It seems Dallas Cowboys defensive end Greg Hardy saw the resounding victory that New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady scored over the NFL on Thursday and is now thinking it may bode well for an appeal of his own four-game suspension. Hardy, per a couple of reports from ESPN's Ed Werder and Bleacher Report's Jason Cole, is currently in the process of convening with the NFLPA to discuss a further appeal of his ban now that a final determination has been made in Brady's case.
Hardy, of course, was placed on NFL commissioner Roger Goodell's exempt list after just one game of the 2014 NFL season after he was arrested in connection with an alleged domestic violence incident involving his then ex-girlfriend. Hardy ultimately avoided charges and signed with the pass rush-needy Cowboys this offseason after being released by the Carolina Panthers. Despite the lack of charges, the league meted out a 10-game suspension for Hardy, which Hardy appealed immediately. Arbitrator Harold Henderson then determined that Hardy's suspension should be amended to just four games.
While many have suggested that Hardy is likely happy to simply take his four-game ban and move forward, it now seems that he's seriously considering taking his battle with the NFL to federal court. And considering the stunning manner in which Brady was able to see his own sentence nullified - U.S. Judge Richard Berman cited the NFL's inconsistent punishments in the past, including during Bountygate in the early 2000's, even going so far as to compare Brady's four-game suspension to that of players found to have used PEDs - it may seem to Hardy, his reps and the Cowboys that their own victory could be close at hand.
Of course, Hardy's situation is far different than Brady's considering he's alleged to have broken the law and not simply violated rules of gameplay, but there's no denying that Brady's win in federal court seems to have set something of a precedent where the NFL's discipline and Goodell's power and/or credibility as a disciplinarian are concerned.
