Maybe it's time to talk about the elephant in the room: Namely, that NFL football is a sport that trains men to disregard the ingrained taboo against hurting other humans. Then its leaders act shocked and surprised when the men they train can't turn off that switch when they're not on the field.

Let's also throw in the brain injuries (and the steroids so many players are using) that make it even more difficult to control rage, and we come down to the not-too-disputable fact that the sport itself is culpable in these cases:

The Minnesota Vikings placed Adrian Peterson on the Exempt/Commissioner's Permission list, requiring the running back to abstain from team activities during his child-abuse case, the team announced Wednesday morning.

"This is a good decision that will allow Adrian Peterson to resolve his personal situation and the Vikings to return the focus to the football field," league spokesman Greg Aiello said in an e-mail.

Peterson was indicted last Thursday on a charge that he injured his 4-year-old son by spanking him with a tree branch. He was inactive for the team's Week 2 loss to the New England Patriots but was reinstated Monday.

It's a barbaric sport and Americans seem to like it that way.