When Dallas Cowboys defensive end Greg Hardy’s 10-game suspension was first handed down, there were two thoughts everybody had about it; 1. That’s a lot of games for a guy facing no legal sanction for his actions and 2. There’s no way it will hold up and not be reduced.
Greg Hardy is now eligible for:
Week 5 vs. NE
Week 7 at NYG
Week 8 vs. SEA
Week 9 vs PHI
Week 10 at TB
Week 11 at MIA pic.twitter.com/i1gOzgvyHZ— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) July 10, 2015
It turns out we were all correct. Arbitrator Harold Henderson reduced Hardy’s suspension from 10 games to just four games, agreeing with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell that he had the authority to suspend him, but 10 games was going to far. Considering Hardy was arrested for body slamming his girlfriend into a stockpile of AK-47s, I’m not too sure that’s the case. But, I don’t have any kind of law degree.
“The egregious conduct exhibited here is indefensible in the NFL,” Henderson ruled. “However, 10 games is simply too much, in my view, of an increase over prior cases without notice such as was done last year, when the `baseline’ for discipline in domestic violence or sexual assault cases was announced as a six-game suspension.”
With NFL announcing Cowboys' Greg Hardy suspension reduced to 4 games, Hardy's first game back would be against the Patriots on Oct. 11.
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) July 10, 2015
Hardy, you’ll remember, was convicted of domestic violence last year, but appealed the decision. The conviction was vacated because Hardy’s suplex victim, Nicole Holder, took a payoff and went into hiding, refusing to testify against him. Just like the framers of our legal system envisioned.
Hardy was forced to sit out 15 games last season on the commissioner’s exempt list but still got to collect his $13 million franchise tender from the Carolina Panthers. The Cowboys signed Hardy as a free agent this offseason, giving him a $13.1 million contract with plenty of incentives. Hopefully one of them is a bonus not to bulldog a stripper into a sword case.
The Cowboys are happy to have Hardy back, even if its just for 12 games. Hardy can play in all four preseason games and is even considering an appeal of the four-game suspension, if you can believe it.
Cowboys DE Greg Hardy's next move is deciding whether to file suit vs NFL in federal court to have 4-game suspension further reduced.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 11, 2015
“We are looking forward to the start of the season,” Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said in a statement. “And having Greg be a part of the team.”
Hardy had back-to-back double-digit sack seasons for Carolina back in 2012-2013. His 2013 season was his best, with 59 tackles, 15 sacks, one forced fumble and one pass defensed. Hardy’s tackle and sack stats for his relationship with Holder have not been released, but he was probably an All-Pro at that too.
Bills coach Aaron Kromer punched a kid in the face
Buffalo Bills offensive line coach Aaron Kromer might be looking for a new job this week, preferably one where he doesn’t interact with children or small animals, after being arrested for punching a child and threatening to kill his family.
Kromer was arrested Sunday morning and charged for misdemeanor battery in Florida. Florida law enforcement should be experts on that charge by now.
Buffalo Bills OL coach Aaron Kromer has been arrested on suspicion of battery after an alleged altercation with a boy http://t.co/PCatiVPrVj
— Los Angeles Times (@latimes) July 12, 2015
Kromer and his son got into an altercation with three kids who were fishing on a beach. Kromer had a problem with the kids using their beach chairs. I guess the chairs were Kromer’s, but the report isn’t clear. What is clear is that Kromer takes beach chair use seriously and when the kids didn’t comply, he threw their fishing poles into the sea, punched one of the kids and threatened to kill his family if he reported the incident to the police.
The kid reported the incident to the police.
Walton County sheriff's office says that Aaron Kromer's misdemeanor battery charge was against a juvenile son of his neighbor.
— Mike Rodak (@mikerodak) July 12, 2015
If Kromer’s name sounds familiar it’s because he was the Chicago Bears’ offensive coordinator who tossed Jay Cutler under the bus last season to the media, then cried about it front of the team. Cutler must have been using one of Kromer’s beach chairs.
NFLPA investigating collusion between Cowboys and Broncos
The Dallas Cowboys and Denver Broncos both have elite, and high-priced, wide receivers unsigned but tagged with the franchise tender. Because of that, the NFLPA believes that the teams have been in contact with each other during the negotiations, in order to compare contracts and, potentially, save each other a little money.
That’s against the rules of the last collective bargaining agreement. If the teams did collude, then both Dez Bryant and Demaryius Thomas could sue them for damages, potentially costing both teams more money than they would have saved by colluding with each other to begin with. Collusion is hard to prove, though, so more than likely this is just a threat from the NFLPA for both teams to cut it out.
