vikings/nfl

Thanks, Jim. We don't hear enough of these types of stories, where athletes' humanity and work ethic are as important as the ability they were blessed with.

AP is such a class act. Really shows what kind of person he is when being horribly injured, he's thinking about the kid that wanted the autograph instead of himself. Very unselfish. Go AP, go Vikings!

godtla- Nothing against the article because clearly people are interested in reading it but are you seriously saying you don't hear enough stories praising athletes for giving up their time or money for fans or worthy causes? I find it sort of sad that people praise athletes for being generous with their time or money to the extent that they do... They are football players... They aren't heroes. They aren't curing cancer or intervening against genocidal dictators in foreign nations... They are guys who get paid a lot of money to run around on a field playing against other guys who get paid a lot of money to do it. There are lots of real heroes in our society and maybe Adrian Peterson has done enough to warrant that kind of label, but if he has I hope that it has nothing to do with his football abilities because at the end of the day those are meaningless to society.

hitch22 - I'm pretty sure the amount of kids who look up to Nobel laureates as their role models are few and far between, and I applaud them. The fact is, the majority of kids still idolize atheletes as their heroes, just as their parents did. It's just a simple fact. In regards to football abilities being meaningless to society, that's not exactly true. While putting arrest records aside, I think having an athelete as role models instill determination and hard work ethics in young children and teenagers. I thought this was a great story!

hitch22 with all the worlds problems maybe it's just nice to get lost in something fun and frivolous as a football game. Certainly there are more pressing issues in the news. Certainly there are people who contribute far greater to the common good of humanity in terms of medicine, education and the like. But at the same time, lighten up a little.

Just reading the story I felt the swagga! A.P is the man! And he's right how he, Moss, Harvin don't go in the top 5 are beyon me but I'll take'em.

hitch22 you're a Packers/Cheesehead fan aren't you...??? LOL!!!! It's true all football players are probably over paid just for playing a game but.... not all of them would take time to sign an autograph when they're in extreme pain. Heck most of them won't do it at all.

hitch22 - do not mean to demean you, but you got to be kidding?! Most all of us have had heros at one time or another in our life. And to have that person acknowledge us would be fantastic. Even if this person is only a football player.

hitch22 Oct. 12, 12 9:27 AM They are football players... They aren't heroes. They aren't curing cancer or intervening against genocidal dictators in foreign nations... ////////////// I wasn't aware there was a blueprint for a "hero". If an athlete merely tells a kid "stay in school", and instead of dropping out of school that kid is rejuvenated with a sense of self pride, drive, and accomplishment, and then that kid goes on to cure cancer, would that athlete be a "hero"? If AP merely plays football and makes a ton of money, and then he donates of his time and money to assist people that study the cure of cancer, would that athlete be a "hero"? Your simple logic is typical of somebody that thinks "society" is out of whack for paying athletes more money than doctors and teachers. Open your mind a little and see that "good" or "heroism" cannot be pigeon-holed. Yes, AP merely plays a game. But to the little boy in this article, he is a hero. And who are we to tell little Johnny or Betsy that AP is not a hero?