NFL Sponsors Concerned Over Controversies – NFL Roundup

UNDATED (AP) — The NFL is beginning to hear from its major sponsors amid the league's recent instances of domestic abuse.

Anheuser (AN'-hy-zur)-Busch says it has spoken with the NFL about former Raven Ray Rice's domestic abuse situation and the child abuse charges against Vikings running back Adrian Peterson. McDonald's, Visa and Campbell Soup Co. say they have also voiced similar concerns to the league.

In response, the league issued a statement saying: "We understand. We are taking action and there will be much more to come."

Yearly sponsorship money is worth about $1.07 billion for the league and its teams, according to sponsorship consultancy IEG.

Radisson Hotels have pulled their sponsorship of the Vikings, and Nike (NY'-kee) stores in the Twin Cities area have pulled Peterson merchandise from their shelves.

The players' union has appealed Rice's indefinite suspension. He was originally handed a two-game suspension in July under the NFL's personal conduct policy after he was charged with assault following a Feb. 15 altercation with his then-fiancee in a casino elevator.

The former Ravens running back had already served the first game of that suspension when a video surfaced last week showing Rice punching Janay Palmer, now his wife, in that elevator. Within hours, the Ravens released Rice and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell extended the suspension to indefinite based on the "new evidence."

Goodell and the Ravens say they never saw the video before Sept. 8.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A U.S. senator says she will introduce a bill to eliminate the NFL's tax-exempt status because the league has not taken action over the Washington Redskins name. The announcement by Democrat Maria Cantwell of Washington state was one of several initiatives presented during a Capitol Hill news conference today aimed at increasing pressure on Redskins owner Dan Snyder.

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A prosecutor says suspended Cleveland receiver Josh Gordon will receive probation and undergo a substance-abuse assessment after pleading guilty to a drunken-driving charge in North Carolina.

Acting Wake County district attorney Ned Mangum says Gordon received a 60-day suspended jail sentence and one year of unsupervised probation.

UNDATED (AP) — Super Bowl-winning quarterback Kurt Warner and linebacker Junior Seau (SAY'-ow) are among 15 first-year eligible modern-era candidates nominated for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Also nominated for the class of 2015 in their first year of eligibility are receivers Isaac Bruce and Torry Holt, tackle Orlando Pace, and placekicker Jason Elam.

A total of 99 players and 14 coaches comprise the 113 nominees. A modern-era player or coach must be retired at least five consecutive seasons to be eligible.