt.”

The Buccaneers, who are expected to take Winston with the No. 1 pick in the Draft, told the Tampa Tribune that the civil suit “has no effect on their draft plans” – which is a statement that holds true if they’ve already decided whether they’re taking Winston or not.