Greg Hardy Crime
In 2014, Hardy was arrested for assault after he was accused of attacking and threatening to kill his ex-girlfriend. The woman testified that Hardy threw her on a futon filled with guns and placed. Former Dallas Cowboy Greg Hardy was arrested Sunday night in Richardson for felony possession of a controlled substance, police told News 8.
This year, three National Football League players -- Adrian Peterson, Ray Rice, and Greg Hardy -- have either admitted to or been convicted of domestic violence. Their stories coalesced into a storm this past week with the release of a damning new video of Ray Rice punching his wife (then fiancée) and the indictment of Adrian Peterson, debatably the NFL's best running back, for child abuse.
The media onslaught of updates, analysis, and opinion on what has been called the National Football League's 'worst week ever' leaves a distinct impression: the NFL is a league stocked full of criminals.
Evidence, however, doesn't bear that out.
Back in 1999, leading criminologist Alfred Blumstein teamed up with author Jeff Benedict, who has written five books focused on crime and athletics, to compare rates of criminal violence among NFL players to that of the general population. Controlling for age, they found that the annual rate of assault and domestic violence among NFL players was less than half that of the general population.
But Blumstein and Benedict's analysis is fifteen years dated. Perhaps things have changed in that time?
It doesn't appear they have. Back in July, FiveThirtyEight's Benjamin Morris tallied up the incidents in USA Today's NFL Arrests Database to discern crime rates among NFL players. He then compared those numbers to the national averages among 25-29 year olds, and found the rate of domestic violence in the NFL to be 55.4% that of the general population. And the overall crime rate was a mere 13% of the national average.
So why then do 69% of Americans believe that the NFL suffers a 'widespread epidemic of domestic violence problems'? The answer is rooted in how we think. Humans are prone to rely on examples and experiences that can be easily recalled. The idea is that if we can remember it, it must be important. This mental shortcut is termed the availability heuristic. A key drawback of the heuristic is that it leads us to overestimate the prevalence of memorable events. Here, you can legitimately blame popular media. Because plane crashes are widely covered, many erroneously view flying as more dangerous than driving. Thanks to Shark Week, people are wearier of sharks than deer. Because 91% of people have seen, read, or heard something about Ray Rice's domestic violence, they overestimate the problem of domestic violence in the NFL.
That's not to say that domestic violence isn't a problem in the NFL. By type of crime, domestic violence is the closest the NFL comes to the national average. Moreover, Morris noted that NFL players do seem to commit acts of domestic violence at a higher rate than individuals with a similar socioeconomic status, though a direct comparison wasn't available.
As public figures, football players must hold themselves to higher standards, and be punished appropriately when they fail to meet them. But more quintessentially, as human beings, they need to recognize that unprovoked violence against others, particularly those not able to defend themselves, is utterly reprehensible.
(Image: AP)
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Sean PendergastSupport the independent voice of Houston and help keep the future of Houston Press free.
Despite the fact that it guarantees them a one-year salary that is the average of the top five salaries at their position, generally speaking, NFL players do not like to get hit with the 'franchise tag' when they reach free agency.
More often than not, the franchise tag is a placeholder for the two sides, team and player, to work out a long-term deal, but if the two sides don't reach a long-term agreement, then the player plays the one year under the franchise tag salary for his position, and must wait at least one more season for a long-term deal and the guaranteed big bonus money that comes with it.
Carolina defensive end Greg Hardy is one of those players, designated the franchise player for the Panthers. Somehow, I don't think the latest news involving Hardy (who's been in the news before) is going to get the Panthers to the bargaining table any quicker.
Because domestic assault is probably not the best way to go about getting a multi-year extension done:
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- From a Carolina Panthers jersey to a jail jumpsuit, defensive end Greg Hardy spent Tuesday night behind bars, accused of assaulting his girlfriend.
Eyewitness News first confirmed and reported his arrest Tuesday. WSOC-TV first reported the arrest on Twitter. WSOC-TV Twitter page Hardy has been charged with assault on a female and communicating threats. He is expected in court on Wednesday for his first appearance in court.
His arrest comes one day before a Men for Change breakfast sponsored by Safe Alliance, Inc. at Bank of America Stadium. The event raises awareness about domestic violence.
It was scheduled before Hardy's arrest.
Hardy got into a fight with his 24-year-old girlfriend at an uptown apartment on North Tryon Street across from the Belk Theater around 4:20 a.m. Tuesday, according to a Charlotte-Mecklenburg police report.
Police haven't said what the fight was about, but according to a report Hardy's girlfriend, whose name was not included, suffered scratches and bruises but she didn't go to the hospital.
It also said the two had been in a relationship since last September.
'We are very disappointed to learn of the allegations involving Greg and are concerned for all parties as we continue to investigate,' a spokesperson for the Panthers said in a statement.
Mike Sexton works with the Mecklenburg County Women's Commission.
He said he has worked with victims from high-profile relationships and this latest case of alleged abuse proves domestic violence doesn't discriminate.
'It sends a message that anybody and everybody can go down this road,' Sexton said.
Hardy, nicknamed 'The Kraken,' was drafted by Carolina in the sixth round of the 2010 NFL Draft and played his college ball at Ole Miss.
Hardy signed a franchise tag tender with the Carolina Panthers in March. He will make $13.1 million next season if he doesn't sign a long-term extension before July 15
During this past week, the big stories post-draft have centered around Rams defensive end Michael Sam, the first openly gay player in league history, and the reaction to his kissing his boyfriend upon hearing the news of the Rams' selecting him in the seventh round. Dolphins lineman Don Jones (who nobody knew outside of Miami before Sunday) was fined and suspended from team activities for tweeting 'OMG' and 'horrible' after viewing Sam's kiss.
Greg Hardy Crime
Jones's reaction and punishment were on the front page of many of the big sports sites throughout the day on Monday.
Meanwhile, Hardy's crime is nestled snugly on the NFL subpage, in between stories of Joe Haden's new deal and Andre Johnson's uncertainty about his future with the Texans. So if you're keeping score at home, player tweets a couple of unenlightened (albeit honest) words, and that's front-page news; player assaults girlfriend, buried amidst contract news, business as usual.
That's fairly messed up.
Thankfully, I'm here to keep track of the real crime. Your revised standings...
2014 FANTASY CRIME LEAGUE STANDINGS 1 point .. misdemeanor 3 points .. felony 10 points .. murder
49ERS .. 8 * 3/28/14: 49ers CB Chris Culliver is charged with felony hit and run, misdemeanor reckless driving, and felony possession of brass knuckles. * 4/13/14: 49ers DE Aldon Smith is charged with MISDEMEANOR false report of a bomb threat.
COLTS .. 3 * 3/16/14: Colts owner Jim Irsay is arrested for DUI and possession of a controlled substance (felony)
RAVENS .. 3 * 2/14/14: Ravens RB Ray Rice is charged with third degree assault. * 2/21/14: Ravens WR Deonte Thompson is arrested for suspicion of possession of marijuana. * 3/9/14: Raves OL Jah Reid is arrested on two counts of battery.
BILLS .. 3 * 5/7/14: Bills DT Marcell Dareus is arrested for felony possession of synthetic marijuana
FALCONS .. 1 * 2/18/14: Falcons WR Roddy White is arrested for failing to appear in court.
TITANS .. 1 * 3/20/14: Titans DE Adewale Ojomo is arrested for solicitation of prostitution.
BENGALS .. 1 * 3/31/14: Bengals FB Orson Charles is charged with wanton endangerment.
Greg Hardy Crimes
RAMS .. 1 * 3/29/14: Rams CB Greg Reid is arrested for violating probation.
BEARS .. 1 * 4/21/14: Bears WR Josh Morgan is arrested for simple assault.
PANTHERS .. 1 * 5/13/14: Panthers DE Greg Hardy is arrested for misdemeanor domestic assault.
Listen to Sean Pendergast on SportsRadio 610 from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays. Also, follow him on Twitter at http://twitter.com/SeanCablinasian.
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