Extra Points: On Greg Hardy and second chances

Mar 20, 2015 - 8:49 PM Philadelphia, PA (SportsNetwork.com) - Greg Hardy is a pariah but he's also a pariah who happens to rush the passer at a very high level.

And that's the kind of skill that never goes out of style in the NFL so there was little doubt that the former Carolina All-Pro was going to get a second chance.

The Dallas Cowboys proved to be one team desperate enough to take on all the public-relations hurdles and agreed to terms with the star defensive end on an incentive-laded, one-year deal.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said in a statement that Hardy's agreement is "heavily weighted" toward his participation in games -- a necessary wrinkle, given that Hardy could still be suspended by the NFL at any time.

Hardy, of course, is in the general public's cross hairs after his 2014 season was cut short because of an ugly domestic violence case from last May when he was accused of threatening the life of his former girlfriend and throwing her on a couch covered with assault rifles and shotguns.

The Ole Miss product was placed on the commissioner's exempt list in September after playing in Carolina's season opener and was deactivated by the team after that.

The woman claimed Hardy told her all the weapons were loaded but all charges were eventually dismissed last month after the alleged victim did not appear to testify.

Hardy was originally found guilty of two misdemeanors -- assault on a female and communicating threats -- by a judge last July but appealed the decision, asking for a jury trial.

According to court papers, the alleged victim never made herself available to the Mecklenburg County district attorney's office and law enforcement officials were unable to locate her to serve a subpoena.

The prosecution claimed it had reliable information she had reached a civil settlement with Hardy. In other words, Hardy paid off his victim to go away.

Hardy remains on the exempt list and still needs to be reinstated to play for the Cowboys. Additional punishment from the NFL is a probable, especially with the heightened focus on domestic violence issues following the Ray Rice and Adrian Peterson scandals.

"We have spent a great deal of time over the last two days in meeting with Greg directly and gaining a solid understanding of what he is all about as a person and as a football player," Jones said after his team made the leap. "A thorough background review of him, involving many elements of our organization, has been ongoing for the last few weeks.

"Obviously a great deal of our study was dedicated to the issue of domestic violence, and the recent events that associated Greg with that issue. We know that Greg's status remains under review by the National Football League.

"Our organization understands the very serious nature of domestic violence in our society and in our league. We know that Greg has a firm understanding of those issues as well."

Others didn't buy Jones' spin, however.

Dallas mayor Mike Rawlings strayed from the political arena to take Jones and Co. to task.

"As a Cowboys fan, this was a shot in the gut," the mayor told reporters.

"I'm a big Cowboys fan. I love them to death but, at some point, being a sports fan gets trumped by being a father, husband, wanting to do what's right for women, so this is not a good thing. I don't think I'm going to be buying Hardy jerseys any time soon."

Rawlings also confirmed he contacted the Cowboys directly to air his grievances.

"It is something that I heard about and immediately called the Cowboys," Rawlings said. "I had a couple of conversations with them because I wanted to hear their side. That doesn't mean I have to agree with every play that's called and every person that's hired, and in this case, I don't."

Rawlings was just the opening act, though, as longtime Dallas-area radio voice Dale Hansen took aim at Hardy, the Cowboys and the league.

"Is there no crime you won't accept?" Hansen asked rhetorically.

"Greg Hardy's jersey is being sold at the Cowboys online pro shop now," he continued. "You could get one for your sister or daughter and then explain to her that Hardy beats up women, but we're cheering him now because he's really good on game day, and game day is all that really matters to me. Your daughter will understand."

The sarcastic Hansen saved his harshest criticism for Jason Garrett, calling the Cowboys coach either "a fraud and a hypocrite," or "a puppet," with no say in Dallas' business.

"It was Jason Garrett's dad, Jim -- a former Cowboys scout -- who famously said, 'This isn't the Boy Scouts; this is professional football,'" Hansen ranted. "Well, it's not Carolina football, Jim. They let Hardy go. The team that knows him best didn't want him anymore . But it is your son's professional football.

"It's the Cowboys' way now. You taught him well, Jim, ... you taught him well."

For what it's worth I'll go with puppet on Garrett, a coach with virtually no input on personnel matters in North Texas.

That reality, however, in no way absolves Garrett because it's hard to believe any coach would turn his nose up at an edge rusher who registered 15 sacks in 2013, including the Panthers' Ron Rivera, who would love to still have Hardy on his team.

Whatever your personal feelings regarding Hardy, though, it comes down to this: you either believe in second chances or you don't.

There should be no sliding scale based on an individual's perceived morality or how you might rate various offenses, be it domestic abuse, child abuse, animal abuse, PEDs, DUIs, weed or any other crimes or vices you can think of.

As an animal lover whose best moments in life are spent with my dog Isabella I abhorred what Michael Vick did and certainly didn't want to see him back in the NFL. On a professional level, though, I was able to recognize Vick paid his debt to society and deserved an opportunity to make a living in his chosen profession.

Purveyors of political correctness think they are legislating tolerance. Ironically, they are just organizing hatred.

And there are some really good reasons to hate Hardy or at least what he was accused of doing but none of them are good enough to erect the slippery slope that blackballs him from the game of football.