The NFL’s domestic violence issues remain at the forefront of the league’s public image. Its handling of player misconduct is porous across the board, but especially so when it comes to players and their acts of aggression or violence off the field. Greg Hardy’s villainous smile stars on the NFL’s poster of mismanaged situations. His 10-game suspension was reduced down to four games, and he is now eligible to play this week against the New England Patriots. One would think that Hardy used this time to learn from his mistakes and to be contrite in his media appearances; he has not, proving he’s still a “garbage human.”
Jerry Jones’ reaction to Hardy’s comments in the media about coming out “guns blazin'” and Tom Brady’s wife aren’t helping things. In an interview with Sports Illustrated, Jones comes off initially as stunned by Hardy’s comments and then offers an awkward explanation:
Like the commissioner, Jones claimed he was unaware of the comments. When told about Hardy’s “blazin” statement, Jones’s immediate response was “Oh my goodness.” He then briefly paused before offering an explanation.
“Well, you’re not allowed to have guns on the football field. We all know that’s just a way of expressing yourself. I hope his guns are ablazin’,” Jones said
[…]
“When I saw him marry her [Gisele], Tom went up in my eyes 100%. She’s very very attractive and it shows what an outstanding individual Tom is.”
Did Jerry Jones just say that marrying someone attractive makes you an outstanding individual? Roger Goodell has a long list of missteps in his handling of domestic violence, and basically every player conduct issue. But Jones, along with the other 31 owners, is his boss. With comments like these, it’s easy to pinpoint why exactly the NFL has an issue addressing delicate issues, especially pertaining to women.
