It has not been proven in a court of law or decided by a jury that Greg Hardy beat his ex-girlfriend, but the court of public opinion ruled long ago on Hardy. We’ve seen the pictures, and we’re aware that he was indeed found guilty by a judge.
Hardy’s accuser didn’t show up for his jury trial, purportedly because he paid her off. That’s legal, and from a legal standpoint Hardy is in the clear. But again, the public, and by extension his potential employers, are allowed to draw their own conclusions.
Hardy earned a second chance last year with the Dallas Cowboys and proceeded to squander that by becoming a distraction in the Dallas locker room. And his chances of earning a third chance may have gone out the window on Tuesday, when Hardy did a hell of a lot more harm than good to his reputation by again failing to take on any blame or express any remorse regarding any of his past actions.
In an interview with ESPN, Hardy failed to give the public anything to forgive him for. And that stubbornness might ultimately do as much damage as anything else. Because we love to rally around those expressing remorse in an honest and vulnerable fashion, but Hardy refuses to let his ego do that. Instead, he’s making things worse for himself every time he talks.
I get it, Hardy is looking for a job. But every NFL general manager has already reviewed the details of his alleged transgressions and has formulated an opinion, so digging in like a child and pointing to technicalities only hurts his chances of convincing one of those potential employers that he has turned a corner.
Nobody was interested in hearing Hardy issue another unbelievable denial, which is why nothing changed on Tuesday. Despite his talents, he’s unemployable.
What’s funny is there are NFL executives out there just begging for an excuse to sign Greg Hardy, but Hardy refuses to give them what they need to justify doing so, which is a semblance of an indication that he has changed.
