Say What?
Greg Hardy shoots himself in foot with ‘guns blazing’
Making his belated seasonal debut after being suspended four games for domestic violence, Greg Hardy did not show the reformed sensitivity the Dallas Cowboys’ front office and coaches told us to expect. Prior to the Cowboys playing the New England Patriots at JerryWorld, Hardy made some comments about Tom Brady’s wife that some considered creepy. Hardy told the Dallas Morning News: “I love seeing Tom Brady. He’s cool as crap. Have you seen his wife? I hope she comes to the game. I hope her sister comes to the game, all her friends come to the game. One of my favorite games of the year, guys.” But lest anyone think Hardy would be focusing more on what’s in the stands than what’s on the field, he said he would play aggressively, that he would “come out guns blazing.” Cowboys coach Jason Garrett reprimanded Hardy, saying, “That’s not how we want to operate as an organization.” Broadcaster Jim Nantz slammed Hardy for his “outrageous, unrepentant remarks.”
Between the Lines: The last thing Garrett wanted was more incentive for the Pats to pummel his undermanned team. New England, 9-point favorite, beat Dallas 30-6, though Hardy played well, recording two sacks and hitting Brady five times.
Cromartie calls Beckham ‘a one-year wonder’
Odell Beckham Jr., wide receiver for the New York Giants, stirred controversy after being fined $8,681 by the NFL for punching a Buffalo Bills defender. Beckham said the fine wasn’t fair because “I get double-teamed, triple-teamed, punched every single game.” Whereupon Antonio Cromartie, cornerback for the New York Jets, said on ESPN: “Randy Moss didn’t complain when he got double- and triple-covered, and people went after him also.” Cromartie said he considers the best receivers in the NFL to be Dez Bryant, Antonio Brown and Calvin Johnson. As for Beckham: “Right now he’s a one-year wonder. . . I need to see it on an every-game basis. . . not him getting penalties or something like that or sucker-punching somebody.”
MHRSA infection may end career of Giants tight end Fells
Daniel Fells, the No. 1 tight end of the New York Giants, is unlikely to play again after undergoing surgery for MHRSA bacterial infection, often called “the superbug.” Doctors have performed five operations on his foot and have said they may have to amputate. But in recent days they became more optimistic that amputation will not be necessary. Even so, they doubt the 32-year-old player can recover fully enough to play football again. When the Giants beat San Francisco on Monday night, coach Tom Coughlin said the team was “dedicating this victory to Daniel Fells and his family.”
UCLA punter arrested on suspicion of rape
Adam Searl, punter for UCLA, was booked on suspicion of three counts of rape and was released after $300,000 bail. Bruins coach Jim Mora suspended Searl “indefinitely” after saying he read a report by the alleged victim saying “she woke up and he was assaulting her.”
Jury sides with Sefalosha in his scuffle with police
After he suffered a broken leg during a confrontation with police outside a Manhattan night club on April 8, Atlanta Hawks forward Thabo Sefalosha was charged with three misdemeanor counts for disorderly conduct, obstructing police and resisting arrest. He turned down a plea deal that would have required only one day of public service and decided to risk a jury trial which could have brought jail time. “It was important to me as a man and a father to two young girls and as a role model to stand up for what I believe in,” the player said after a jury found him innocent on all charges. But he wondered why tax money was spent to prosecute him in the first place. “It’s troubling to me that with so much evidence in my support that this case would ever be brought to trial.” Sefalosha is considering filing civil suit against the NYPD.