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Adrian Peterson calls out Cris Carter and Shannon Sharpe after criticism: 'How dare you'

Adrian Peterson, in one preseason game, showed he has plenty left in the tank at running back. (Getty Images)
Adrian Peterson, in one preseason game, showed he has plenty left in the tank at running back. (Getty Images)

Most people aren’t fans of criticism. That applies to Adrian Peterson, who was signed by the Washington Redskins on Aug. 20. The running back heard some less-than-positive comments made about him by FS1 hosts Cris Carter and Shannon Sharpe, and he didn’t like them one bit.

What did Carter and Sharpe say?

Carter, who co-hosts “First Things First,” and Sharpe, who co-hosts “Undisputed,” both had similar things to say about Peterson on their shows. That at 33, Peterson isn’t the same player he once was. On “Undisputed,” Sharpe said that while Peterson is capable of having big games, getting older means he can’t do it every game anymore. Sharpe also said that Peterson was the best option for the Redskins given what was on the market, but that Peterson is no longer the dominant 2012 or 2013 version of himself.

Peterson’s response

Peterson spoke to USA Today in the Redskins locker room, and not only was he not thrilled with what Carter and Sharpe said about him, he called them out by name.

“Watching some of the things they said about me, man, it really hurt me to the core,” Peterson told USA Today Sports. “Not only are they black men, but these are people I looked up to. And these are people that made mistakes, especially Cris Carter. So some of the things that came out of his mouth, not only personally, but about me as a player – aw, he’s washed up and this, that and the other, and he should just retire – how dare you.

“Then Shannon Sharpe, the same thing. He said some things and I’m just like, ‘Wow, I can’t believe that would come out of your mouth.’ I understand that people are entitled to their opinions. That’s the way of the world. But they are in a position where millions of people are watching them.”

Peterson is convinced that he’s got a lot left in the tank, and he intends to make sure Carter and Sharpe know how wrong they are when he eventually succeeds.

“What I’m going to do when I ball out this year,” Peterson added, “I’m going to have all my fans … look up all the people who [said] something negative about me and put them on blast and prove that when they are on TV, they don’t know what they’re talking about.”

Carter had his own response to Peterson, though. USA Today contacted him Wednesday to comment on what Peterson had said, and Carter came out swinging.

“Did you see me in a Dolphins uniform?” Carter said. “I had no business playing that season. I wouldn’t have admitted it, either. These guys get so sensitive about everything. Adrian had better get over himself. We were all great. But at the end, we all smelled like a baby’s diaper.”

Bulletin board material

There are two sides to every story. Carter and Sharpe both host TV sports shows. Their job is to give analysis and their opinions about what’s happening in football. And since they’re both former players who had careers into their mid to late 30s (Carter played until he was 37, Sharpe until he was 35), they have special insight into what Peterson might be experiencing.

On the other side, Peterson is just 33 and obviously doesn’t appreciate being talked about like his career is wheezing toward death.

Despite Peterson’s sharp words for Carter and Sharpe, this may end up being beneficial for him. Some are spurred to success by people saying they won’t succeed, and Peterson is using their comments as bulletin board material. Peterson may not like criticism, but in this case, it could help him prove the doubters wrong.

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Liz Roscher is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email her at lizroscher@yahoo.com or follow her on Twitter at @lizroscher.

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