Greg Hardy’s suspension was reduced from 10 games to four games on Friday afternoon, the National Football League announced.
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Independent arbitrator Harold Henderson heard the appeal in May. His representatives have indicated they will fight any punishment greater than two games, which was the penalty the league prescribed at the time before rules were amended. “Still considering further legal action”.
Hardy, a two-time Pro Bowl defensive end with the Carolina Panthers, signed a one-year, $11.3 million contract with the Dallas Cowboys in the offseason.
Goodell informed Hardy of his ruling in a letter last month. He was first convicted in a North Carolina bench trial of assaulting ex- girlfriend Nicole Holder, but the charges were later dropped when Holder failed to appear for a subsequent jury trial.
“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”, Goodell wrote. First, he used physical force against her which caused her to land in a bathtub. In April he was suspended for 10 games and appealed the ruling in May. Peterson was subsequently reinstated by the league. However Hardy appealed the judge’s decision, Holder eventually refused to testify, and the case was dismissed in February.
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Hardy appealed the suspension in May on the grounds that the 10-game figure was a knee-jerk reaction from the league to counter the negative criticism of its weak handling of domestic violence offenses and that there was no precedent for the punishment when it was handed down.
