Greg Hardy: Dallas Cowboys Will Not Release DE

Greg Hardy came to the Dallas Cowboys with plenty of baggage that was anticipated, which is why the defensive end won’t be released.

I think that what bothers me the most about the continued coverage of Dallas Cowboys defensive end Greg Hardy – the off-the-field version – is the apparent idea that this is the first time the NFL has dealt with an issue like this. The only only reason it’s still a dragging story is because of the recent release of photos regarding Hardy’s altercation with ex-girlfriend Nicole Holder early last year.

The collective rap sheet of NFL personnel at any given time is nothing less than staggering. Here’s a look at just what happened in 2014 alone. These numbers rival that of elected officials in this country, which you may or not be aware of. The numbers really are unbelievable when you stop and take a look.

Unfortunately for most people, when the mainstream press finally does jump on a given story that involves off-the-field transgressions, the general assumption is that it’s some rare incident that must, at all costs, be nipped in the bud before the world collapses into a pile of rubble.

The reality, however, is that domestic violence has existed in the NFL for decades and decades, and this problem has only begun to be addressed properly by the legal system. Even at that, this problem continues within society and will remain a thorn for the foreseeable future.

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The fix is not suspending or releasing football players suspected of committing such acts. This solution lies somewhere much deeper within society’s parenting efforts that simply aren’t up to the task, at least not across the board.

The Cowboys had plenty of knowledge regarding Greg Hardy’s legal situation. Whether they actually saw photos or not several months back, the brass of this franchise knew plenty – much more than you or I – regarding what’s believed to have happened between Hardy and Holder. This likely includes details of the financial settlement reached, which obviously killed the case.

There’s next to no chance that Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones is going to release Hardy.

Ex-NFL punter Chris Kluwe has a history of speaking up regarding issues that both the NFL and society are slow, if not flat-out reluctant, to address. His views on same-sex marriage might have been ahead of the curve just a few years back, but legislation throughout the United States has begun to catch up.

Kluwe took to Twitter this week and openly thrashed the Cowboys organization for signing Greg Hardy to an incentive-laden contract which requires Hardy to walk a very thin line – a stipulation that this player has met completely from a legal standpoint.

But only in the wake of the recently released photos did Kluwe begin his promotion of this event, which is now closer to two-years old than it is just one. Sure, bad news doesn’t really have an expiration date, but Kluwe misses a major detail in his public thoughts.

The fact is that the legal system did all it could regarding the Hardy case. Holder, in fact, was probably the biggest reason that this case went no further than it did, either because of her inconsistent testimony that Greg Hardy’s defense was about to prey upon or her acceptance of a lot of money just before vanishing.

The issue is simply dead.

Further, Kluwe sarcastically requests that NFL Network get some coverage of these photos, citing the suggestion that they are football related news.

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In fact, the Greg Hardy case is not football related in any way shape or form. This would only be true if Hardy was guilty of causing football-related injuries during games or practices – and he was proven to be doing so on purpose.

I’ve said this before on several occasions, but the legal system is there to handle violent crimes in a court of law. This process has done all it can, and that’s pretty much that. Further, Greg Hardy has already served a four-game suspension in addition to losing a whole season of playing time – it matters not that he was paid during the 2014 season in which he missed virtually the entire year on the gridiron.

We live in a country that not only offers one of the better legal systems in the world, but also a nation that craves football. The ironic reality is that football just happens to be, by far, the most violent team-sport in the world. Until flags replace pads, which might very happen before all is said and done, true gladiators are going to be the preferred character choice to play this game. The idea that there’s going to be an influx of choir boys replacing the Greg Hardy-types anytime soon is ridiculous.

Also lost is the fact that had the Cowboys not signed Greg Hardy, another team certainly would have – this might have only taken hours.

I haven’t heard a thing regarding the fact that the two-time defending NFC Champion Seattle Seahawks had a visit with Hardy scheduled last March, regardless of the fact the franchise lied to the press.

The day that the NFL, or the Cowboys, decides to cut and banish all football players with any level of criminal history to better either its image or society is the day that we can all line up and crucify the Cowboys for a decision made some eight months ago.

Next: Cowboys: Tony Romo Deserves League MVP

Until then, football is just a television program watched by hundreds of millions of people each year. It’s quite clear that, for the sake of entertainment, the viewing public really doesn’t care about what entertainers do off the field, off camera or away from a recording studio.

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