Despite being arrested over a year ago, the public is just starting to get a glimpse of the damage that Greg Hardy inflicted on his girlfriend, Nicole Holder during a domestic dispute in 2014. Pictures of Holder's back and face with multiple bruises arose on the website Deadspin, along with several reports from the case and transcripts of interviews. If you're interested in all the details from the relationship, or in seeing the pictures for yourself, this is the article that had the bulk of the information. Something that stuck out was a comment that Holder made when she was picked up by the police: "Nothing is going to happen to him anyways".
She wasn't wrong. Hardy's punishment was a ten-game suspension that later got shortened down to four. However, he is still regarded as a "leader" by the Cowboys and has gone on to become an even bigger NFL star. My only question is, are we really that surprised?
This past year, the NFL has been under serious scrutiny about how lenient they are when one of their players missteps. (For example, Ray Rice was only suspended for two games until the video of his elevator assault was released by TMZ). Cases like Ray Rice and Adrian Peterson have put the league under pressure to strengthen their domestic abuse policies but these men are still able to appeal their suspensions and possibly get back on to the field. Is this really right though?
Being able to play for the NFL should be considered a privilege and a major responsibility. By taking a stand against men like Hardy, Rice, and Peterson, it sends the message that domestic abuse will not be tolerated and abusers will not be allowed to play football for mass audiences. There have been too many cases where the victim's silence was bought and the charges were dropped. There have been too many times when victims were discouraged from coming forward, because they knew that these players wouldn't be held accountable. Personally, I don't see the value of signing these men to a team because it only garners a negative reputation for the brand. Why sign players who have a violent history off the field and could be a potential risk? If you want to argue that these men are talented on the field, then sure, but there are plenty of talented football players out there who haven't been abusive.
People also may argue that professional football players are more susceptible to false accusations because of their spotlight, and while they make a good point, these recent cases have produced major evidence with pictures and film. When the evidence is so clearly blatant, it is up to the NFL to recognize their player's misconduct and treat it with a level of seriousness that shows that this kind of behavior will not be accepted. Sadly, it seems like the NFL still has a long way to go.
