Charles Barkley is never short of an opinion, and he offered his on the Adrian Peterson child injury charges in a recent interview with Jim Rome. Barkley says that the Minnesota Vikings running back went overboard, but says that spankings are a part of the old-school southern culture that he and Peterson grew up in.
Peterson is accused of punishing his 4-year old son with a “switch” (a tree branch) that left cuts, welts, and bruises on the child’s back, buttocks, ankles, legs, and scrotum, according to a local Houston CBS News report . The 6-foot 1-inch, 217-pound NFL star allegedly shoved leaves into the child’s mouth while he dealt out the punishment.
Peterson reportedly referred to the beating as a “whooping” in text messages to the boy’s mother. He also said, “Never do I go overboard! But all my kids will know, hey daddy has the biggie heart but don’t play no games when it comes to acting right.”
The child is alleged to have pushed another of Peterson’s children off a motorcycle video game. This is what brought on the punishment.
In a sign that this is also how Peterson himself was brought up, he appeared bewildered when Houston police interviewed him.
“Peterson was very matter-of-fact and calm about the incident, appearing to believe he had done nothing wrong and reiterating how much he cared about his son and only used ‘whoopings’ or ‘spankings’ as a last resort. He offered up information that the police didn’t have and was incredulous when asked if some of the numerous wounds and marks on the child were from an extension cord, saying, ‘Oh, no, I’d never hit my child with an extension cord. I remember how it feels to get whooped with an extension cord. I’d never do that.’
“Peterson also said, ‘Anytime I spank my kids, I talk to them before, let them know what they did, and of course after.’ Peterson also expressed regret that his son did not cry – because then, Peterson said, he would have known that the switch was doing more damage than intended. He didn’t realize the ‘tip of the switch and the ridges of the switch were wrapping around [the child’s] legs.’ Peterson also acknowledged that this was administered directly to the child’s skin and with the child’s pants pulled down.”
Barkley walked a fine line between defending Peterson, mocking those who are outraged, and admitting that Peterson went overboard in his conversation with Jim Rome. The former NBA star-turned-TNT analyst attempted to explain to an incredulous Rome that a spanking or whipping of a child with a switch is common in not just the south but among black families.
The full comments from Barkley and Rome transcribed by CBS Sports are being presented so that the context of what was said is not lost.
Barkley: “I’m from the south. I understand Boomer’s (Esiason) rage and anger… but he’s a white guy and I’m a black guy. I don’t know where he’s from (editor’s note: Esiason grew up in Long Island), I’m from the south. Whipping — we do that all the time. Every black parent in the south is going to be in jail under those circumstances.”
Rome: “It doesn’t matter where you’re from: Right is right and wrong is wrong.”
Barkley: “I don’t believe that because, listen, we spank kids in the south. I think the question about whether Adrian Peterson went overboard — Listen, Jim, we all grow up in different environments. Every black parent in my neighborhood in the South would be in trouble or in jail under those circumstances.”
Rome: “My thing is: I don’t want to tell anybody how to raise their kids and I really don’t want anybody telling me how to raise my kids. But let’s make a distinction between ‘child rearing’ and ‘child abuse.’ That was child abuse. There’s no fine line here.”
Barkley: “I think there’s a fine line. Jim, I’ve had many welts on my legs. I’ve gotten beat with switches — and I don’t even like the term. When the media talks about it, ‘beating a child’ –”
Rome: “But that’s what that was, Charles.”
Barkley: “We called it ‘spanking’ or ‘whipping’ our kids.”
Rome: “If I see open wounds or bruises on a body that is a beating.”
Barkley: “Sure. I think those pictures are disturbing. And I think Adrian said ‘I went overboard.’ But as far as being from the south, we all spanked our kids — I got spanked, me an my two brothers –”
Rome: “But then, Chuck, not now, right? 1964 is one thing, 2014 is another. Maybe we need to rethink this thing.”
Barkley: “And I totally agree with that. But I think we have to really be careful trying to teach other parents how to discipline their kids. That’s a very fine line.”
The Minnesota Vikings deactivated Peterson following news of the indictment on Friday. Team executive Rick Spielman told ESPN , “We are, as an organization, still in the process of gathering information, and at the end of the weekend we will discuss what we will do going forward. You don’t want to make any knee-jerk reactions. All options are on the table. You can’t take any options off the table because we’re still gathering information.”
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[Images via CBS Sports, Ann Heisenfelt/ AP Images]