Arbitrator Harold Henderson is a rubber stamp

[MRV52]

No way he accepts 6 games, he will get 2 to 4 games if he takes this to the end.

 

[Stash]

Hardy would file for an injunction to prevent the suspension from being implemented pending the results of the court appeal. That would likely hold up.

And that's what I'm hopeful gets done. Otherwise, even if the NFL loses, they'll simply appeal it - like they did with the Adrian Peterson ruling against them - and drag things out to the point in time where the suspension would have been served anyway.

The pressure needs to be put on the NFL to resolve the case, not the player. Because if the league can stall, they will.

 

[AbeBeta]

The NFL doesn't even pretend to be fair and balanced.

I've looked at Harold Henderson's history, and I have yet to find a single case in which he overturned a suspension.

The most favorable result was McBean settling a 6 game suspension into a 3 game suspension.

I wonder if the NFL will offer Hardy a settlement, and if that is why they went with such a high total count. My speculation is that they would offer him 6 games, and I'm also guessing he would take it.

If they don't offer him a settlement and there is a good chance that they won't, I think Hardy takes this to court, and probably has stronger standing.

I would say if they offer him a 6 game settlement he should take it rather than going to court.

We're really going to need him in there for the Seahawks game as well as the second Eagles game. I think those are the two most crucial games that he can't miss after the first 4, though it would be great to have him in the second Giants game, and against the Patriots if Brady's suspension is either reduced or voided in court. However we probably won't know the circumstances of that until after Hardy's hearing.

I think a neutral arbitrator would have thrown out any further suspension, and maybe given him a large fine. The NFL is so heavy handed it isn't even funny.

A neutral arbitrator would completely overturn it? Doubtful. Aside from losing the potential for future income - something that is more about being a woman beating POS than having missed 15 games (all paid) last year, he's not been penalized.

Y'all need to stop painting Hardy as the victim here.

 

[LandryFan]

I think there is a strong case to take it to court, don't get me wrong. A lot of the language in Doty's decision definitely helps Hardy. It just isn't a slam dunk.

I think they made a 10 game suspension and put their rubber stamper there to try and force a settlement.

A part of the logic in giving Hardy 10 games was that the league said Hardy struck the girl 4 times (?) and, therefore, said 4 instances of DV occurred (if I understand the story correctly). Nowhere else, to my knowledge, has the league ever done that...they sure didn't say Brady cheated 11 times based on the number of balls that were deflated. The league's logic in determining guilt/doling out punishment is very inconsistent, to put it lightly. If I'm Hardy, I take the league to court if my suspension is any longer than 2 games. If I lose, I lose. However, I think there's a very great chance that he wins. I believe the reward far outweighs the risk, here. JMO

 

[tyke1doe]

Anything more than 2 and he should take it to court, simply based on the premise that Ray Rice was given 2 games for pleading guilty and the charges against him were eventually dropped. Maybe if they offer 4 games, but I think at best they would try and use the new policy and offer 6.

Why not take it to court? If you do (and I doubt it would be decided before the start of the season), you have Hardy available for the suspended games.

If he gets suspended later in the season, you (hopefully) have a more seasoned Lawrence and Gregory providing the pass rush in his absence.

And I really don't think Hardy will be much good to us if he has to sit out six to 10 games. Many seem to think he can just step in and provide a pass rush. But he will have effectively missed more than an entire season.

No, IMO, you roll the dice and let the courts decide if it's anything more than two games. I might be tempted with a four-game suspension.

 

[Galian Beast]

Agree!

Again, he never said that.

 

[Galian Beast]

Why not take it to court? If you do (and I doubt it would be decided before the start of the season), you have Hardy available for the suspended games.

If he gets suspended later in the season, you (hopefully) have a more seasoned Lawrence and Gregory providing the pass rush in his absence.

And I really don't think Hardy will be much good to us if he has to sit out six to 10 games. Many seem to think he can just step in and provide a pass rush. But he will have effectively missed more than an entire season.

No, IMO, you roll the dice and let the courts decide if it's anything more than two games. I might be tempted with a four-game suspension.

Taking it to court risks the potential of losing, where a settlement can get him back sooner for sure.

And what if one of them is injured?

He hasn't missed time due to injury, this is pretty baseless. He hasn't been sitting on his couch all this time either.

 

[LittleD]

I agree..............this has settlement written all over it.................6 games is probably what the league is looking at and even though I think it is total BS, I would advise Hardy to take the deal.

I also think it is no accident that we play almost our entire divisional schedule within the first 6 games of the season when normally all the division games at put at the end of the season. This was obviously done on purpose.

I agree the conspiracy with Mara and the Commish pulling the puppet strings is sickening.

 

[Galian Beast]

A neutral arbitrator would completely overturn it? Doubtful. Aside from losing the potential for future income - something that is more about being a woman beating POS than having missed 15 games (all paid) last year, he's not been penalized.

Y'all need to stop painting Hardy as the victim here.

A neutral arbitrator would look at Jones' and Doty's rulings and look for a consistent punishment. Which would generally be 1-3 games and potentially a fine.

Seeing as how he already missed 15 games, a fine with no additional suspension would be the logical and consistent result.

This has nothing to do with the alleged crime or the distaste for it. It has to do with the law and need for consistency based on the CBA.

 

[tyke1doe]

Taking it to court risks the potential of losing, where a settlement can get him back sooner for sure.

And what if one of them is injured?

He hasn't missed time due to injury, this is pretty baseless. He hasn't been sitting on his couch all this time either.

First, what is baseless?

Second, as far as the Cowboys' needs (and, really, that's all I'm looking at), the Cowboys benefit more if he challenges the suspension in court. Why?

1. If he does, that means he gets to play.
2. Let's assume the case gets solved during the season ...
a.) if it's two games, that's just two games of rest for him.
b.) if it's six games, it's still deeper in the season at a time when Gregory and Lawrence are more experienced in their pass rushing abilities.
3. Let's assume the court upholds the 10-game suspension. It's likely going to come in the middle of the season or even at the end. If in the middle, then the above scenario with Lawrence and Gregory applies. If at the end of the season, we may not need him anyway for the 2016 season.

I say challenge it in court.

 

[YosemiteSam]

Galian, are you in school for Sports journalism? I've been monitoring all the threads you've been creating and they come off with the same descent that most sports media use to raise the ire of the readers / listeners. It's as if you're always trying to bait the users into arguments.

 

[jazzcat22]

6 games would be tough to decide to take it to court or not. I would bet they just take the 6 games. And then move on, and gets him a few games to get back into playing again. Get ready for a playoff push.
Sometimes best to get it over with, as if court reduces to 4 games, and what if that is toward the end of the season, or worse, during the playoffs. Then he will be playing with that over his head during the season, and may effect the team as well.

 

[tyke1doe]

A neutral arbitrator would look at Jones' and Doty's rulings and look for a consistent punishment. Which would generally be 1-3 games and potentially a fine.

Seeing as how he already missed 15 games, a fine with no additional suspension would be the logical and consistent result.

This has nothing to do with the alleged crime or the distaste for it. It has to do with the law and need for consistency based on the CBA.

I agree with you on the domestic violence issue. The issue here is whether the penalty is fair and correct under the NFL policy.

We should try to stick to that.

 

[AzorAhai]

Hardy would file for an injunction to prevent the suspension from being implemented pending the results of the court appeal. That would likely hold up.

He's not suspended now. Upon filing an appeal, his suspension is stayed. He is still on the commisioners exempt list which is the problem. If the court case rolls into the season, even though he's not suspended he won't be able to play unless removed, which he won't be until the entire situation is resolved.

 

[TellerMorrow34]

Heck, the NFL and Brady are trying to work out a deal before it even goes to arbitration. I see no such headlines for Hardy

He will go to court, just hope it is settled by week 1.

Yeah imagine that. They are willing to work with a guy who might have helped to deflate some footballs but aren't putting that on the same level as a guy who supposedly beat up a woman.

SHOCKING.

 

[Manwiththeplan]

Why not take it to court? If you do (and I doubt it would be decided before the start of the season), you have Hardy available for the suspended games.

If he gets suspended later in the season, you (hopefully) have a more seasoned Lawrence and Gregory providing the pass rush in his absence.

And I really don't think Hardy will be much good to us if he has to sit out six to 10 games. Many seem to think he can just step in and provide a pass rush. But he will have effectively missed more than an entire season.

No, IMO, you roll the dice and let the courts decide if it's anything more than two games. I might be tempted with a four-game suspension.

Is it automatic that the courts grants an injunction and allows him to play while the case is being heard? To me that seems 50/50 at best

 

[tyke1doe]

Is it automatic that the courts grants an injunction and allows him to play while the case is being heard? To me that seems 50/50 at best

If the court is trying to rule on the fairness of the penalty, I don't see how it wouldn't order an injunction. But I'm not a lawyer, although I have stayed at a Holiday Inn.

 

[LandryFan]

Again, he never said that.

What he (Doty) said (if I understand correctly...and I don't claim, like some people, to know it all...) was that you couldn't apply new punishment standards to old crimes which is what I believe BKight13 was saying and I was agreeing to. Under the old standard of discipline, Hardy would have gotten 2 games.
If I have my facts/understanding of the situation wrong, I'm sure you (or someone) will set me straight.

 

[Galian Beast]

He's not suspended now. Upon filing an appeal, his suspension is stayed. He is still on the commisioners exempt list which is the problem. If the court case rolls into the season, even though he's not suspended he won't be able to play unless removed, which he won't be until the entire situation is resolved.

Actually he is suspended already. He can perform team activities and play in the preseason, but he has been issued his suspension.

 

[LittleBoyBlue]

I agree..............this has settlement written all over it.................6 games is probably what the league is looking at and even though I think it is total BS, I would advise Hardy to take the deal.

I also think it is no accident that we play almost our entire divisional schedule within the first 6 games of the season when normally all the division games at put at the end of the season. This was obviously done on purpose.

I don't like the 8 games.

I do like seeing the younger guys step up in his absence.
I do like unleashing him fresh for second half of season.