UPDATE: Greg Hardy Deactivated By the Panthers, Will NOT Play Against Lions
Despite reports last night to the contrary, the Panthers announced today that they have in fact deactivated Greg Hardy in light of the recent domestic violence scandal surrounding him. Hardy, who was convicted of beating and threatening to kill his girlfriend this past July, is currently awaiting trial by jury regarding the incident. Greg Hardy plays defensive end for the team.
Hardy was originally approved by the Carolina Panthers to play today against the Detroit Lions, but after many expressed outrage over the team’s decision, it appears that the Panthers have reevaluated their decision and ultimately chosen to pull Greg from the lineup.
Considering the controversy surrounding the NFL since the Ray Rice scandal broke, the league has been intensely criticized for their handling of these situations, and the Panthers’ initial decision to let Hardy play through his appeal has only made things worse for the NFL and the Carolina Panthers, in this case.
The controversy surrounding Greg prompted Panthers owner Jerry Richardson to address the issue while receiving an award this past week.
“Standing before you tonight, I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge an issue weighing heavily on our sport and our society. When it comes to domestic violence, my stance is not one of indifference. I stand firmly against domestic violence, plain and simple”, Richardson said. “To those who would suggest that we’ve been too slow to act, I ask that you consider not to be too quick to judge. Over the course of our 20 years, we have worked extremely hard to build an organization of integrity … I will work hard to continue to earn your trust.”
The team has yet to officially release a statement regarding their decision, which was made only 90 minutes before game time. Despite being pulled from the game, it is being reported that Hardy will still receive his $770,588 paycheck for today’s game against the Lions. Greg played in the season opener last week.
The #Panthers will address Greg Hardy decision after today’s home opener vs the #Lions concludes.
— Jennifer Hale (@JenHale504) September 14, 2014
Despite Greg being deactivated at the last minute, there still remains a great deal of criticism directed towards NFL commissioner Roger Goodell for his handling of the multiple domestic abuse cases that have surrounded the league. Richardson has expressed his full support for Goodell and is currently recruiting other team owners to rally around the commissioner.
Hardy was convicted of throwing his now ex-girlfriend Nicole Holder in a bathtub, dragging her by her hair and choking her while threatening her life, all of this reportedly occurring on the night of May 13th.
Greg Hardy, 26, is a Tennessee native whose college career included playing for Ole Miss.
Greg was drafted by the Panthers in 2010. Following his conviction, Hardy sought to appeal the ruling and is currently scheduled to appear in court again this coming November.
