Greg Hardy Release Not Happening Because Of Jerry Jones

A Greg Hardy release would be something that most NFL owners would decide on after disturbing photos of domestic violence incident went public, but Jerry Jones is not like most NFL owners.

They say that a picture is worth a thousand words. While we knew about Hardy beating up his girlfriend, no one outside of the incident really knew the severity of the situation. Millions of people were mortified yesterday when those graphic photos were released to the public.

When celebrities are involved in something bad, the public become emotional and opinions start to flow. To the surprise of no one, people were even more upset with Hardy than they were before. Many were calling upon the Dallas Cowboys to look past football and release the defensive end from the team.

Even several members of the media are calling for Jerry Jones to get rid of Hardy. Christine Brennan of USA Today feels that Hardy should be kicked out of the NFL altogether. ESPN senior writer Ian O’Connor took it a step further by encouraging fans to give Jones a wake up call in regard to how he is handling the Hardy situation.

Never one to be shy about defying others, Jones is not going to call for a Greg Hardy release. The longtime owner of the Cowboys told the Dallas media that the team was going to be supportive of their new defensive end. Jones is more likely to announce a Hardy contract extension than a Greg Hardy release.

Many are critical of Jones because they feel that he is putting football victories over everything else. The Cowboys desperately needed a better pass rush. Despite all of his mental flaws, Hardy remains one of the best when it comes to attacking quarterbacks.

Some will point out how the Carolina Panthers were willing to do a Greg Hardy release when the controversy became too much. He was a great pass rusher for Carolina, and the Panthers certainly did not want to lose a great defensive asset. Their defense managed to survive the loss of Hardy, as Carolina is currently sitting on an 8-0 record this year.

The Dallas Cowboys are going to need to get used to hearing a few more boos during games. Jones is not too concerned about that. He knows that there are plenty of fans out there that will support the Cowboys no matter what, as evidenced by the fact that Dallas still sells a ton of merchandise even when they are having bad seasons.

Jones and the Cowboys will also be confronted by several groups that are dedicated to protecting women from domestic abuse. Protests are likely to be held outside the various NFL stadiums that the Cowboys will be visiting in the foreseeable future. There are still people who protest against Michael Vick because they have lingering feelings about his past treatment of dogs.

NFL players are going to try to capitalize on this situation. Offensive linemen are going to try to get into the head of Hardy by making jokes and insults about the situation. Hardy has shown a tendency to be ill tempered, so that might have an effect on him being able to stay on the field.

There may be some backlash on the business side of things for the Dallas Cowboys. Certain advertisers and sponsors may decide to back away out of fear of being associated with a franchise that will not release Greg Hardy. However, there should still be plenty of companies that will stick around because they know that the Cowboys can generate so much revenue for them.

A Greg Hardy release is something that the rest of the world wants, but it is not what Jerry Jones wants.

[ Featured Photo by Christian Petersen / Getty Images ]