Greg Hardy Photos: This One Not on Goodell
Greg Hardy Photos: This One Not on GoodellSome visual imagery finally popped up in the Greg Hardy case. Thanks to Deadspin for doing ESPN’s job for them. Fox Sports appreciates your efforts as well.
In fact all the major media outlets are grateful they could spend time comparing fantasy stats while Diana Moskovitz dug through the ugly underbelly of the NFL to uncover the photos of Hardy’s former girlfriend. The photos are to the Hardy case what the elevator punch was to the Ray Rice investigation, though not quite as shocking.
The photos, while not the highest quality, are plentiful. They show multiple bruises and abrasions to Nicole Holder’s body.
The beating lead to Hardy’s arrest and conviction. However, we all know what played out afterward.
Greg Hardy appealed the conviction, settled with Holder, and she made herself unavailable for the appeal process. She was paid for her silence and Greg Hardy was off the hook.
Hardy was punished by the NFL with a ten game suspension, but got out of most of that after the NFL Players Union appealed. Arbitrator Harold Henderson decided four games was enough for the hot headed defensive monster to learn his lesson.
I rarely defend Roger Goodell and won’t make a habit of it. But this visual evidence that shows Hardy to be a female beating piece of shit should not blow back on Roger Goodell.
Goodell didn’t let Hardy off with a slap on the wrist. Ten games may not have been quite enough, but it was clearly worse than just the four games Hardy ended up with because of his union’s defense efforts.
I know there has to be a fair percentage of players in that union who are sickened that they are part of a group that would help a woman beater beat the system.
I’d say that Greg Hardy’s life has gotten much better since his initial arrest.
The guy got paid around 13 million dollars to play in just one game in 2014. That money was put to good use as he weaseled his way out of his conviction in a real court of law. And he ended up on America’s Team with an owner in Jerry Jones who is willing to look past all the ugly baggage of a guy that makes his Dallas defense more formidable.
Hardy will face renewed scrutiny the next couple of weeks because of Diana Moskovitz’s efforts to publicize the photos of Hardy’s handy work on his girlfriend. But this too will pass.
Soon the shock of the photos will wear off and we will be back to focusing on fantasy studs of the week, upset central, overtime wins, and the Patriots’ march toward yet another Super Bowl.
The legal system failed to punish Hardy properly because he had money to quiet the victim.
The League failed send a proper message because the players’ union found the loopholes needed to get their guy back on the field sooner.
Individual teams sure didn’t waste any time giving Greg Hardy a second chance. If Jerry Jones hadn’t snatched Hardy up, another team would have done so and paid him handsomely.
It appears no one can keep Greg Hardy off the field or keep him in check in the real world. The only hope is that he will self destruct.
Maybe he picks a fight with the wrong guy on the street instead of shoving a tiny special teams coach around.
Or maybe he winds up on the wrong end of the second amendment with any future girlfriend who knows how to defend herself.
But most likely his rage will just eat him up from the inside out over time. One day his talent will be diminished and like Ray Rice he won’t be worth the trouble for a team to sign him.
The only reason Greg Hardy was able to get by with hitting his girlfriend is because he is even better at hitting quarterbacks. One day his destruction off the field will outweigh the carnage he delivers on the field.
When that time comes he will be treated just like a any other violent criminal.