Greg Hardy has been in the headlines since he was arrested on domestic violence charges. Now he has one more supporter on his side in Hall of Fame linebacker Lawrence Taylor
Dallas Cowboys defensive end Greg Hardy has been the center of attention since he was charged for domestic violence in 2014. Jerry Jones has been one of his top supporters throughout the criticism mainly due to his play on the field. Now, Hall of Fame linebacker Lawrence Taylor has his back since “it’s not clear what has happened,”as he told the NY Times.
“I think [the Cowboys] needed to give him another chance because it’s not clear what happened,” Taylor said. “It’s not really 100% clear what happened. So listen, I think they need to give him a chance.”
Taylor couldn’t be more wrong when it comes to Hardy’s actions being “100% clear”. The pictures of his abuse surfaced earlier this month and many were shocked when the league nor the Cowboys failed to take action. Instead, Jones has said Hardy shows “leadership” after blowing up in his coaches face. In addition, hitting anybody, including females or significant others, isn’t leadership.
Specifically, Taylor added why he applauds the Cowboys for signing Hardy.
“I think he is going to make the best of that second chance because I’ll tell you what, he could have been screwed,” Taylor continued. “A lot of people have been screwed in this league. But he got a do-over, and you got to do the best you can. You got to make the best you can with that do-over.”
Everyone makes mistakes and people should be giving second chances. However, not all mistakes are equal and decisions have consequences. Being involved with domestic violence charges is a serious mistake and no one should be supporting that. In addition, no one should be defending someone’s action like Hardy did. There’s a reason why Hardy is still on the Cowboys and that’s because people like Jerry Jones and Taylor are enabling him. They are both essentially saying no matter the crime or mistake or decision second chances should be given after being given a slap on the wrist.
Hardy, like Ray Rice did last year, should have been suspended for a full year. Yet, the NFL has a flawed disciplinary system and have owners who care more about the bottom line than making sure their athletes are acting appropriately and respectfully. For Taylor, he is not representing what Hall of Fame football players should be. Instead, he’s more interested in seeing stars continue to play and has no idea how serious domestic violence is despite the clear photos that have surfaced.