AP's a doting dad and a sure-handed tipper; furry gloves just don't suit Wild defenseman

Adrian Peterson fumbled neither his toddler nor the tip at the Cheesecake Factory.

Peterson took a party of at least 40 to the Southdale restaurant, presumably to celebrate the Vikings' win over the Giants and the playoffs bye week.

The running back was a doting daddy to his little girl throughout dinner. According to USA Today, in April 2007, Adeja was 2 1/2 years old. Onlookers estimated the age of the child Peterson was holding as between 2 and 4. The 2009 Vikings Media Guide acknowledges that Peterson has one child, Adeja. Dare we assume this is the same baby girl? The media guide mentions no wife, although restaurant onlookers thought the woman with the child behaved like Peterson's girlfriend.

When it came time to pay the bill, Peterson was again a caring fellow. A party that size required more than one server, and Peterson tipped them well. Then Peterson wanted to throw in a few more $100s for the servers, but word has it that a Cheesecake manager waved off the extra cash. A Cheesecake source confirmed Peterson was there but didn't know anything about the declined portion of the tip.

A tip for restaurant managers with a lot of nerve: When a millionaire darling like Peterson offers to throw some extra cash in the direction of under-paid servers, LET HIM!

Pros like furry gloves The $112 rabbit-and-leather Wigens gloves at Marty Mathis are apparently catnip to professional athletes.

On display near the entrance of the custom clothier, located in the skyway level on Second Avenue, the gloves are mighty impressive in all their furry enormity. Mathis said when athletes staying at the Grand Hotel decide to explore the city via the skyway system, they can't resist coming into the store to shove their hands into the gloves, which can be viewed at startribune.com/video.

Minnesota Wild defenseman John Scott didn't have time to be distracted by the gloves when he rushed into the shop Thursday to pick up a new suit, charcoal gray with a stripe. Judy Mathis, the wifely half of the business, said I missed an opportunity to shoot video of Scott, one of their nicest customers. The 6-foot-8 Scott created a humorous spectacle, trying not to bump into ceiling lights while being in a hurry because he was double-parked downstairs.

The gloves, which are 30 percent off right now, have never held any allure for Scott. "He's Canadian. He's been there before," said Marty.

What a police scene Minneapolis police reportedly didn't want KARE 11's Jana Shortal calling attention to the fact that no attempt was made to hide the gruesome aftermath of the Seward neighborhood triple homicide last week.

When asked if she was told not to mention that, Shortal, a terrific reporter whose edgy, lugubrious style I rather enjoy, ducked my question. "They just didn't think it was a story," she said. "I get that a lot."

Having covered many crime scenes, Shortal noted on air that the bloody nature of this one was "unnerving." Minneapolis police spokesman William Palmer did not seem delighted by questions from Shortal, who took authorities to task for not covering windows at the bloody scene. Since it was an active crime scene, you don't have to be a cop to understand why it wasn't clean and tidy.

Monday I called Palmer to find out if he'd have answered any of Shortal's questions differently, given more time to think about them. "I don't think I'm going to discuss an interview with Jana Shortal," said Palmer. Asked if he had a problem with Shortal or the media in general, Palmer said he would only talk with Shortal or her boss regarding my questions.

Later, via e-mail, he added: "Yes, I did urge Ms. Shortal to reconsider the angle of her story in the interest of community relations. I do not tell reporters to do anything."

I couldn't find Shortal's cogent story at KARE11.com -- that search engine isn't very good -- but the negative energy from cop to reporter was entertainingly palpable.