News: BTB: Greg Hardy's Suspension Reduced From Ten To Four Games

[NewsBot]

The announcement was a long time coming, but the outcome was better than many expected.

Multiple sources are reporting that the NFL has announced that Greg Hardy's suspension for domestic violence has been upheld by arbitrator Harold Henderson, but it has been reduced from ten to four games. This is to some degree a win for Hardy and the Dallas Cowboys, since four games was a number that many had felt was appropriate before the original ten game suspension was announced.

Breaking: Greg Hardy's suspension has been reduced from 10 games to 4, per NFL spokesman

— Jonathan Jones (@jjones9) July 10, 2015​

Speculation during the long delay in announcing this outcome was that it was because the league wanted to put off negative reaction over a reduction. It also makes the delay more believable, since it is likely that Henderson had to wrestle harder with reducing the suspension than he would have just upholding it. He possibly had to take some extra time to build his case to present to Roger Goodell, since his reduction essentially says that the league was too harsh in the initial judgement, given the CBA and NFL policy at the time of Hardy's infractions.

This means that Hardy will be available for the game against the New England Patriots. Coincidentally, Tom Brady is awaiting the results of his appeal. As it currently stands, Brady would be serving the last game of his suspension and miss the contest. Roger Goodell indicated earlier this week that a decision might be announced on Brady's case soon. His is a different matter entirely, but the Hardy reduction is certainly going to be referenced however Brady's appeal turns out.

Hardy now has to decide if he will still appeal this suspension in the courts. He has nothing to lose, and the work should be mainly done by the NFLPA anyway. Four games was long seen as close to a best-case outcome for him and the Cowboys anyway. At this point, the team and Hardy both should be feeling a lot better about how things are looking.

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