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Reggie Bush defends Adrian Peterson, spanking

Detroit Lions Training Camp

ALLEN PARK, MI - JULY 29: Reggie Bush #21 of the Detroit Lions walks to the field prior to the start of training camp at the Detroit Lions training facility on July 29, 2014 in Allen Park, Michigan. (Photo by Leon Halip/Getty Images)

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As it turns out, there are people worse at talking about the Adrian Peterson situation than the Vikings front office, or at least one.

Lions running back Reggie Bush said he supported Peterson’s method of punishing children, if not the degree to which Peterson took it.

I was punished the same way,” Bush said on WFAN, via the New York Daily News. “And I know a lot of my friends and a lot of the guys I played with, they were punished the same way, too.”

“I got what we call whoopings.”
Bush said he’d “harshly” punish his 1-year-old daughter, if need be.

“I definitely will try to — will obviously not leave bruises or anything like that on her,” Bush said. “But I definitely will discipline her harshly depending on what the situation is.”

He initially said he’d “consider” using a switch like Peterson did, but then said he misspoke.

“I said spanking,” he said. “Spanking is different than a branch or a stick”

Bush probably realized he stepped in a big pile upon leaving the interview, so he took to Twitter to start the ritual scraping of the shoe.

“Let’s get one thing straight people, I believe in disciplining a child period!” he wrote. “I believe in spanking a child (IF NEEDED) NOT beating them!

I’m a big believer in the First Amendment, and love it when football players speak openly and honestly.

But this is probably not the week to advocate for corporal punishment, unless you just enjoy having to explain what you really mean.