Adrian Peterson Puts Ridiculous Fantasy Owners in Their Place

Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson took to Twitter to do something NFL players around the league are always thinking. The superstar took a shot at overbearing fantasy football owners who were mad at him for a low-scoring game in his return on Sunday.

As a fantasy football owner enduring the playoffs, I understand how maddening poor performances can be. Attacking players via social media should be the last thing anybody does to release some of those frustrations, however.

Just because they seem larger than life every Sunday, football players are human just like everybody else. Having to read ignorant comments isn't going to make them play any better.

Not to mention, Peterson couldn't care less about how “It’s On Like Ndamukong” or “Somewhere Over Dwayne Bowe” are doing. He's going to do whatever is best for the Vikings on a weekly basis and it just so happened that meant only getting 10 touches vs. the Saints.

The rise of fantasy football has changed how people watch the game. Instead of cheering for teams, fans spend their afternoons searching the Internet for hot waiver wire tips or lineup advice. All that matters is the numbers and, if players don't live up to expectations, they're going to hear about it.

Maybe Peterson's comments will put things into perspective for some people, but they won't be enough to slow down radical owners who have nothing better to do than spout off about a running back who has no control over his playing time.

It's a problem that only seems to be growing as more avenues to interact with players become available. Instead of cherishing the opportunity to have contact, people waste it with negativity.

So, next time one of your star fantasy player has a bad afternoon, just let it go. It's a much better alternative than looking like a prick by badmouthing a guy who averaged six yards per carry when given the chance to play.

After all, it's not Peterson's fault you didn't do a good enough job building a team around him.