Mark Davis, Oakland Raiders Did the Right Thing in Not Pursuing Hardy

In the wake of Greg Hardy signing with the Dallas Cowboys, there was the usual round of griping and screaming from disgruntled Oakland Raiders fans looking to add a big name to the roster. And admittedly, the idea of the Kraken wreaking havoc on defense for an Oakland team that does indeed need to infuse its pass rush with a jolt of life was an interesting and tantalizing thought – For a minute.

But upon reflection, Mark Davis absolutely did the right thing in putting the kibosh on all of the Hardy to the Raiders speculation as forcefully as he did.

“I’ve said I’d rather be right than be consistent, but in this situation, I’m going to say that consistency is the most important.”

Earlier in the week, word leaked out – some believe by Hardy’s agent Drew Rosenhaus – that an “unnamed team” was in talks with Hardy. Word got around a short time later – perhaps from the same source – that the “unnamed team” was the Raiders.

And what better way to whip up some interest in his client than fabricating – ahem – leaking the idea that a team like Oakland is sniffing around said client.

On first blush, it makes a certain amount of sense. The Raiders are looking for somebody that can blow up offensive lines and get to the quarterback on a regular basis – something that Hardy excels at. And for his part, Hardy is looking for a job with a team willing to look beyond his legal issues for domestic violence – issues that could still result in him missing regular season time as the league weighs his case against the NFL’s personal conduct policy.

But when Raiders’ owner Mark Davis got wind of the rumors about his team and Hardy, not only did he not appreciate his club being used as the leverage point for Hardy’s contract negotiations, he also couldn’t grab a reporter fast enough – in this case it was Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News – to issue a very powerful denial of Oakland’s interest in Hardy.

"“False, falser and falsest. That is not true. I’m not saying that, because I don’t know the details of the Hardy situation, but I’m saying that he’s somebody we are not negotiating with and I don’t believe we would be interested in at this point in time. I can tell you this: It has not been brought up to me and it would have to come to me.”"

Davis’ statement was a powerful one. And it really served to underscore the blatant hypocrisy of Cowboy’s owner Jerry Jones – a man who just six months ago, made a very public statement denouncing domestic violence, calling it “intolerable.”

Apparently though, if you’re Jones, the prospect of a defensive lineman recording 15 or more sacks for your team makes you a lot more tolerant of certain things.

Jones has made the rounds with the press, doing damage control, and trying to put a positive spin on the Hardy signing – as well as to try to Jedi Mind Trick everybody into believing what he said in September isn’t really what he meant. After all, Hardy and all of his sacks weren’t available to Jones in Septebmber!

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Though some applaud Jones’ move, calling it a huge, important, impact signing that will carry the Cowboys to the promised land, others see Jones’ move for what it is – a blatant win at ALL costs, even if what it costs you is your integrity – mentality. In other words, classic Jerry Jones.

It was a refreshing change of pace though, to see Davis draw his line in the sand though, regarding Greg Hardy and players with domestic violence issues in their files. Davis has gone on record, multiple times, to discuss domestic violence and to thoroughly denounce it every single time – which is why he was so upset at the rumors tying Hardy to the Raiders – and so quick to thoroughly, and forcefully shoot them all down.

Aug 8, 2014; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers defensive end Greg Hardy (76) sits on the sidelines during the first half of the game against the Buffalo Bills at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe-USA TODAY Sports

It must have been incredibly tempting, with a talent, a force of nature like Hardy sitting right there for the taking, to not at least reach out. But Davis undoubtedly had thoughts in his mind of Raider legend, and current front office member Fred Biletnikoff – whose daughter was killed in a domestic violence situation – when he issued the strong denial of the team’s interest in Hardy.

"“I’ve said I’d rather be right than be consistent, but in this situation, I’m going to say that consistency is the most important.”"

Could Oakland have used a talent like Hardy on their defensive front? Oh yes. Absolutely. Would he have taken the Raiders’ defense to another level? Yeah, maybe. But would signing somebody like Hardy be worth it at the cost of Davis’ integrity and soul – not to mention the possible locker room distraction he could have brought about? Absolutely not.

Hardy’s fans and supporters like to point out the fact that the case pending against him was dismissed. And while this is true, it’s not nearly that cut and dried. Hardy was convicted of domestic abuse by a judge in his first trial – meaning, there was more than enough evidence to support the charges against him. But North Carolina law permits Hardy to appeal to a jury.

It was during this second trial that after Hardy and ex-girlfriend Nicole Holder reached an out of court civil settlement. After that, Holder was strangely unavailable to the DA’s prosecuting Hardy’s case. Not being able to locate their complainant – who was likely out on a very lush vacation trip – the DA’s office had no choice but to drop the case.

So while technically speaking, the case against Hardy was officially dropped, it’s not like he’s actually innocent – he was convicted, remember. And attempts to paint him as such are disingenuous at best. But Jones is never one to let looking disingenuous – our flat out hypocritical – stop him from doing whatever the hell he wants to do.

Which is why Raiders’ fans should absolutely applaud Davis for taking a stand and not backing off of it. Even at the cost of one of the league’s fiercest and most talented pass rushers. Domestic violence is a serious issue in this country. It’s a plague. An epidemic that needs to be eradicated.

So it’s absolutely wonderful to see an NFL owner who does more than pay lip service to the idea that domestic abusers are “intolerable.” Even if that means losing out on a top talent like Hardy. It shows Davis’ integrity which is something quite obviously lacking in Jones, as Davis sees the big picture in play – domestic violence is an issue that is bigger than football, and that the players need to realize that playing in the NFL is absolutely a privilege – it is not a right.

Letting Hardy walk without putting up a fight is something that is sticking in the craw of a lot of Raiders fans. If Hardy goes off and has a monster season in Dallas, it will likely stick in their craw a little deeper.

But look at the women in your life – be it your mother, sister, girlfriend, wife – and imagine if Hardy did to them, what he – ahem – allegedly did to Nicole Holder. Would you still be a fan of his, and want to see him on your team?

Domestic violence is a huge issue in our society today. It’s bigger than football – much bigger than football. And Raider fans SHOULD be proud of the fact that they support a team whose owner not only understands that, but has the integrity to back up his words with real, tangible actions. Even at the cost of upgrading a defense that sorely needs it.

Next: Signing Trent Richardson Could Pay Big Dividends for Oakland