Anheuser-Busch to NFL: ‘We are disappointed and increasingly concerned’

A bad start to the 2014 NFL season just got worse for the league, which is trying to contain the damage caused by the Ray Rice and Adrian Peterson situations.

NFL sponsor Anheuser-Busch, the world’s No. 1 beer maker, has issued an ominous statement Tuesday that’s sure to make blood run cold at league headquarters:

“We are disappointed and increasingly concerned by the recent incidents that have overshadowed this NFL season,” the company said in a statement on its website. “We are not yet satisfied with the league’s handling of behaviors that so clearly go against our own company culture and moral code. We have shared our concerns and expectations with the league.”

An NFL spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the situation.

Rice was released by the Baltimore Ravens and suspended indefinitely by the league last week after video surfaced of him striking his then-fiancee, knocking her unconscious, and dragging her out of an elevator. Two months ago, when the only video the public had seen was from outside the elevator, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell suspended the star running back for just two games, a punishment widely criticized as too leniant.

Minnesota’s Peterson was indicted in Texas last week on charges he beat his 4-year-old son by hitting him repeatedly with a tree “switch.” He was deactivated for last Sunday’s game, but the Vikings announced Monday that Peterson will be reinstated this week.

On Monday evening, the Radisson hotel chain announced it was suspending its sponsorship of the Vikings. The Radisson brand is operated by the Carlson Hotel Group, which is based in Minneapolis.

Radisson issued a statement about the decision:

“Radisson takes this matter very seriously particularly in light of our long-standing commitment to the protection of children. We are closely following the situation and effective immediately, Radisson is suspending its limited sponsorship of the Minnesota Vikings while we evaluate the facts and circumstances.”

Another NFL sponsor took a stand, too. According to the Associated Press, Nike pulled all Peterson merchandise from its stores in the Twin Cities area.