In the past, say, year and a half, the professional sports world has encountered a cheating scandal surrounding the Super Bowl, domestic assault charges against world-famous soccer player Hope Solo — as well as the Ray Rice scandal that took over media for weeks — and a rape investigation involving one the National Hockey League’s most prominent young players, Patrick Kane. And now, in a never ending cycle of allowing athlete idolization come before what is morally and legally right, Greg Hardy of the Dallas Cowboys has been thrown into the spotlight for all the wrong reasons.
Within the past week, photos of injuries sustained by Hardy’s ex-girlfriend at the hands of the NFL star surfaced online, causing an extreme uproar. While the incident in question, as well as the judicial process, took place in 2014, photos from police and prosecution records were released by Deadspin, showing the graphic extent of the injuries. What is sparking outrage nationwide is that — despite the fact that Friday marked the first time these photos were seen by the public — the NFL has had access to the photos, and for quite some time. And all that anger came forward when the Cowboys, the team Hardy signed with after the Carolina Panthers released him due to his original assault conviction, took on the Eagles on Sunday.
The Cowboys and Eagles played an almost uncomfortably awful game, probably due to the fact that the talent in the NFC East is just not quite there this year. But nothing was more awkward or more uncomfortable than those covering the game having to figure out how to talk about Greg Hardy. Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth, some of the sport’s best announcers, openly admitted that they were uneasy when having to include Greg Hardy in the game’s narrative, and reasonably so. They said what all football fans were thinking, and, like any other normal human being, they felt the way most fans were feeling.
Players and reporters took to social media after the game to voice their displeasure.
“There are three types of people I have zero respect for in this world,” Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce told Philly.com. “It’s people who hit women, people who molest children, and rapists. I’m glad he didn’t have a good day and... I don’t know. I think it’s a joke a guy like that is able to play this quickly.”
ESPN reporter Ed Werder wrote, “If the Cowboys were not aware of the evidence against Greg Hardy, it was because they chose not to know. Jerry Jones knew what he was doing.”
The NFL has once again let down fans and missed an opportunity to repair its reputation by doing what is right. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell can barely do anything else, especially considering the power that owners like Jerry Jones hold. The league did practically nothing to reprimand Hardy; he served only a four-game suspension after his original 10-game ban was reduced. Hardy is considered a valuable commodity to the league, which is why he is still an active player, while others who have been in his same predicament are not.
The bruises that show the brutal domestic violence Hardy inflicted upon his now ex-girlfriend may be visible, but as long as things continue the way they’re going, the National Football League and it’s players will always be unblemished. Hardy, like many before him, has gotten away with this because of his size, athleticism and ability to win games. All of these players have gotten away with ignoring the rules solely because they are good at football. And based on the state of things right now, it seems as though that will always be the case.
