New England Patriots: Cowboys’ Greg Hardy Adds Fuel to Fire
For years the New England Patriots have been a team that takes things very personally. They turn any slightly disrespectful remark, sometimes even a neutral statement, and use it as motivation. They’re an entire team sharing the Michael Jordan mentality, a dominant franchise for a decade and a half and still unwilling to let anything go, champions with a chip on their shoulder. They look for reasons to get fired up and they find them without any help from their opponents. This year in particular, they have an entire offseason of having their legacy questioned to use as fuel.
Still, Dallas Cowboys defensive end Greg Hardy decided to give quarterback Tom Brady a whole bunch more heading into Sunday’s game in Texas. Hardy is coming off a four-game suspension, and in fact hasn’t played since the 2014 season opener, when he was still with the Carolina Panthers. In May 2014, Hardy was arrested for assaulting his now ex-girlfriend. The details of the case are disturbing and some question whether Hardy should be allowed back on the field at all. But he’ll be out there Sunday, with his sights set on putting Brady on the ground.
He made that much clear when he spoke to the media Tuesday, but he took things a step further when he brought Brady’s wife, supermodel Gisele Bündchen, into the conversation. According to The Dallas Morning News, Hardy has this to say when asked about Brady:
“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.”
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Needless to say, you don’t bring up a guy’s wife when you’re talking about a football game. It seems even more inappropriate when you’re a known domestic abuser playing for the first time in over a year. Hardy crossed a line, and I anticipate he’ll have hell to pay come Sunday. Brady took the high road when asked if the comments bothered him in his press conference Wednesday. “No,” he said, “I’m just getting ready to play.” He complimented Hardy as a player, but did add, “I don’t really care about his personal feelings.”
Brady chose his words carefully, but come Sunday he’ll no doubt let Hardy hear it after every touchdown pass. The Cowboys are playing without starting quarterback Tony Romo and star wide receiver Dez Bryant. They lost to the Saints last week in overtime and seem poised to get blown out by the Patriots, even playing at home. Bill Belichick is 11-4 coming off a bye week and all the pieces are in place for New England to run their record to 4-0 this season. Greg Hardy had 15 sacks back in 2013 and could prove to be a threat, but he won’t be nearly enough to stop a dominant Patriots’ offense led by a now ever more pissed off Tom Brady.
Next: Patriots vs. Cowboys: Five Players to Watch