Bud Light Doesn’t Want To Be The Official Beer Of Domestic Violence

As the company behind Bud Light, the official beer of the National Football League, Anheuser-Busch InBev has some major pull in professional football. Which is why the company has some strong words for the NFL over recent reports of domestic violence off the field and how the league has handled these situations. Not well at all, basically.

The company also sponsors roughly 88% of the NFL teams, reports CNBC, making it the second-largest sponsor in the league. As such, it’s speaking out over the fact that the NFL is in the news more often these days for domestic violence than it is for football. And that’s not okay:

We are disappointed and increasingly concerned by the recent incidents that have overshadowed this NFL season. 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.

The message here likely being — “Shape up or you wave that Bud Light sponsorship good-bye.”

While not specifically citing these “behaviors,” TMZ recently released a video showing Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice striking his then-fiancee in the head and knocking her out in an elevator at an Atlantic City casino last year. He had previously been suspended for two games, but the NFL suspended him indefinitely and the Ravens cut him from the roster after the video surfaced. The incident happened in February of last year, with charges against Rice for aggravated assault. He worked out a plea deal that included probation and counseling.

The NFL claimed it hadn’t seen the video until recently, but the Associated Press claims it heard a recording of a NFL employee confirming that the league had received the video.

Meanwhile, Minnesota Viking running back Adrian Peterson is facing felony charges in Texas for accusations of child abuse against one of his sons, with news outlets reporting today of a previous alleged incident involving another child.

Previously: Baltimore Ravens Offer To Let Fans Exchange Ray Rice Jerseys

Anheuser-Busch says ‘not yet satisfied’ with the way NFL has handled recent incidents [CNBC]

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