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Cowboys' defensive end Greg Hardy has been a controversial figure in the NFL.
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The Dallas Cowboys' controversial defensive end, Greg Hardy, has continued his NFL playing career after a minor, slap-on-the-wrist, four-game suspension to begin the 2015 season. The domestic violence offender has been labeled "a leader" by long-time Cowboys' owner Jerry Jones, who has also said Hardy "deserves a second chance." Well, I'm glad you think so Jerry. After disturbing police photos of Hardy's ex-girlfriend recently surfaced, Hardy proclaimed on Twitter that he is "innocent until proven guilty." It's pretty clear from the multitude of photos that Hardy is indeed guilty, and most likely offered up a chunk of his nice contract for his ex's silence. Yet, Hardy continues to line up against opposing NFL offensive linemen as if nothing had happened. His battered and bruised girlfriend is, most likely, paid off, and he can return to his normal personality consisting of animalistic sideline outbursts towards his teammates and coaches. Hardy now has a target on his back because of his actions, and fellow NFL players don't seem to care for him being allowed to play football. After last Sunday night's game against the Philadelphia Eagles, in which the Eagles won 33-27 in overtime on a Jordan Matthews catch-and-run, two members of Philadelphia's offensive line were blunt in their approach to playing against Hardy. Offensive tackle Lane Johnson admitted to "putting a little extra mustard on blocks" when he had the opportunity, and noted that Hardy "seemed out of it a little bit." Eagles' center Jason Kelce also added, "I'm glad he didn't have a good day. It's a joke a guy like that is able to play this quickly." This is the first time, with the recent photos being leaked, that fellow players have divulged their frank perspectives on Hardy the man and the football player. I'm sure many other players have the same view on Hardy, especially after the photos of his ex were released. With the NFL's recent issues with domestic violence, think Ray Rice, this is a very sensitive subject around the sport and beyond. So, the question is, why is Hardy still being allowed to play as if nothing had happened? He recently declared on Twitter, and was later told to delete the Tweet by head coach Jason Garrett, that he is innocent until proven guilty. That doesn't hold a lot of value after his ex's account of the events combined with the visual proof of her beating. Yes, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell did the bare minimum in suspending Hardy for the first four games of the season. But this man should not be allowed to suit up and get handsomely paid to play professional football. He is a ruthless thug who has not truly paid for his reckless, violent actions. Commissioner Goodell will continue to sit back and allow him to play, because he has not definitively been proven guilty. However, he would cause a real stir and show he's got some muscle by suspending Hardy indefinitely, which is what he ultimately deserves. Unfortunately for domestic violence victims who want justice, the NFL and Jerry Jones will choose football productivity over what's right in this case.
