Nancy Armour

USA TODAY Sports

Vengeance isn't justice, no matter how Roger Goodell tries to cloak it.

The NFL commissioner didn't "get it right" by suspending Adrian Peterson for the rest of the season for abusing his 4-year-old son. He was unduly punitive. He was patronizing. He was petty.

Worst, Goodell showed that despite all those experts he's brought in, he and the NFL still don't have a clue on how to address domestic violence. And they don't really care to, or they would have shelved their egos two months ago, sat down with the NFLPA and come up with a policy that combines protection for victims, incentive to rehabilitate for offenders and compassion and support for all involved.

In other words, a policy that works. Not this make-it-up-on-the-fly model that only hardens the battle lines with the NFLPA and leaves the people who matter most – abuse victims – vulnerable.

Let's be clear: Peterson is not the victim. What he did in whipping his young son was reprehensible. There is never any excuse for beating a child so severely it left welts and bruises on the little boy's body, and Peterson should to be held accountable.

The legal system already has. The Minnesota Vikings running back was put on probation, fined and ordered to undergo a parenting assessment and, if needed, counseling after pleading no contest to a reduced charge of reckless assault two weeks ago.

Additional punishment from the NFL is appropriate, too. The league has turned a blind eye to domestic violence and sexual assault for too long, and its indifference has outraged the public and troubled sponsors. It needs to send a message to them, as well as its own players and personnel, that abuse in any form will no longer be tolerated.

A retroactive suspension for the eight games Peterson missed while on the commissioner's exempt list, coupled with mandatory therapy, parenting classes and the threat of further discipline if he does not show progress, would have gotten that message across.

That wasn't enough for Goodell, who has now gone from one extreme to the other. As bad as Peterson's initial crime was, the running back's refusal to accept Goodell as great and powerful, an NFL version of the Wizard of Oz, seemed to be equally unforgivable.

"The well-being of your children is of paramount concern," Goodell wrote in his lecture, err, letter. "In the absence of speaking to you to understand your current disposition toward child discipline, we cannot be sure that this conduct will not be repeated.

"Moreover, we are unaware of any effort on your part to acknowledge the seriousness of your conduct and your responsibility to demonstrate a genuine commitment to change."

Perhaps Goodell should take a closer look at those last few words – because he hasn't, either.

The ultimate goal in this mess was supposed to be protecting women and children, not egos and territory. Yet Peterson's ban will do nothing to encourage women to step forward when they're being abused, knowing that they and their children are the ones at risk in the fallout – physically and financially – from draconian punishments.

It sure isn't going to encourage players to seek help, either, let alone work with Goodell to find a solution that truly addresses the problems of domestic violence and sexual abuse.

"This is a league that can do better," DeMaurice Smith, executive director of the NFL Players Association, told ESPN. "… There is a growing gap between the player and the league office. And that shouldn't be."

The NFLPA isn't blameless in this, mind you.

The vast majority of its members are good and decent men who are as horrified by the actions of Peterson, Ray Rice and Greg Hardy as the rest of us. But rather than finding ways to help the players and families who need it, the NFLPA just wants to howl about Goodell and his heavy-handed approach.

Really want to force the commissioner's hand? Come up with your own proposal that includes suitable punishments, treatment options and education. Get your players to sign off on it and then go tell the world.

Goodell promised back in September that he would "get it right" when it comes to domestic violence. He still has a long way to go.