Greg Hardy Suspension Shows the NFL Finally Gets It

The NFL has gotten so, so many things wrong over the decades when it comes to domestic violence. In suspending woman beater Greg Hardy 10 games on Wednesday, the league got it so, so right.   

The NFL used its own investigative team to dig into the case—a change from how it's handled these situations in the past. The league was able to get pictures of the victim's injuries, and it was apparently a brutal sight.

There are those of you who believe Hardy is innocent. Why you believe this, I don't know. What I do know is that the NFL removed all doubt about his guilt. Consider this passage from the NFL's statement:

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The NFL's investigation concluded that Hardy violated the Personal Conduct Policy by using physical force against Nicole Holder in at least four instances. First, he used physical force against her which caused her to land in a bathtub. Second, he used physical force against her which caused her to land on a futon that was covered with at least four semi-automatic rifles. Third, he used physical force against her by placing his hands around Ms. Holder's neck and applying enough pressure to leave visible marks. And fourth, he used physical force to shove Ms. Holder against a wall in his apartment's entry hallway.

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A huge football player tossed a small woman around like she was a rag doll. Hardy is a great American. Sure. Defend him. Go ahead.

Ross D. Franklin/Associated Press

Wrote Commissioner Roger Goodell in the statement:

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The net effect of these acts was that Ms. Holder was severely traumatized and sustained a range of injuries, including bruises and scratches on her neck, shoulders, upper chest, back, arms and feet. The use of physical force under the circumstances present here, against a woman substantially smaller than you and in the presence of powerful, military-style assault weapons, constitutes a significant act of violence in violation of the Personal Conduct Policy.

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Hardy is lucky he's playing football at all. He's lucky he has the wealth to buy his way out of prison, which is exactly what he did. 

This is a great day for the NFL because it demonstrates it finally gets it. Oh, sure, it took decades for the league to get it. It took being embarrassed into getting it by the Ray Rice debacle. But the league gets it. Finally.

The message: No more easy passes for woman beaters. Even if the court system doesn't punish you for beating a woman, we will.

That is a good thing. That is a great thing. 

Will this punishment hold? Twice now NFL punishments have been overturned by arbitrators: in the Rice and Adrian Peterson cases. Judge David Doty, in the Peterson case, said the league must apply the rules of the shop. That's legal talk for you can't make up rules as you go along.

Pat Sullivan/Associated Press

The union will appeal the Hardy case, according to a source with knowledge of the situation, and it might win. And it might be right to appeal.

But a line needs to be drawn on the issue of domestic violence. It wasn't in the past. Players beat up women with almost no punishment. Almost at will. And the band played on. Now, this is a new day. Now, someone is finally saying: Attack a woman and there will be consequences.

The difference just a few years have made is staggering. Consider:

• Rather than relying on the legal system, the NFL used its own investigative process. Its own cops, basically. Hardy was found guilty by a judge. He appealed, and the appeal called for a jury trial. The victim didn't show. She was paid off by Hardy. None of that mattered to the NFL. In the past, it would have. In the past, the Cowboys would have used the case dismissal as proof he was innocent, and he would have played.

• The new process—an outside firm investigating, going to court to get documents, interviewing witnesses—was something we've never seen before.

Seth Wenig/Associated Press

• There was new expertise. Lisa Friel, who has almost 30 years' experience prosecuting sex crimes, heads this unit. Also part of this group is former U.S. Attorney Todd Jones, Cynthia Hogan (NFL senior vice president of public policy and government affairs) and Anna Isaacson (NFL vice president of social responsibility). None of these people were involved in this process a year ago. Notice, there are more women.

• Lastly, what the NFL did was also notice the disturbing fact that Hardy put his hands on a woman's neck. The potential for danger—hell, death—means Hardy deserves extreme punishment.

Yes, the NFL got this right.

Nothing is perfect, especially in football, where the main motive is to make money. Lots of money. Doing the right thing can conflict with growing a bank account.

But for the NFL, it removed a star player from one of the league's star teams.

It's a new day for the sport.

The NFL finally gets it.

Mike Freeman covers the NFL for Bleacher Report.