Cowboys DE Greg Hardy's suspension reduced to 4 games, but dispute might not be over
By DAVID MOORE
An arbiter has reduced Greg Hardy’s suspension from 10 to four games, the NFL announced Friday afternoon, but the dispute with the Dallas Cowboys defensive end might not be over.
Harold Henderson, the former NFL executive appointed by Roger Goodell to hear Hardy’s appeal, sliced six games off the commissioner’s original ruling.
It is unclear if Hardy will fight the ruling for further reduction. Hardy and his representatives previously have indicated they will challenge any suspension beyond two games, the punishment outlined by the league at the time of the incident before it was amended.
Hardy's agent, Drew Rosenhaus, said the plan is to discuss the next move with Hardy, his lawyers and the NFLPA. They are still considering further legal action.
In an emailed statement, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones sad: “We are looking forward to the start of the season and having Greg be a part of the team."
Henderson is the same person who upheld the commissioner’s punishment on Minnesota running back Adrian Peterson last season, a case that eventually wound up in court before Peterson was reinstated by the league.
If Hardy returns after four games, he will be eligible to play for the Cowboys' Week 5 game against the Patriots.
Jan Langbein, the CEO of Dallas' Genesis Women's Shelter, said she was disappointed but not surprised by the decision.
She questioned why the punishment should change if the incident has not.
"Four-game suspension is what is given for questions about ball inflation," Langbein said, referring to the suspension given to the New England Patriots' Tom Brady. "Clearly in this situation, wins are more important than women."
Goodell informed Hardy of his ruling in a letter in April. He told the Pro Bowl defensive end that the league’s extensive two-month investigation “determined that there was sufficient credible evidence that Hardy engaged in conduct that violated NFL policies in multiple respects and with aggravating circumstances.’’
The letter went on to inform Hardy that the investigation concluded that Hardy used physical force against his former girlfriend, Nicole Holder, in at least four instances that included placing his hands around her neck and applying enough pressure to leave visible marks, shoving her against a wall and throwing her on a futon covered with at least four semi-automatic rifles.
“The net effect of these acts was that Ms. Holder was severely traumatized and sustained a range of injuries, including bruises and scratches on her neck, shoulders, upper chest, back, arms and feet,” commissioner Goodell wrote in the letter. “The use of physical force under the circumstances present here, against a woman substantially smaller than you and in the presence of powerful, military-style assault weapons, constitutes a significant act of violence in violation of the Personal Conduct Policy.”
Goodell stated in his view, the length of the suspension was appropriate under any version of the personal conduct policy or its predecessors.
The NFL Players Association requested a neutral arbiter, just as it did last year when Goodell appointed Henderson to hear Adrian Peterson’s appeal. Henderson upheld that ruling, but the court then ordered the league and the union to go through the appeals process. Peterson was subsequently reinstated by the league.
Hardy’s appeal focused on the argument that the punishment doesn’t fit what was outlined by the personal conduct policy at the time of the incident.
A judge did find Hardy guilty of domestic violence in July of 2014 and gave him 18 months probation after suspending a 60-day jail sentence. But Hardy and his attorney appealed, asking for a jury trial in a superior court. Charges were dismissed earlier this year when prosecutors were unable to locate the accuser, Holder, who failed to appear in court.