Roger Goodell Horizontal - H 2014
AP ImagesYet another corporate sponsor is calling out the NFL for failing to react properly to a string of recent abuse incidents.
On Wednesday, PepsiCo CEO and chairman Indra Nooyi issued a statement criticizing the league. PepsiCo is the official soft drink of the NFL.
“I am a mother, a wife, and a passionate football fan,” Nooyi wrote. “I am deeply disturbed that the repugnant behavior of a few players, and the NFL’s acknowledged mishandling of these issues, is casting a cloud over the integrity of the league and the reputations of the majority of players who’ve dedicated their lives to a career they love.”
Nooyi said there can be “no middle ground” when domestic violence is involved. However, she approves of recent measures that the league has taken to address the issues, including pegging former FBI director Robert Mueller to lead an investigation.
She added that NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, who has been under fire for his handling of Ray Rice‘s domestic abuse scandal and Adrian Peterson‘s child abuse charges, is a “man of integrity.”
In 2012, Pepsi ponied up a hefty $200 million over five years to replace Coca-Cola as the league’s official soft drink, according to Ad Age.
PepsiCo joins a growing list of NFL sponsors to have expressed public concern about the NFL, including its top beer sponsor, Anheuser-Busch.
Email: Ryan.Gajewski@pgmedia.org
Twitter: @_RyanGajewski
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