RichNhansom":1dnmelt8 said:
Is there more to his story than just this one instance or details that I am not aware of? I know it looks bad but unless he has a pattern I don't know how you can't question if he was set up by a woman wanting a payoff.
If he is a locker room cancer then no. If he has shown a pattern then no. If there is proof of the act then no but if none of those criteria are met the hell yes. I could care less about an isolated incident as long as he can be a good team mate and keep his nose clean.
Well the details are all over the place - he called 911 on her for attacking him, not the other way around. She could be heard on the 911 call screaming and you could hear things being smashed in the background. Obviously the sound doesn't tell us what is being smashed or who is doing it. When the police arrived, they noted no signs of injury and she got out of dodge quickly (because she had either cocaine or marijuana with her, according to her testimony). Later on, she appears with bruises and claims that she was thrown around, strangled, slammed on a bed full of "automatic looking rifles" and beaten with a toilet seat. It takes a very tough woman, imo, to be beaten by a 290 lb NFL player and only have superficial bruises. Hardy is then charged with a misdemeanor (yes, he missed 15 games due to a misdemeanor charge.)
The case went to court with a noted feminist judge. The accuser shows up several hours late; trial goes well into the night and the judge gives Hardy a guilty verdict. Keep in mind, this was a bench trial, not a jury trial.
The ruling (that caught every single member of the media in attendance by surprise) was quickly appealed and a trial by jury was scheduled.
As far as isolated incidents.... well, Hardy hasn't always shown great judgment. He had a motorcycle accident his rookie year. He tweeted a picture of dozens and dozens of shot glasses presumably for him. He tweeted a picture of his Bentley's speedometer well over 100 MPH (taken from the driver's POV). He was recently cited for speeding in a work zone. The combination of his excessive alcohol use, dangerous driving habits, and the women he associates with show he lacks sound judgment, imo.
However, from everything I can gather, he is a great teammate. He needs a mentor and life coach more than anything.