Adrian Peterson's Appeal Denied

— -- The appeal by Minnesota Vikings star Adrian Peterson was denied today.

Peterson had sought to overturn the NFL's ruling that suspended him for the rest of the season for disciplining his young son by beating him with a tree branch.

The officer who heard the appeal, Harold Henderson, said Peterson “was afforded all the protections and rights to which he is entitled, and I find no basis to vacate or reduce the discipline.”

“I conclude that the player has not demonstrated that the process and procedures surrounding his discipline were not fair and consistent,” Henderson wrote.

He also wrote, "The facts in this appeal are uncontested. The player entered a plea which effectively admitted guilt to a criminal charge of child abuse, after inflicting serious injuries to his four-year-old son in the course of administering discipline."

Peterson was suspended by the NFL for violating the Personal Conduct Policy after he plea bargained a felony child abuse charge in Texas down to misdemeanor reckless assault in mid-November.

After pleading guilty to the reckless assault charge, Peterson issued a statement that said, "I regret the situation. I love my son more than any one of you could even imagine."

But Henderson's decision said in its conclusion, "His public comments do not reflect remorse or appreciation for the seriousness of his actions."

The running back sought to have his suspension lifted after a court ruled that the NFL had improperly suspended Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice for knocking out his then-fiance in a hotel elevator. But Rice's suspension was thrown out because the NFL had previously suspended Rice for several games for the same offense and then giving him a more drastic punishment was in effect double jeopardy.

The players' union, the NFLPA, issued a statement saying it "expected this outcome," but criticized it.

"The decision itself ignores the facts, the evidence and the collective bargaining agreement. This decision also represents the NFL's repeated failure to adhere to due process and confirms its inconsistent treatment of players. Our union is considering immediate legal remedies," the NFLPA said.