News: Breer: The truth about Hardy's latest incident

[WoodysGirl]

• By Albert Breer

• NFL Media reporter

• Published: Nov. 20, 2015 at 02:21 p.m

A few weeks back, we detailed how Greg Hardy's issues with tardiness (or even just showing up) have affected his time as a pro and college football player. And so it should hardly come as a surprise that, once again, in the face of adversity, an inability to get himself in on time with the rest of the workforce created an issue. But this particular one -- as FOX first reported, last week, he came in late Thursday and missed morning meetings -- is a little different than the others, and might shed some light into why he's been such a challenge for those around him to handle. After Hardy's social-media mishap on the preceding Wednesday, he was summoned (again) by Cowboys coach Jason Garrett to talk about his behavior. His feelings coming out of the meeting explain why didn't show up on Thursday morning. Hardy told others in the organization he was humiliated after messing up again, apprehensive about facing his teammates in the aftermath and needed the extra time to "get his mind right." After arriving at the facility, he and veteran linemate Jeremy Mincey sat down for a 15-minute man-to-man, and they went deep into the sordid recent past of Hardy. "In the end, no one knows the truth [about the domestic incident of 2014] except the people who were there," Mincey told me. "We can all speculate and say it was this or it was that. I just know he's working hard on being a better person. We had a heart-to-heart -- I know he feels like the world's against him." Mincey advised Hardy to "keep yourself out of harm's way. And remember, they [the public] can do and say whatever they want to do or say." Part of this, of course, is what the Cowboys signed up for -- a high-maintenance player who once vanished on his college team, and who basically needed a chaperone making sure he got to work in his early pro years. But there are still those in Carolina who root for him, and those in Dallas who believe things aren't quite as so many on the outside see them. "He has great intentions," Mincey continued. "We're trying to give him a good support system. I believe in him as a man: He's strong-willed and strong-minded. And the things he wants to get accomplished, he can get accomplished. He just needs to start looking at things from a positive perspective, and all these things will start falling away, and eventually he'll be forgiven by people." The end result of the tardiness: a fine for Hardy, and continued hope that this will finally be the time that he gets the message.

Read more: http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap30...ebook-mike-zimmer-bruce-arians-head-nfl-trend

 

[Doomsay]

Luckily, this week's story is all Tony, all the time.

 

[Sasquatch]

I sincerely hope Mincey is right in his assessment. Although I've been critical of Hardy, I would be overjoyed if he changed some of his behaviors and started attracting some positive attention.

 

[fifaguy]

The man is a walking time bomb...

 

[Junglist]

Well, if he didn't want t to face his temmates, and he's embarrassed about messing up again, NOT showing up to meetings is just going to exacerbate the problem. Good thinking, guy.

 

[Idgit]

This is the sort of thing that I had expected had happened. Hardy's a dude who's wired differently from everybody else. He's sensitive, and he's unstable. But he's also a damn good football player. We'll create room for a guy like that, unless the spotlight in Dallas is just too bright and he prefers going somewhere less front-and-center.

 

[Idgit]

Here's Breer's previous comment, too:

1) Hardy's file. The story goes that, a few years ago in Carolina, Greg Hardyhad come down with the flu. It was a weekday. It wasn't certain if he'd be in that day. And then, there he was -- popping into an offensive meeting room, dressed in a full suit. And he announced to the room, "Look good, feel good." And he went to work. That's a good way to explain the presence Hardy has always had around coaches and teammates: Few have any idea what to expect on a day-to-day basis. That ranges from little stunts like that one to much, much more serious matters, and it's something the Cowboys are experiencing now. In Carolina, when Hardy was still under the radar, he fluctuated from the most consistent and passionate player on the practice field to not showing up at all. One source who was there explained, "You'd just never know what you were gonna get." This isn't as rare as it might seem, but the Panthers, at times, had guys making sure Hardy would get himself to the facility. That's the way it was in his time at Ole Miss, too. In fact, after he fractured his wrist in early November of his final season there, he simply vanished from the program. Before that, he'd often arrive at the trainer's room to get taped as practice was starting. "No one wanted to deal with him," one AFC personnel director said. "And he had a coach (Houston Nutt) who got along with everyone." To this day, there are still people at Ole Miss who won't discuss him with NFL folks who come through. And that's why he fell to the sixth round in 2010, where Marty Hurney and John Fox snapped him up for thePanthers. One thing that Dallas will have to monitor going forward is an element that ties together his reputation in Oxford and Charlotte: Once Hardy established himself as a dominant, indispensable player, he would push boundaries to see how far he could go. That makes Hardy quite the wild card for theCowboys, especially if they follow through on Jerry Jones' desire to sign him to a long-term deal.

Pretty interesting.

 

[rockj7]

I sincerely hope Mincey is right in his assessment. Although I've been critical of Hardy, I would be overjoyed if he changed some of his behaviors and started attracting some positive attention.

What may get overlooked is that Mincey is one hell of a,team mate I'm getting a Mincey jersey that's what a real leader friend teammate does

 

[erod]

Hardy, Aldon Smith, Pacman, many others.

Unpredictable daily volatility.

 

[eternaljester81]

What may get overlooked is that Mincey is one hell of a,team mate I'm getting a Mincey jersey that's what a real leader friend teammate does

I think this is the last year of Mincey's contract, so you may wish to hold off on the jersey. There's a more than decent chance he's a Commander or a Giant next year, considering how much they like picking up our d-linemen.

 

[canters]

this makes me like Mincey more...good team guy.

 

[AbeBeta]

Hardy, Aldon Smith, Pacman, many others.

Unpredictable daily volatility.

Aldon Smith is an addict - you can't put him in the same boat.

Pacman clearly turned his life around.

What comparison exactly are you trying to make?

 

[The Natural]

What may get overlooked is that Mincey is one hell of a,team mate I'm getting a Mincey jersey that's what a real leader friend teammate does

I'll pass on the Mincey jersey but you're right, this is what real leadership looks like. The past few weeks I was waiting on somebody, anybody on the team to speak out in favor of their teammate.

 

[cowboys2233]

What may get overlooked is that Mincey is one hell of a,team mate I'm getting a Mincey jersey that's what a real leader friend teammate does

Just about to post something similar. Mincey's value to this team as a leader and voice is immense. Which means Stephen Jones will probably get rid of him (okay, I couldn't help myself). LOL.

 

[Nightman]

Hardy is the definition of a self fulfilling prophecy.

The media and other fans hate the Cowboys and they have made Hardy the whipping boy. They will keep pushing and pushing until the pressure eventually causes the pipes to burst. He doesn't deserve the amount of hate and scrutiny he has received. It is 18 months later, he has served his suspension and paid his fine and people can't let it go.

He will do or say something stupid enough and everyone will wag their fingers say "See I told you so". Then they can turn their selective faux outrage onto the next guy.

 

[BoysfanfromCanada]

Well, if he didn't want t to face his temmates, and he's embarrassed about messing up again, NOT showing up to meetings is just going to exacerbate the problem. Good thinking, guy.

But you don't know what he's going through. Having the entire media be against you, having random activists ask for you to lose your job, having former and current players talk about your private life when none of them but you know what's going on. On top of that be on a team with a seven game losing streak that had super bowl aspirations. This season hasn't gone how we wanted, and definitely not how he wanted. If we were 6-3 right now with a healthy romo, there wouldn't be anywhere near as much scrutiny on him

 

[Junglist]

But you don't know what he's going through. Having the entire media be against you, having random activists ask for you to lose your job, having former and current players talk about your private life when none of them but you know what's going on. On top of that be on a team with a seven game losing streak that had super bowl aspirations. This season hasn't gone how we wanted, and definitely not how he wanted. If we were 6-3 right now with a healthy romo, there wouldn't be anywhere near as much scrutiny on him

So he gives the media more ammo. Sound logic.

 

[rockj7]

I think this is the last year of Mincey's contract, so you may wish to hold off on the jersey. There's a more than decent chance he's a Commander or a Giant next year, considering how much they like picking up our d-linemen.

E I thought he held out at camp and signed an extention

 

[Oh_Canada]

At least Breer was able to objectively put together a report which didn't paint the guy as some monstrous villan who should be banished from earth. I think the guy cares too much about what people think of him. Just keep your head straight, play football and be a good person and it will all go away.

 

[superonyx]

So he gives the media more ammo. Sound logic.

Logic has nothing to do with it.
Hardy is a human and we all deal with emotions in different ways. You look down on him like many media members do. You don't know this man and you have not had to walk in his shoes. It's easy to say how someone "should be". We are all experts on how to be perfect.
Yet we all fail at being perfect.